Claudia Winkleman welcomes another exciting line-up to The Claudia Winkleman Show, as the conversation continues Friday 20th March at 10.40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Joining Claudia on the sofa this week are chart-topping singer-songwriter Niall Horan, Golden Globe winner and Olivier Award nominee Rachel Zegler, BAFTA-nominated actor and comedy creator Guz Khan, and comedian and podcaster Joanne McNally.
Fresh from his global success and back with a brand-new album, Niall Horan opens up about the inspiration behind his latest music, revealing how his new single ‘Dinner Party’ tells the story of meeting his girlfriend. “It tells you exactly what happened from the night I met my girlfriend. She was a late addition to a party… I offered her a drink and we got chatting. She says that we didn’t kiss that night, but I disagree, I think we did. But yeah, we’re still together which is a good thing.”
The conversation turns to hosting, cooking and dinner parties, with Niall sharing his go-to dish: “I can cook a little bit… I try to keep it basic enough, I do like a good bolognese”, with Rachel adding, “Beef stew is kind of my staple”. Joanne McNally however, takes a different approach: “I’ll attend, I won’t host… I’ll arrive when the food has been done and dusted and the party is beginning.” Guz Khan agrees in his own style, joking: “Why would I remove jobs from the hard-working people at Nando’s? There is no need.”
Rachel Zegler, who is currently performing at the London Palladium, shares stories from the stage and beyond, including discovering her best friend was an avid Niall Horan fan growing up. “She had a cardboard cut-out of you in her bedroom, so when we had sleepovers, do you know who watched me sleep?” she laughs, prompting Niall to jokingly stand and recreate the moment.
Discussing the excitement of her Olivier nomination for the role of Evita and that iconic balcony moment, Rachel said: “I thought it was the most amazing, innovative thing that’s ever happened,” she continued, “there were more people at closing night outside, than there were sat inside… it went all the way down to the IKEA!”
Guz Khan also brought his trademark storytelling to the sofa as he reflected on his time as a teacher. Describing himself as the “good big brother/ fun uncle” to his students, two of his former pupils join him on stage in a surprise moment, sharing how he inspired them. One reveals: “When you come from Coventry, and from a South Asian background, you’re not always pushed to do something creative. But I went to uni, I passed, I got an art degree, and I’ve just moved back from Toronto where I worked for two years abroad – all because I saw what you did, going outside the norms.”
With Rachel earlier revealing how she had broken a record for the longest ever standing ovation in the West End, Joanne McNally also discussed her record-breaking live tour, and her reputation with audiences: “I too played the London Palladium and broke a record… it was for wine sold,” she jokes: “maybe they wanted to stand for me too Rachel, but they couldn’t because they were too pissed.”
For further enquiries please contact lucy.waller01@bbc.co.uk / millie@plankpr.com
All images are available from PA.
The show is produced by So Television and Little Owl Productions, and ITV Studios is the distributor.
