The Wheel of Fortune and Graham Norton Show host on the joy of being 60, surviving a near-death experience and becoming a novelist later in life
MY LIFE lessons
Don’t envy the young
Turning 60 was much better than I anticipated. The nice thing about it is that you did it, you got this far. By the time you get to 60, you know a lot of people who didn’t make it this far in the race, so you realise there’s nothing to complain about. And I don’t know about you, but I never look at young people and the stuff they worry about and think, “Oh, I wish that were me.” I’m not remotely jealous.
Never fear failure
It might have been nice to have success in the States [Graham’s attempt to crack America didn’t work out], but we gave it our best shot; it didn’t work and you’ve got to make your peace with that. I certainly would have regretted never trying, but a failed attempt doesn’t seem like anything to be ashamed of.
There’s more time than you think
My books [Graham published his fourth novel, Forever Home, last year] are quite quiet. They’re not exciting. One of the things I like about that bit of my life is I didn’t start it until I was 50. I loved waking up at 52 being a debut something. It was a good reminder that there’s more road than we think. I have just turned 60; my mum is 91. That’s 30 years. It’s a long time to coast. Starting the writing just reminded me, you’re not dead yet.
Keep perspective
I was stabbed [in 1989 Graham was attacked on a London street] and that changed my outlook. I lost half my blood and it was touch and go if I’d survive. When I went back to drama school,
