Graham Norton opens up on death fears after being hospitalised

TV presenter Graham Norton admitted that he broke down after being faced with the prospect of his own death before undergoing a private shoulder operation earlier this year. Although he has remained tight-lipped about why he underwent surgery, the 62-year-old revealed he became unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion as he waited in the hospital.

The operation took place just before his hosting duties on the Eurovision Song Contest, and arrived for the BAFTAs wearing a sling, in which he won the award for Best Entertainment Performance in May. During a recent appearance on his Wanging On podcast, Graham said he was forced to face a multitude of emotions moments before being wheeled into surgery.

Graham recounted: "I was sitting in the hospital room and I wasn't on any drugs or anything, it was before I was taken down, but you're in the gown and you just feel so vulnerable, and you're wearing those funny slippers.

"I did feel quite emotional. I knew I would, but you are facing your own mortality. You just feel quite vulnerable in that moment. I was surprised I got as totes emosh as I did."

The TV star also shared the gritty details of his injured shoulder as he boasted: "I now have a young bit of me. My shoulder's brand new. Sadly, there was no old shoulder left. It was all just ground down.

"One bit is plastic, it is a ball and socket, so one bit is now plastic, and [one] bit is porcelain but with a little bit of titanium stuck into the bone and a big long cut."

As Graham kept the entire surgery private, he sparked major health concerns among fans who noticed the sling during his appearance at the BAFTA Awards.

He eventually revealed on BBC Radio 2 that he was just two weeks post-operation and still on a heavy course of medication.

While Graham hasn't yet revealed the cause of his shoulder problems, he told listeners: "This is my left shoulder's first appearance on radio, (it's) a brand new shoulder. It's less than two weeks old.

"It feels a bit new, it's a little owie (painful), but forgive me, I'm on many, many medications right now, so if I say anything bad, it's not my fault."