Ben Shephard recently shared an intriguing encounter he had with the iconic James Bond star, Dame Judi Dench. While chatting with Graham Norton about the return of his BBC talk show, Ben expressed his gratitude to Graham for hosting Dame Judi, who had left him a delightful surprise in his dressing room.
The setting for this unexpected event was Television Centre, previously known as BBC Media Village, located in White City, London. This is where shows like “Good Morning Britain,” “The Graham Norton Show,” and “This Morning” are filmed, often with stars sharing the same dressing rooms. On this particular occasion, Dame Judi, who is 88 years old, used Ben’s dressing room.
Recounting the story to Holly Willoughby and Graham Norton, Ben shared the intriguing details. “That Judi Dench interview you did… The most amazing thing happened to me the next morning. You record it here, and they gave Judi Dench my dressing room for ‘Good Morning Britain,’ right?” Graham, intrigued, asked, “What did she leave?”
Ben continued, “I didn’t know, and I went in the next morning for work. There was a signed photo from Judi on my desk. It said, ‘I’ve been in doing Graham Norton’s show. I love ‘Tipping Point,’ Ben. Just wanted to say thank you very much. Lots of love.’ So, I’ve always wanted to say thank you for having Judi on.”
Holly chimed in, “Aw, that is so nice,” and Graham added, “Aw, what a nice woman, what a lovely thing to do.” Ben couldn’t help but praise Dame Judi, saying, “Class, she’s just class.”
Dame Judi Dench has made numerous appearances on “The Graham Norton Show,” with one of the most memorable moments occurring in 2013. During one episode, she and Graham reminisced about an unexpected encounter they had in a nightclub. To this, Graham exclaimed, “Er, Dame Judi Dench… You lie like a rug! Yes, you have. I bumped into you in Heaven!”
Surprised by the revelation, Dame Judi admitted, “Oh yes, you did, absolutely true. They took us in through the back door!” However, she couldn’t recall the reason for her nightclub visit. Seeking clarification, she asked Graham, who explained, “You were there to see Cher, the singer Cher!” Dame Judi looked on in amazement at this unexpected revelation.
In this heartwarming tale, Dame Judi Dench’s kindness shines through as she left a touching memento for Ben Shephard, illustrating the enduring impact of her appearances on “The Graham Norton Show” and her timeless charm.
