Prince William says he wanted to be a police officer and a DJ on Graham Norton

A first for the royal family on daytime sofa

Prince William, 44, appeared as a surprise guest on The Graham Norton Show, recorded on Thursday, 22 October and broadcast on BBC One on Friday, 23 October. Reports described it as the first time a serving member of the British royal family had sat on the programme's red sofa. He used the appearance to promote the Earthshot Prize, the environmental award he launched in 2020, whose ceremony is set for mid-November in Mumbai, India.

His fellow guests were actress Cate Blanchett, 57, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, 52, and conservationist Robert Irwin, 22, who supports the prize.

Police officer and DJ dreams

Asked about the careers he had imagined as a boy, William said he thought he could have been a good police officer and had found the job appealing. He then described a phase in which he wanted to become a DJ, which he said did not go well. He had picked the stage name 'DJ Xara', spelled with an X, a choice he now laughs about. Blick reports the name would have sounded like that of his cousin Zara Tindall. Waddingham dismissed the name as rubbish, and William admitted he had never played at school parties, saying he was never that good.

Films, television and family viewing

William said he is a big fan of everything Christopher Nolan makes, calling his films fantastic, particularly for their dark and introspective tone. Asked what he does when he steps away from official duties, he said he likes films. He also described The Celebrity Traitors as a family favourite, saying the whole family loves the show. Tgcom24 reports that Charlotte and Louis are among its most devoted viewers at home.

Mistaken for Prince in Somerset

During a visit to the English county of Somerset, an older man asked William when he was going to sing, apparently expecting a performance. A woman standing behind him corrected the mix-up, saying he was not the musician Prince. Focus reports that the man had mistaken William for Prince, who died in 2016 at the age of 57, and had wanted him to perform 'Purple Rain'. William recounted the episode with a laugh. He also told the show that people regularly fail to recognise him.

Fan reaction

According to Blick, viewers in the comment sections said they could see his late mother, Princess Diana, in him and praised his sense of humour. The BBC reported cheers and gasps from the studio audience when he walked on as a surprise guest, as cited by N-tv. Robert Irwin joked that becoming a police officer required more than height, while asking William whether he had once wanted to be a crocodile wrestler.