Graham Norton recalls excruciating blunder with Jessica Chastain

TV host was asked about his most embarrassing celebrity encounter on Mel Giedroyc’s new programme, Unforgivable

Graham Norton has recalled the awkward moment he managed to insult Jessica Chastain while attempting to placate her about a film she starred in.

The TV host appeared as a guest on Mel Giedroyc’s new programme, Unforgiveable, where he was asked whether he’d ever had an embarrassing incident with one of his own guests.

Norton brought up an incident backstage on his show, where he told Chastain that one of his next guests was Tom Hiddleston, who co-starred with her in a new film.

Chastain apparently told Norton that she was “so bad” in the film, prompting the chat show host to try and reassure her.

“I thought I should say something,” he said. “So I went: ‘Oh well you’re not that bad!'.”

It turned out Norton had misunderstood Chastain entirely, as she responded: “I meant I play a bad person.”

As Giedroyc and the other guests cringed, Norton said he realised during the incident that it was impossible to backtrack.

It’s likely that the film in question was 2015’s Crimson Peak, starring both Chastain and Hiddleston.

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the film received mixed reviews from critics but was praised for its visuals and for the star performances.

Chastain also received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.