Graham Norton has told of his concerns at the rise of right-wing politics in the world, but admitted he fears the consequences of sharing his opinions online.
The BBC chat show host, who has previously spoken about his shock that Britain voted to leave the EU, also said he struggles to imagine what life will be like post-Brexit, suggesting London could turn into “a ghost town”.
In an interview with The Observer Magazine, the comedian said he sometimes feels cowardly for not airing his views in the way other outspoken personalities do.
Interesting overview from a Brit abroad. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Brexit (HBO) https://t.co/Jx69x9NSji via @YouTube
— graham norton (@grahnort) June 20, 2016
The 54-year-old said: “Yes, I do tend to keep my opinions to myself. And often I feel like a coward. I don’t do the Gary Lineker thing, sharing my opinions on Twitter. And maybe that makes me a spineless dick.
“As the world hurtles towards the alt-right, yes, I worry about that. But, who’d listen to me? Would retweeting Guardian articles really help?
“What I see when I do that, rather than change, is a real wheelbarrow of shit being pushed on top of me. And it turns out I care about that more than I do about ending fascism. Yeah, I’ve weighed it up. I’m good, thanks.”
Following his stark suggestion that “London in a post-Brexit world might be a ghost town,” he joked the traffic might at least improve.
The comedian has worked for the BBC for more than a decade and earns a salary of up to £899,999 there alone, excluding wages from outside the corporation.
He said despite both sides of the political divide often branding his employer biased, the broadcaster should be more confident, saying its determination to avoid criticism is leaving it “cautious” and “defensive”.
