Norton lands New Year's Eve BBC deal

Rex Features

The BBC has chosen Graham Norton as the host of its 2009 New Year's Eve show, says The Sun.

According to reports, the special show will be pre-recorded in December in a bid to help the BBC secure better guests.

The Norton-fronted show will be based around his BBC One chatshow, but the channel will cut live to BBC Scotland for the traditional midnight celebrations.

An insider is quoted as saying: "Landing the show is a coup for Graham, as it's a plum slot - millions tune in. The idea is for it to be a little bit more family-focused as youngsters will also be watching."

> Click here to read our recent interview with Graham Norton