BBC announces Graham Norton's Madonna interview special
The BBC has said Madonna + Graham will be an "unmissable television event".
Madonna will reflect on her illustrious career in an "intimate, in-depth discussion" with Graham Norton ahead of her new album.
BBC One's Madonna + Graham sees the Queen of Pop look back on her early days in New York, her enduring relationship with the UK, discuss her most recent performance at the Coachella music festival, as well as reveal the stories, inspirations, and creative process behind Confessions II.
The 50-minute special - recorded at the legendary Koko in Camden, London, the venue that hosted Madonna’s first UK performance in 1983, and later launched her landmark 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor - is promised to be an "unmissable television event".
Graham, 63, said: "As a lifelong fan, it is always a thrill to interview Madonna, but to meet her on the dance floor where she first performed in London over thirty years ago felt incredibly special.
"She remains a legendary pop icon who is still doing what she does best - getting people up to dance!"
The BBC has teased that the world exclusive interview will feature special guests, including the 67-year-old Vogue legend's longtime collaborator, Stuart Price.
Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV, said: "Some commissioning decisions take a while to ponder, and some are a no-brainer.
"The opportunity for us to look in on an in-depth conversation between Madonna and Graham is definitely the latter.
"Madonna is such an inimitable artist and Graham a master of the art of chat. We are delighted to be working alongside So Television to bring this world exclusive interview to audiences on BBC One."
Madonna + Graham - produced by the latter's So Television production firm - will be broadcast on BBC One on Friday, June 26, at 10.40pm, and on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday, July 4, from 6pm to 8pm, with it later being available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
The interview comes a week before the seven-time Grammy winner drops her highly anticipated 15th studio album, Confessions II, the follow-up to her 2005 iconic masterpiece, Confessions on a Dance Floor.
Madonna will celebrate her new album with a special short movie, Confessions II - The Film, directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase.
The film features guest appearances by the likes of actors Benedict Cumberbatch, 49, Richard E. Grant, 69, model Kate Moss, 52, and Madonna’s 29-year-old daughter, Lourdes Leon.
According to the Tribeca Film Festival, where the film premiered: "Confessions II is an ambitious visual work exceeding 10 minutes, built around the first six tracks of Madonna’s forthcoming album, including I Feel So Free and Bring Your Love with Sabrina Carpenter.
"It unfolds as a single, continuous piece, weaving together interconnected, music-driven sequences into an immersive cinematic experience.
"A film that gives physicality to the music, Confessions II lives in the tension between control and surrender, between being seen and disappearing into a crowd."
It was recently reported that Madonna is in secret talks to celebrate her new album with a UK show.
Madonna + Graham airs on Friday, June 26, at 10.40pm on BBC One, and on Saturday, July 4, from 6pm to 8pm, on BBC Radio 2.
