The key facts

  • Prince William made a surprise appearance in the Graham Norton show episode dedicated to the Earthshot Prize
  • Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham were in the studio with him
  • This year's winners' award ceremony will take place in November in Mumbai

A surprise for the studio audience

The Prince of Wales was an unexpected guest on the Graham Norton show in a special episode dedicated to the Earthshot Prize. According to the BBC, the audience gasped when Norton, speaking with Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham — all of whom are involved in the prize — invited the prince to join them on the sofa. The episode will air on Friday on BBC One at 22:40.

What was discussed in the studio

The participants discussed the need to combine optimism and urgency in the fight against climate change. The prize was founded by William to 'celebrate and scale solutions that will repair our planet.' The guests also talked about the prince's long-standing support of the football club Aston Villa and his love of Christopher Nolan's films.

About the Earthshot Prize

William founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020, inspired by US President John F. Kennedy's 'Moonshot' programme, which set scientists the task of sending astronauts to the Moon and back. The prize includes five goals: protecting and restoring nature, clean air, reviving oceans, a waste-free world and solving the climate problem. Each laureate receives £1 million. The prince intends to work on the prize until 2030.

This year's ceremony and last year's results

The 2026 winners will be announced at a ceremony in Mumbai in November. Last year the ceremony took place in Rio de Janeiro: guests included former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel and then UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while Kylie Minogue and Shawn Mendes performed. Among the 2025 winners was Lagos Fashion Week, recognised for 'transforming one of the world's most wasteful industries' by requiring designers to prove their commitment to sustainability. At that ceremony, William said the winners were 'proof that progress is possible.'

Prince William laughs as he speaks to Graham Norton on the Graham Norton showImage source, PA Media
The Prince of Wales and Kylie Minogue walk together as they attend the fifth annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, on day three of his visit to Brazil on 5 November 2025A woman in an orange dress stands in the doorway of her flooded house on the outskirts of the city of Gonaives in Haiti. The water level is at waist height. The walls of the house are substantially damaged.