AIBU to wonder why Graham Norton needs to do ads?

It would be exactly this. Ad work, especially for well known personalities, is extremely well paid for very low time commitment. Easily fitted in around more longer term projects. Why wouldn’t you? The only reservation I would have is if the ad is for something that is in some way morally questionable.

Acting/presenting is a precarious career. You can be riding high for ages then suddenly it all disappears. Anyone sensible in that world makes as much as they can while they’re still getting offers, provided the job isn’t immoral or damaging to their reputation, and I’d include adverts for scam products like over-50s life assurance in that bracket.

My mother grew up in the Golden Age of Hollywood. An expert on the stars of the 30s and 40s especially. She felt sorry for film stars who were 'reduced to going on telly '. Never mind adverts!
Type casting was more of a thing then too? Sometimes very unfair imo. That's one thing that's changed a bit for the better.

I always found it a bit odd. Not just him but going back through the years you had people who never seemed to be off our screens . Then you turned the radio on and it was the same guy - it is usually blokes. Wogan , Chris Evans , David Mitchell. When do they sleep !

It’s a smart meter advert, she did it to encourage small businesses to use them to save money and the planet. I think she’s mentioned before that the ads help supplement her income to pay her mortgage. Her net worth may be millions but it doesn’t mean she has millions sitting idly in the bank- it’s wrapped up in property and investments.

Just seen him on a new tv ad for Revolut. His new tv show has tanked so doubt that will get a recommission.

Grahams irish we never stop working especially if we're in the UK lol

I think the money is just too good to turn down. I know that a minor celebrity was paid tens of thousands of pounds in the early 2000s for voiceover work (not even appearing in the advert), so I can only imagine how much a big celebrity gets paid for a full advert in 2026. It’s usually, what, a few hours’ work? Who would turn down hundreds of thousands of pounds for a few hours’ work?!

You might as well ask why do most big film stars carry on making films. Or footballers on 6 million a year work more than a couple of seasons and then retire.

Yes, it's as if no one could possibly have any ambitions in life but to make pots and pots of money doing something worthless.
Strange.

I didn’t even notice the poster was the same username. As it’s a public forum, the best way to get someone to stop responding is to stop responding to them.

I know. I am all for people earning as much money as they want, and having side hustles and different projects. Advertising this stuff feels a bit demeaning for these people though, and I have second-hand embarrassment for them.

Adverts pay disproportionately well for the amount of work they are.

I never thought of that. Interesting.

Whenever you see the likes of Clooney or Beckham promoting something, you can bet your last pound it’s because they’ve invested in it.

Doing slightly shitty adverts is not a credible part of anyone’s career.

Same as any "Celebrity " doing ads. Those washing powder peeps to name another.
Whats Graham Norton done to you lol ?

What are you talking about? He was offered a job for a salary he deemed acceptable and a product he was happy to promote. He might not “need” the money, but this kind of thing is literally part of his portfolio career. Perhaps these celebrities are showing willing because you never know when your career might turn south and you need to cash in some goodwill!

I do some times wonder if radio adverts/voice overs are the real person or a great sound-a-like. I heard Hugh Dennis advertising mops or something yesterday, and I thought “surely he’s not just really passionate about cleaning products?”

I always respected singer/actress Olivia Newton John for not being grabby. She famously only ever did the work she actually wanted to do once she was established. It's well documented she refused to do films that she simply didn't like the sound of. She even had to be persuaded to take the Grease film after initially refusing it. Likewise she never did TV adverts. She put herself and family first, hence her long periods of barely working as she simply didn't need to. She was also famously hounded by Playboy magazine to do a nude photo shoot, which she kept refusing, even when they offered her a million dollars to do it! Obviously the cancer then curtailed her career. But she still worked as and when she could, but only on her terms doing work she wanted to do and would enjoy. She also founded her own cancer care centre in Melbourne and raised funds for it by auctioning off her stage outfits, awards, gold/platinum records etc. It is believed she also sold one of her homes to give the proceeds to her cancer care centre charity. Just shows that some "slebs" aren't obsessed with earning more and more money just for the sake of it.

One event for them, nine years ago.

That nails it really. Some people just can't help themselves and are just grabby.

I disapprove of wealthy celebs pushing financial products/retirement plans etc. And as above, gambling. I sort of side-eye a vegetarian who promotes meat too.

I work at below market rate for a charity, precisely because I couldn't stomach being used by a corporation at double my salary to justify their ethical failures.

Hate adverts, never buy anything that spends a ton of money getting some annoying luvvie to do their ad, no respect for the celebs selling their souls advertising stuff they don't believe in for easy money. I make a point of only buying non branded stuff, which is cheaper because they don't spend a fortune in advertising, putting the price up. All a con.

I remember reading an interview with Ben Elton years ago. He was asked what his greatest extravagance was, "not doing ads" was his reply. I've always respected that.