GRAHAM NORTON - GRAHAM NORTON SAYS KEVIN SPACEY SHOULD PRODUCE A MUSICAL

Graham Norton has hit back at Kevin Spacey's criticism of BBC talent shows by saying the Oscar-winner should produce more accessible shows.

Spacey had attacked shows such as Any Dream Will Do, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? and currently-running I'd Do Anything for their insidious advertising of upcoming shows.

As artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre, Spacey blamed BBC1 talent shows for poor attendances for West End plays, saying they were a "13-week promotion for a musical", citing the huge success of revivals of The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat following talent shows which selected their lead actors.

But I'd Do Anything host Graham Norton has defended the programme, which will see two unknowns selected to play Oliver Twist and Nancy in a new production of Oliver!

"Maybe he [Spacey] should put a musical on and people will go to see that," he told Radio 1's Newsbeat programme.

"In the end, he is right - we are promoting the fact that Oliver is going to be on in the West End.

"But equally every week we feature lots of musicals on the show and I don't think our show means you can't bring back Play For Today," Norton added, referring to Spacey's claim that the BBC should revive the influential drama series.

And in a dig at Spacey, who starred in the Eugene O'Neill play in the late 90s, Norton remarked: "I think it would be very bad to do a reality show casting the lead of The Iceman Cometh, called 'We'd Bore Everyone'."