Graham Norton begins his new show later this year

"I'm not going to tone it down. I'm making a different programme for a different audience," he told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

Norton's TV show goes to air on BBC One at 7pm on Saturdays later in the year.

Norton also told presenter Sue Lawley that growing up gay in southern Ireland had made him feel "other".

"There was no one to be gay with. I felt different. I felt 'other' when I was growing up in Ireland," he said.

Norton also said he had always wanted to be famous, even though he thought he had no particular talents.

'Ambition'

"I can't sing, or juggle or do anything. Yet I'm doing my dream job... and who knew that it was a job.

"You dress it up, you dress it up as you wanting to be an actor, but the bottom line was that fame was my ambition," he said.

I like meeting celebrities but then my interest wanes Graham Norton

Norton became one of the biggest TV stars in Britain thanks to his risque Channel 4 talk show.

The comedian also said he had bought his four houses - one each in London, New York, Cape Town and Ireland - instead of investing it in shares because "you can't show someone round your portfolio".

He also said that he considered himself to be a terrible interviewer - because he was not really interested in what his guests had to say.