Graham Norton explains the power of not having a Plan B
'Life was not where I wanted it to be when I was 27. Late 20s, you're saying 28, but in your head, you're hearing 30,' the celebrity host said.
Have you ever looked around at your life and wondered if you’re already behind? You are not alone — it’s a feeling many people carry in their late twenties. The pressure of approaching 30 can make ordinary uncertainty feel like a deadline, as if you’re supposed to have everything figured out already. Broadcaster and comedian Graham Norton recently opened up about that exact feeling during a conversation with Maria McErlane on their podcast Wanging On's Instagram page @wangingon. In the clip, Norton reflected on the anxiety he felt in his late twenties, long before he became the widely recognized television host people know today.
“Life was not where I wanted it to be when I was 27. Late 20s, you're saying 28, but in your head, you're hearing 30. I think you are kind of thinking, ‘Oh, is this where I want to be at 30?’” Norton said. He explained that turning 27 forced him to evaluate the direction his life was taking. At the time, the career he originally imagined for himself did not appear to be working out.
McErlane joined in, rhetorically asking, “What should I do next?” Norton admitted the path forward felt uncertain because the original plan had already fallen apart. “I wanted to be an actor, and by the time I was 27, I knew that wasn't happening. I was kind of doing a bit of stand-up,” he said.
When McErlane asked if he had a long-term strategy at that point, Norton revealed, “No, I was out of plans. I had no plan B.” Instead of seeing that as a failure, Norton believes it actually pushed him forward. “It turned out to be a good thing because it made me keep going with my loser life till finally a corner was turned,” he said. What Norton described is a feeling psychologists often refer to as the quarter-life crisis, and research shows it is far more common than people think.
A 2017 global survey conducted by LinkedIn found that 75% of adults between the ages of 25 and 33 say they have gone through a quarter-life crisis, with the average age people report feeling it being around 27. The study also showed that concerns about finding the right career path were the biggest source of anxiety during that stage of life.
Hearing Norton describe his experience may feel familiar to many people currently going through the same uncertainty. Even he acknowledged that the feeling of dissatisfaction can be difficult to sit with, but also meaningful. “Just that evaluating your life and kind of being unsatisfied with where you are in your life, I really recognize that,” he said. The discussion struck a chord with many listeners, who shared their own experiences in the comments section.
“Wohoo! I'm turning 53 this year and am absolutely certain my life will finally start this year!! All the flippin' potential I've heard I've had since the Roman times shall finally become useful now,” wrote @hasulankeisarinna. “I think being unsatisfied is a good thing. I’ve always felt comfortable with my life, and so I haven’t strived enough. I think I’ve ‘not reached my (any) potential,’” commented @suebees2025. @tovenyquist said, “I'm there now. 27, finishing uni soon and feel terrified cause I don't think I picked the right profession hope things will work out in the end but the uncertainty is killing me.”
You can follow Wanging On (@wangingon) on Instagram for more podcast content.
More on Scoop Upworthy
Jameela Jamil makes life choices today so her 85-year-old self has no regrets
90-year-olds reveal life advice they wish they could tell their 32-year-old selves
Share on Facebook
