Idris Elba Nearly Misses Knighthood Over Lost Letter

The Graham Norton Show’s iconic red sofa was packed with star power on January 16, 2026, but it was Idris Elba—now officially Sir Idris—who stole the spotlight with a story as humble as it was hilarious. The actor, celebrated for his roles in Luther and The Wire, revealed he almost missed out on his knighthood because the letter from King Charles got lost in a pile of post. "It’s a bit embarrassing. I was sent a consideration letter asking whether I would or wouldn’t accept it, but I didn’t see it as it got lost in a pile of post. My agent told me that if I didn’t accept it would pass me by. By the time I found the letter I had only two days to decide," Elba confessed to Graham Norton, as reported by BBC One.

The knighthood, announced in the King’s 2026 New Year Honours list, was awarded not for Elba’s three decades of acting, but for his dedicated work with young people—particularly his campaign against knife crime in the UK. Elba’s Elba Hope Foundation has become a beacon for youth empowerment and alternatives to violence. "I got it for services to young people and I was thinking, ‘Hang on a minute, that’s great, but I’ve been acting for 30 years!’ It is actually a great honour, and my mum is so pleased," Elba told the studio audience, according to The Mirror. He made clear the recognition was less about his own achievements and more about the young people he’s worked with: "I receive this honour on behalf of the many young people whose talent, ambition and resilience has driven the work of the Elba Hope Foundation. I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence."

Elba’s wife, Sabrina, whom he married in 2019, is thoroughly enjoying the new title. With a laugh, Elba admitted, "I haven’t had the sword on the shoulder yet, but my wife is loving it." Sabrina has even started using her title of ‘Lady’, much to the family’s amusement. The actor’s mother, too, is delighted with the honour, which has brought a special kind of joy to the Elba household.

The knighthood nearly slipped through Elba’s fingers due to a simple mishap—a misplaced letter. "It got lost in a pile of post. My agent told me if I didn’t accept it, it would pass me by. By the time I found it, I had only two days to decide," he said, echoing the story across all major outlets, including Entertainment Daily. Despite the close call, Elba responded in time and is now awaiting the formal ceremony, where he’ll finally receive the traditional sword tap on his shoulder.

Elba’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show wasn’t just about his new title. He also took the opportunity to discuss the upcoming second season of his Apple TV thriller, Hijack. The first season, a runaway hit, saw Elba’s character, corporate negotiator Sam Nelson, handle a dramatic airplane hijacking. The new season, which premiered on Apple TV during the week of January 12-16, 2026, moves the action to a train—upping the stakes and the suspense. "The first season was a big hit and people bought into so we’re going to do it again. The story is about what happens next after the plane hijack. It’s a good old-fashioned thriller," Elba told Norton, as reported by The Mirror.

But Elba wasn’t the only star on the sofa that night. Erin Doherty, fresh from her Golden Globe win for Adolescence, joined the conversation. Doherty, who played child psychologist Briony Ariston in the Netflix hit, recounted the aftermath of her live Emmy acceptance speech, where she dropped the F-bomb on stage. "My mum told me off for swearing. I didn’t mean to, but everyone looked so [bleep] stunning. I’ve promised her I won’t do it again!" she admitted, drawing laughs from the audience. Doherty also discussed her role in the Victorian drama A Thousand Blows and noted the joy of finally using her own voice for a character. "Surprisingly I’ve never been able to use it before, so it was a real joy," she said. When Stephen Graham heard she was being considered for the role, he initially doubted her fit, having only seen her as Princess Anne in The Crown. But he was quickly won over after discovering her real-life persona.

Martin Freeman, another guest, took the stage to talk about his new Netflix series, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials. Freeman, who plays Superintendent Battle, described the challenge of stepping into a character from Christie’s early novels. "I didn’t know these characters as they are from the early novels. The story is set in a weird place in time. It is the Roaring Twenties, shaped by the grief of WW1. It has an authentic 20s voice that still feels good to modern ears, and it was great fun to do," Freeman explained.

Wunmi Mosaku, the BAFTA-nominated actress known for roles in Vera and Moses Jones, shared her own story of inspiration. Mosaku credited the 1982 musical film Annie for sparking her acting dream. "I watched it every day after school. I’d press play and the tears would start rolling. When I decided I wanted to act, I looked up how the cast became actors. As Albert Finney was from Manchester, I did what he did and auditioned for RADA. I had never heard of drama school before that," she shared with the audience.

Adding a musical touch to the evening, Olivia Dean performed her song "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" live, before joining the other guests on the sofa for a chat. The Graham Norton Show, which aired from 10:40 PM to 11:30 PM on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, wrapped up with its signature red chair segment, leaving viewers wondering which brave audience member would face the lever this time around.

Elba also used his platform to call for greater accountability from technology companies regarding the exposure of young people to violent content online. "When it comes to big tech, there needs to be accountability within their own policies. It’s great that they are big companies that make a lot of money with lots of social media followers, that’s fantastic, but by the way we don’t like knives," he said, highlighting the need for tech giants to play a part in tackling violence among youth.

As the credits rolled and the laughter faded, the night belonged to Sir Idris Elba—a man whose knighthood nearly slipped away with the morning mail, but whose impact on young people, both on and off the screen, is anything but accidental.