Prince William made a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show, according to the BBC, the Mirror and InStyle.

The special episode marks William's Earthshot Prize, an environmental award, the outlets reported. It airs Friday night on BBC One, the BBC and the Mirror said.

William joined actors Cate Blanchett and Hannah Waddingham and TV host Robert Irwin, the outlets reported. All three are linked to the prize. Blanchett sits on its council, Irwin is a global ambassador and Waddingham hosted the 2023 awards in Singapore, the Mirror and InStyle said.

Norton talked with the three guests about the prize, then invited William out to join them on the sofa, the BBC reported. The audience cheered and gasped, the BBC and the Mirror said.

InStyle reported that it is the first time a member of the royal family has appeared on the show, which began in 2007.

The group talked about pairing hope with urgency when tackling climate change, the BBC reported. They also chatted about William's long support for the Aston Villa soccer club and his love of Christopher Nolan films, the BBC said.

William founded the prize to "celebrate and scale the solutions that will repair our planet," the BBC reported. It gives awards in five areas, including clean air, the oceans and the climate, the BBC said.

This year's winners will be named at a ceremony in Mumbai, India, in November, the BBC and the Mirror reported. The ceremony will hand out 5 million pounds in prize money, the Mirror said. William has committed to the prize until 2030, the BBC reported.

Past ceremonies have been held in London, Singapore, Cape Town, Boston and Rio de Janeiro, the Mirror said.

What we know: William appears on a special Earthshot episode of the show airing Friday.
What we don't: What else he says on the show beyond the details reported so far.