High Wycombe’s most famous son enjoyed a triumphant final episode in the US and now he’s eyeing a return to the BBC. He can expect less money — and perhaps less love
Tom Cruise, Will Ferrell and even the president of the United States bade farewell to James Corden after the British comedian’s talk show came to an end. The 44-year-old from High Wycombe, whose eight years at the helm of The Late Late Show made him a household name in the United States, said hosting the CBS programme had been “life-changing”.
The former One Direction star Harry Styles, Adele and Jimmy Fallon made appearances during the prime-time special, and Corden received a surprise video message from President Biden.
Corden is returning to Britain with his family after his stint in Los Angeles hosting the four-times-a-week show, which he joined as a virtual unknown in America.
The show will be retired after his departure, which has been driven by a desire to bring his three children home but there are questions ahead for the star, including what he will do next and whether he can win back the affections of the viewing public after a display of ill temper in a restaurant over an omelette.
A stint as host of Sky’s well-regarded sports-themed comedy League Of Their Own, alongside the team captains Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp followed, alongside a Tony-winning role in One Man, Two Guvnors.
Corden’s career took off on stage in the 2004 play The History Boys before his role as Smithy in BBC3 comedy Gavin and Stacey endeared him to millions.
Corden, third right, played Timms in The History Boys on stage in 2004 and on screen in 2006
Corden earned rave reviews for One Man, Two Guvnors; the stage is said to be his first love
Corden so far has given little indication of his plans. “I have to spend a little bit of time letting this all go. It has been a noisy eight years and right now I am going to focus on having a little bit of silence,” he told The Sun this week. “But, yes, I do hope I have got another story in me.”
One producer from a US studio expects there to be “massive demand” for his services. “It’s quite rare to have someone with his range of talents.”
Last week, Corden appeared to rule out a return to hosting another chat show, saying: “I can’t envisage a scenario where I would return as a late-night host. I can’t ever see that coming my way. I’d be very, very surprised if it did. I’d be gobsmacked.” That may not stop him from receiving offers.
One producer noted that Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross’s shows for BBC1 and ITV have been around for some time, providing an opportunity for Corden to shake up the sector.
“If I was a controller, I would give him a chat show — there is the opportunity for him to bring a bit of that US sparkle to the UK,” they said. A British version of Saturday Night Live, the long-running weekly NBC show, is understood to be in the works, with Sky reportedly among the potential destinations.
Corden’s final show for CBS featured him singing a Donna Summer number
No talent is yet attached but one broadcasting executive noted that the pay-TV broadcaster, which is also owned by NBC’s parent company Comcast, has a good relationship with the star from his years on A League of Their Own.
Corden is understood to have approached the BBC, however one source noted that “Sky are really the only ones willing to pay him as much as he wants” when it comes to the British TV landscape.
A former colleague said he was likely to hold out for lucrative film roles, with the aim of picking a better vehicle than the widely-panned 2019 adaptation of the musical Cats.
In the 2019 film version of Cats, which was widely panned
In an interview with The Times in October, he said a film was one of two things he was writing, adding “but I’m not in them. Who knows if they’ll get made?”.
The former colleague said: “In the US he was being paid a small fortune and a lot more than he could get for a similar role here. If he did do a high-profile chat show role it could all come crashing down around his ears — and for a lot less money.”
The reservations centre around the unavoidable question of the extent to which Corden is liked by the British public — not helped by the high-profile coverage of his ban from a Manhattan restaurant for allegedly being “nasty” to staff.
Corden admitted making a “rude comment” and promised to apologise in person. Among the allegations was that he had “yelled like crazy” at a waiter when a “bit of egg white mixed with the egg yolk” in an omelette.
“The broadcasters will definitely be sniffing around him but it will be a gamble for big money,” one entertainment executive said. “Do the British public like James Corden?”
Another Corden confidant said onlookers underestimate the time and effort required to create the show which airs four nights a week. “There have been all manner of requests coming in from broadcasters but his first love is theatre,” they added.
Insiders at Fulwell 73, the production company Corden owns with his producer Ben Winston, declined to discuss what his next project might be with executives understood to be keen to allow him to enjoy his moment of departure and let the dust settle before assessing future opportunities.
Corden opened his final show in the US by performing a version of Last Dance by Donna Summer. He was later joined by Tom Cruise to perform a surprise rendition of Elton John’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King.
Corden later thanked Cruise, who in the past has challenged Corden to join him in a series of death-defying stunts, for being part of his show.
Cruise replied: “Shut up. You had me at hello” — a line from his 1996 hit Jerry Maguire.
Tom Cruise joined the presenter to perform Elton John’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Biden told him he was “surprised you lasted eight years in any job” after his poor performance as a White House assistant — a reference to previous sketch they had done on The Late Late Show.
“I’m going to miss you buddy,” Biden said, before thanking Corden for “never making me sing in a car”.
Source: The Times
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