This story includes spoilers for the final episode of “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” which aired on CBS at 12:37 a.m. PT.
James Corden has officially left late night, after nine seasons of viral interviews, crosswalk musicals and carpool karaokes on “The Late Late Show.”
“I sit here now today with nothing but love, gratitude and pride,” Corden said during his final monologue. “This show is everything I’ve ever wanted it to be.”
Exactly a year after announcing his departure in April 2022, the British comedian signed off Thursday night, with the help of a high-energy live audience, A-list celebrities and his late-night rivals.
The final episode of “The Late Late Show,” filmed at Television City in Los Angeles, gave off big last-day-of-school energy as the Emmy-winning host cracked jokes with his producers and poked fun at what his post-late night career holds.
“I may finally get a good night’s sleep,” Corden said, introducing a cheeky pre-recorded sketch about leaving the late-night space behind.
In the segment, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman urged Corden to keep the “sacred secrets” of late-night hosting to himself and to be wary about future endeavors: “Stick to corporate gigs, podcasts. Maybe ‘The Masked Singer.’”
Trevor Noah, the former host of “The Daily Show,” also made a brief cameo.
Corden, left, with his final guests on “The Late Late Show”: Harry Styles, center, and Will Ferrell.
(Terence Patrick / CBS)
Harry Styles and Will Ferrell were the final celebrity guests of “The Late Late Show” and they joined Corden for one last round of “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts.” While Ferrell sampled two questionable dishes — a fish smoothie and a bug trifle — Styles revealed he “would never say never” to a One Direction reunion. The Grammy-winning singer, who is also British, praised Corden, telling him he was “a safe space for me.”
“I’m selfishly very excited that you’re coming home, but I’m also happy for you and I’m really, really proud of you,” Styles said.
Ferrell congratulated Corden for carving out his own beat in late night, which can be “incredibly crowded, incredibly competitive.”
The fanfare around Corden’s final show extended beyond his typical midnight time slot. CBS aired a prime-time special that looked back at Corden’s legacy.
In the special, Corden and the actor Tom Cruise, a regular on the show, brought their talents to “The Lion King” at the Pantages and performed a bro-mantic duet of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”
Music remained a staple throughout the show, with Adele joining Corden for the final “Carpool Karaoke” segment. Corden, for the first and last time, sat in the passenger’s seat while his fellow Brit (who warned she’s “not a brilliant driver”) took the wheel.
The friends sang the hitmaker’s “Rolling in the Deep” and mused on some of the most memorable “Carpool Karaoke” segments — including Mariah Carey‘s reluctant performance in 2015. Driving down Beverly Boulevard by CBS’ studios, Adele and Corden shed tears, reflecting on their years-long friendship and the end of Corden’s late-night chapter.
“It’s been a brilliant adventure. I’m just so certain that it’s time for us as a family — with people getting older, people that we miss — it’s time to go home,” Corden said.
In September 2014, CBS announced that Corden — touted as “the ultimate multi-hyphenate” — would replace Craig Ferguson as host of “The Late Late Show” in March 2015. Since then, Corden ushered in a new chapter of “The Late Late Show,” with the help of the crew and producers, whom he thanked Thursday for their dedication. He also expressed gratitude to CBS for giving him the platform.
“It’s unfathomable why they took a chance on me to do this job. I will never understand it,” he said.
Corden reflected on how he thinks America has changed during his time on the desk and encouraged his audience to “look for the light, look for the joy” amid division and negativity.
“All we’ve ever wanted is [to] just be a little bit of light and levity at the end of your day,” he continued. “Thank you for letting me do this. Thank you for letting me into your home every night. I’ve never taken for granted what an absolute privilege this has been.”
Corden capped the program by singing “That’s Our Show” at a piano.
(Terence Patrick / CBS)
Returning to his musical roots, the Tony-winning actor summed up his feelings for “The Late Late Show” with an emotional song. He sang lyrics about his crosswalk musicals, what he’ll miss about Los Angeles and the folks behind the scenes who made the show happen.
“No more shows to be showing / It’s time I was going / Thanks for watching,” he said. “That’s our show.”
Corden was the fourth host of “The Late Late Show.” During his tenure, “The Late Late Show With James Corden” received 12 Primetime Emmy nominations and earned one Emmy award.
Following Corden’s exit, CBS will reportedly replace “The Late Late Show” show with a reboot of the game show “@midnight,” which will be executive produced by “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert.