If you think leaving The Late Late Show is the end of James Corden, think again

James Corden has announced that he will be stepping down as host of The Late Late Show in 2023, after joining the institution in 2015. But if you breathed a sigh of relief, I’m here to tell you that this doesn’t mark the end of him. At all.

It may seem like a distant memory, but James Corden was once considered a national treasure. Even before he co-created and starred in cherished sitcom Gavin and Stacey, the actor/presenter was a familiar face on our screens.

Among his acting credits is Fat Friends, a heartwarming series (which also featured Alison Steadman, aka, Pam-e-la) about a group of people attending a weight loss group. Corden also played Timms in the film adaptation of Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys, and secured himself a Tony award for his turn in the West End production of One Man, Two Guvnors, which was widely hailed by critics.

But then things started to shift.

A lot of things happened in 2009 – from Obama’s inauguration and Michael Jackson’s death, to Kanye hijacking Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMAs – so you’d be forgiven if you’d forgotten about Corden and Matthew Horne’s short-lived sketch show, Horne & Corden. It was so atrocious that the years-long friends famously fell out – but not before doing Lesbian Vampire Killers, of course.

Now, although this blip in the road may have deterred others, Corden saw it as his big opportunity to sever ties and make a bigger name for himself. Turning his attention to presenting, he not only put together a cringe-worthy sketch for the 2010 Sports Personality of the Year awards as Smithy, he started popping up everywhere like a persistent rash, before he somehow made it across the pond.

In 2015, he officially began hosting The Late Late Show, which, as our American friends will know, is a huge deal in the US. Seemingly settling into LA life, he soon forgot about ol’ Blighty and came up with the concept of Carpool Karaoke (with the help of producers, I’m sure).

Now, I have to admit, I actually enjoy these segments. Not being located in the US, I have been known to actively search YouTube for the latest videos in the series, which, if you don’t know, sees Corden drive world-renowned singers around town while he overpowers their vocals and butchers their songs.

Another favourite past-time of Corden’s is to deliver smarmy speeches about the events of the week, before he dives into each show. They range in topic: one week he could be discussing serious issues like mass shootings and racial inequality, the next he could be enraging BTS fans by calling them “15-year-olds”. And while the former would be an admirable use of such a wide-reaching platform, it often feels... opportunistic and self-serving.

It is especially jarring when Corden frequently takes on the role of “camp best friend”, playing into harmful stereotypes. First came Ocean’s 8, which saw Corden playing an overly flamboyant insurance investigator. Even in the 2019 monstrosity that was Cats, Corden adopted this bizarre, exaggerated version of Bustopher Jones.

Then came his role in Netflix’sThe Prom. Rather than hire a gay actor or give the role to Andrew Rannells, who also features in the movie and is, you know, actually gay, Corden took it upon himself to tell a narrative that isn’t his own.

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Now, I appreciate this may read like a scathing attack on James Corden. But I do believe there is hope for him yet. Of course he doesn’t need any help or guidance on becoming a success – he is reportedly worth a whopping £50m and is living the high life in Tinsel Town. Who am I, a mere mortal, to cast aspersions? But this really does come from a good place. First and foremost, I was a fan, and, like many, I want Corden to return to his roots.

That’s not to say that I want him to move back to the UK and give fans a much-anticipated fourth season of Gavin and Stacey (however much I adore that show). I would much rather he come up with fresh material. But I do think in constantly riding the coattails of Hollywood’s elite (i.e. by hosting the Friends reunion, starring in every musical ever, etc), he has lost the very thing that made him so special to us all.

But if we’ve learnt anything about James Corden by now, it’s that he won’t be gone for long. It’s only a matter of time before he finds another gay character to play or popular boy band to latch onto... before insulting their entire fanbase.