James Corden Late Late Show – live: British host waves goodbye to America in star-studded finale
Corden is returning to the UK to spend more time with his wife and children
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James Corden’s tenure on The Late Late Show has come to an end.
The British presenter hosted his final episode in the early hours of Friday morning (28 April), following an eight-year run on the CBS talk show.
First, viewers were treated to a Carpool Karaoke special starring Adele, then Corden was joined by some of his favourite guests from over the years, including Harry Styles, Will Ferrell and Tom Cruise.
Ferrell took a sledgehammer to Corden’s now-defunct desk, and several of Corden’s rival late night hosts appeared on the show to spill their industry secrets.
Corden also made a farewell speech in which he referenced growing divisions in the US.
Scroll down to catch up on all the antics...
Corden’s mum and dad are in the audience! In a very sweet moment, Corden’s mum said she was holding it together until her son asked her to give him a kiss before the show.
Corden responds by joking that she’s surprised she can still shed a tear after all the Botox she’s had. Poor mum!
And... he’s locked out
Corden’s final show opens with a skit of him being locked out of the show. Corden introduces his last guests, Will Ferrell and Harry Styles... but he can’t get to them.
It’s about to begin...
If you’re just joining us, hello! James Corden’s final Late Late Show is about to begin. We’ll be bringing you the biggest moments from the finale here.
Extended cut reveals Corden and Cruise did a full act in ‘The Lion King'
The Late Late Show shared an extended version of Corden’s last special with Cruise on the show’s YouTube channel. Turns out the pair also played a rhino during The Lion King’s opening sequence.
Also in the YouTube version, we get to see a lot more of what the pair performed on stage.
Watch it here:
Harry Styles comments on One Direction reunion
“I think I would never say never to that. If there was a time when we wanted to do it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” Styles told the audience, according to Pop Crave.
Will Ferrell smashes Corden’s desk with a sledgehammer
A few clips and snippets are leaking out of the last Late Late Show ahead of its airing at 12:37am.
In one video shared by Pop Crave on Twitter, Will Ferrell smashes Corden’s desk to pieces with a massive hammer.
‘It’ll be me, Rudy Guiliani and Tucker Carlson'
During the last, primetime Carpool Karaoke special, Corden spoke about his feelings coming into Television City – CBS’s studio lot in Los Angeles – for the last time.
Corden’s co-head writer Ian Karmel reassured the presenter that it probably wouldn’t be the last time as Dancing With the Stars is also filmed on the lot.
Laughing, Corden agreed, saying: “It’ll be me, Rudy Guiliani and Tucker Carlson.”
“Me and Tucker Carlson doing the cha-cha,” he added.
James Corden jokes he’ll be on Dancing with the Stars with Tucker Carlson
‘It’ll be me, Rudy Guiliani and Tucker Carlson,’ host joked
We have our first tears of the evening
Introducing a montage of highlights from the last eight years, Corden started getting emotional while thanking the crew on his show. “You should all be immensely proud,” he said.
‘It’s time to go home'
“It’s been a crazy eight years,” Corden said, while Adele said she was “very very sad” about his departure.
“With people getting older and people we miss... It’s time to go home,” he said.
In his announcement last year, Corden said he and his wife had made the decision to move back to the UK after a conversation about their 11-year-old son.
Adele tearily told the Gavin and Stacey star: “I’m just not ready to come back yet, otherwise I would come back with you.”
James Corden tells Adele how he feels about leaving The Late Late Show
‘I’m just not ready to come back yet, otherwise I would come back with you,’ singer told departing ‘Late Late Show’ host
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