‘A Really Hard Decision’: James Corden to Depart ‘Late Late Show’ in 2023
Late-night television host James Corden announced Thursday that he will leave The Late Late Show in early 2023.
The move, first reported by Deadline, comes after Corden, who will have served as the show’s host for eight and a half years at the end of his tenure, chose to extend his contract with CBS for just one additional year. “It’s a really hard decision to leave because I’m so immensely proud of the show,” he told the publication.
Corden addressed his decision in his opening monologue on Thursday’s episode of The Late Late Show. “When I started this journey, it was always going to be just that. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as my final destination,” he said. “We still have a year to go and we are all determined to make this the best year we have ever had making this show. We are going to go out with a bang.”
According to Deadline, CBS executives offered Corden both a three-year and two-year contract renewal before the deal was announced.
Corden, who signed on as host in 2015 replacing comedian Craig Ferguson, was often maligned by critics and late-night purists — but his interviewing style and viral-ready segments with celebrities, including “Carpool Karaoke,” were a hit with mainstream audiences.
”Seven years ago, James Corden came to the U.S. and took television by storm, with huge creative and comedic swings that resonated in a big way with viewers on-air and online,” said George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS, in a statement to Deadline. “James has truly reimagined many elements of the late night format.”