James Corden will no longer host “The Late Late Show” on CBS come summer 2023.
The British actor-turned-broadcaster has just extended his current contract with the network for one more year, Deadline reported on Thursday.
Corden, 43, officially took over the desk chair at Los Angeles’ Studio 56 in March 2015.
“It’s been it’s a really hard decision to leave because I’m so immensely proud of the show. I’m thrilled to be extending [for a year],” Corden said in a statement. “I always thought I’d do it for five years and then leave and then I stayed on. I’ve really been thinking about it for a long time, thinking whether there might be one more adventure.”
The co-creator and star of UK sitcom “Gavin & Stacey” surprised critics who thought the newcomer was a bold choice for CBS at the time. But soon, Corden became widely known for his celeb-attended segment franchises, such as “Carpool Karaoke,” “Drop The Mic,” “Spill Your Guts” and “Crosswalk Musical,” installments of which frequently went viral on social media. Now, the four-time Emmy-winning show boasts more than 10 billion views and 27 million subscribers on YouTube alone.
“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 CBS President and CEO George Cheeks.
That’s why network execs were “keen” to keep Corden, Deadline wrote. “My bosses here at CBS have been incredibly supportive and extraordinarily patient with me while I made this decision,” Corden told the outlet.
However, some of his meme-worthy content has brushed up against viewers in the past, such as the “Spill Your Guts” bit, a truth-or-dare game involving obscure and bizarre food choices — some of which are enjoyed by certain communities globally. Cultural advocates called the concept “insensitive.”
Corden also inspired backlash when fans discovered the chauffeur role he played during “Carpool Karaoke” was a ruse — the vehicle is actually towed while he and his pop-star guests belt up and go along for the ride. Though a fairly customary practice during filming, Corden himself was shocked by the controversy, and jokingly compared it to the abysmal reviews he received for his role in the disgraced movie-musical “Cats.”
In a heavy-handed attempt to own his part in the cinematic blunder — which “Cats” creator Andrew Lloyd Webber himself had panned as “ridiculous” in 2020 — Corden and actress Rebel Wilson donned amateurish “Cats” costumes while presenting during that year’s Academy Awards, a joke that the Visual Effects Society didn’t find funny.
Corden said he hopes to spend more time writing post-“Late Late Show.” Before that, there are still 200 more episodes to shoot by next summer — bringing his total count to about 1,250.
Actor-comedian Craig Ferguson previously helmed CBS’ 12:30 a.m. ET slot between 2005 and 2014, following comic Craig Kilborn’s five-year stint starting in 1999.
Potential host replacements were not shared during the announcement.