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James Corden’s Judi Dench Joke Met With Silence, Sparks Mixed Reactions
Comedian James Corden faced an underwhelming response after delivering a joke about Dame Judi Dench at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony. The jest, involving Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared to fall flat with the audience, drawing visible reactions from attendees like Olivia Wilde.
The Controversial Joke
During his presentation at the 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday, April 5, James Corden, 46, quipped, “Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together. Other than, of course, that one magical evening where Dr. [Anthony] Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench.”
Audience Reaction and Silence
Video footage from the Daily Mail revealed the joke was greeted with an awkward silence. The camera captured Olivia Wilde’s visibly surprised reaction, sitting with an open mouth and raised eyebrows, highlighting the audience’s apparent discomfort or lack of amusement at the remark.
Neither Dr. Anthony Fauci, 84, former chief medical advisor, nor Dame Judi Dench, 90, have publicly commented on Corden’s joke.
Corden’s History of Controversial Comedy
Unfazed by the muted reaction, Corden continued with his presentation. The former host of The Late Late Show, a program he fronted from 2015 to 2023, has a history of jokes that have ignited controversy.
Harvey Weinstein Joke Backlash
In 2017, Corden issued an apology following a joke about Harvey Weinstein amidst the producer’s widely reported sexual assault scandal.
“This is a beautiful room. It’s a beautiful night here in L.A,” Corden stated at the time. “So beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage.”
This joke provoked strong criticism from various celebrities on social media. Corden later explained his intent was to “shame” Weinstein, not to make light of the serious situation. Harvey Weinstein is currently incarcerated.
Accusations of Joke Theft
More recently, in October 2022, Corden faced accusations of plagiarism after telling a joke about Elon Musk on The Late Late Show.
Corden had stated, “When you see Elon Musk talk about Twitter, he does this thing where he goes, ‘Well, it’s the town square.’ But it isn’t. Because if someone puts up a poster in a town square that says, ‘Guitar lessons available,’ you don’t get people in the town going, ‘I don’t want to play the guitar! I want to play the piano, you piece of s***!’”
Ricky Gervais Joke Similarity
Fellow comedian Ricky Gervais responded to this joke, noting its striking resemblance to his own material.
“The bit about the town square advert for guitar lessons is brilliant,” Gervais, 63, posted on X, accompanied by a clip. Gervais had used a nearly identical joke in his 2018 comedy special, Humanity.
Gervais’s version from his special was: “It’s like going into a town square and there’s a notice for guitar lessons and you go, ‘But I don’t f***ing want guitar lessons!’”
Corden’s Response to Plagiarism Claim
Corden addressed the situation with a statement on X, acknowledging the similarity.
“Inadvertently told a brilliant Ricky Gervais joke on the show last night, obviously not knowing it came from him. It’s brilliant because it’s a Ricky Gervais joke,” he wrote. “You can watch all Ricky’s excellent specials on Netflix.”