James Corden is officially parting ways with The Late Late Show. On Thursday, it was revealed that Corden has extended his contract for the late-night show for one more year, and is expected to depart in the summer of 2023. Corden, who took over for previous host Craig Ferguson, has hosted the show since March of 2015, and will have served as host for eight and a half years once he departs.
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“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.”
“My bosses here at CBS have been incredibly supportive and extraordinarily patient with me while I made this decision,” Corden added.
“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,” CBS president and CEO George Cheeks said in a statement. “From Crosswalk the Musical to the legendary Carpool Karaoke, and every unique comedy segment he introduced, James has truly reimagined many elements of the late night format. He has also been the consummate network showman, entertaining audiences from his nightly perch at Television City as well as the Tony and Grammy stage,” said Cheeks. “In my two years at CBS, I’ve had the privilege to see James’ creative genius up close and experience his valuable partnership with CBS, both as a performer and a producer. We wish he could stay longer, but we are very proud he made CBS his American home and that this partnership will extend one more season on The Late Late Show.”
Corden went on to thank his Late Late Show staff for contributing the “most joyous working environment.”
“Out of respect for all of the [staff]. I want to tell them that now and say that we can really go into this last year with absolute enthusiasm and passion and love,” Corden revealed. “These shows are not built by one person. I’m very fortunate I get to work with some people whose talents and gifts just blow my mind.”
“I’ll miss the adrenaline of thinking ‘Next week I’m going to jump out of a plane with Tom Cruise or in two weeks’ time, we’re going to drive around the White House in a car with Michelle Obama or sing Penny Lane with Paul McCartney driving down Penny Lane,” Corden revealed. “All of my greatest ambitions for what it what [the show] could be, it’s absolutely surpassed all of them. My intention is to try and go out in exactly the same way we came in, which is just going out with a with a bang.”
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h/t: Deadline
