Late Late Show Host James Corden Paying Salaries of Furloughed Employees Amid Coronavirus Shutdown

Late Late Show host James Corden is paying the salaries of his show's furloughed employees amid the coronavirus shutdown. There are about 60 furloughed staffers on the show and their paychecks from CBS are set to come to an end this week. Variety reports that the host announced the furloughs to some staffers last week as May 4th would mark the uncertainty. But, Corden stepped up to cover for the people who help him entertain audiences from all over. The total cost to the late-night host is unclear at this time, but some estimates say that it could be at least five-figures per week. Having that peace of mind will probably do those people in production a world of good.

Corden has been producing and hosting The Late Late Show from his garage in Los Angeles since mid-April. CBS had pledged to cover eight weeks of salary for the production staffers back on March 15th. Social distancing mandates required those affected by the outbreak to hang back, but the network has been keeping all of those workers busy. Production team members have been giving the staff work-from-home projects related to the show to help out how they can during the lockdown. As with most television programming during the period, learning to adapt to the changes has been absolutely crucial.

Hey all. I had to have minor surgery on my eye yesterday. I am doing well and recovering, but won’t be able to film new episodes for a few nights. Thank you to everyone who has been watching the Late Late Shows from my garage. I’ll be back soon. Stay safe and well everybody. x

— James Corden (@JKCorden) April 29, 2020

Luckily for the Late Late Show, California has been slowly moving to reopen its economy. Public life is inching back to normal and that can only help their efforts. Shows that film on soundstages like Corden's program are suspected to be the first ones that can be able to get back to work. There are still going to be some adjustments though. Don't expect to see any live-audiences just yet and there will likely have to be some show business magic to bring certain segments to life. But, something is better than nothing as people are clamoring for new content.

Corden and his executive producer Ben Winston have spearheaded a daily "speaker series" on Zoom for staffers. Also participating are Fulwell73 production company members, as associates of Corden and Winston. The crowds of 150 have gotten the chance to hear Nina Tassler, David Crane and Hannah Minghella, Brian Grazer, director Richard Curtis, and NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick.

Would you like to see more hosts taking this approach? Let us know in the comments!