Watch: James Corden Reveals Why He’s Leaving The Late Late Show

James Corden has signed a contract for one final year as host of CBS’s The Late Late Show. That means he will have hosted the late-night talk staple for eight years when he wraps up his deal. Last night on the show, he delivered an emotional monologue explaining the decision. Saying that he always viewed the show as “a journey, not a destination,” he said that it’s time to pull into the station and decide what his next stop is — but not before having what he promises will be a wild ride of a final year on the air.

The British comedian remains active as an actor, having appeared in the Trolls movies, Ocean’s Eight, The Emoji Movie, Cats, and Amazon’s Cinderella — among numerous other screen credits — over the course of the last five years. This is a marked difference between Corden and most other late-night hosts, who primarily focus either on stand-up comedy or the late night show itself.

“I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way,” Corden said. “I always want to love making it. And I really think that a year from now, that will be a good time to move on and see what else might be out there.”

You can see Corden’s announcement below.

“We’re not leaving today. 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,” Corden continued. “We’re going to go out with a bang, there are going to be carpools and crosswalks and sketches and other surprises. And there will be tears, there will be so many tears….This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. It really has. I have never taken this job for granted, ever, not once. The fact that you watch us at home, or you watch us online, wherever you are all around the world. The fact that we get to try and entertain you, and spend time with you, is an absolute privilege for me and every single person who makes this show. Here’s to the next 12 months. It’s going to be a blast, I promise you that.”

The Late Late Show With James Corden airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. on CBS. There is no official word yet as to who might replace him on the show.

Corden is the latest late night icon to step away from the desk; in recent years, Jay Leno retired after years on The Tonight Show, and Leno’s onetime replacement, Conan O’Brien, left late night after 28 years, and will launch a new variety show on HBO Max.