Three years after leaving CBS’ “The Late Late Show,” James Corden is thoroughly enjoying his role as host of Fox’s World Cup after show, “After Hours With James Corden.” During a recent episode of the “Daily Variety” podcast, Corden shared his enthusiasm for football and explained why the opportunity from Fox Sports was an offer he couldn’t refuse in recent years.
“After Hours” premiered on June 11, coinciding with the start of the tournament, and continues to air nightly at 11 p.m. until the final match on July 19. Corden’s show is situated next to the Fox Sports World Cup studio, which features anchor team members Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
The set of “After Hours” is styled like a clubhouse, adorned with soccer memorabilia including photos of players, balls, cleats, flags, pennants, and numerous club scarves. Adding to the ambiance is a life-size wax figure of soccer legend Pelé, borrowed from Madame Tussauds in London.
Bringing the “Late Late Show” team back for this project was an offer Corden couldn’t resist, given his deep connection to the subject. Collaborating with executive producer Ben Winston and former head writer Ian Karmel, Corden shares the stage with British soccer icon Rio Ferdinand.
“I didn’t realize how much I’d missed producing an hour of live television every day,” Winston commented to Variety.
Corden reflected on his past experience creating a similar after show for ITV during the 2010 World Cup alongside Winston. The offer from Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment, came over a year ago. Although Corden had turned down other hosting opportunities after “Late Late Show,” the chance to engage with a U.S.-based World Cup was particularly enticing.
“I wasn’t completely convinced and on the hook, if I’m honest. I certainly wasn’t in a rush to host anything. I really felt like hosting shows was something I’d probably said goodbye to when I stopped ‘The Late Late Show,’ ” Corden explained to Variety. “And then the more I thought about it and the more I thought, ‘Man, the great thing about this is it’s so definite in its time. It’s not like you’re going to sit and go, oh, we’re going to get picked up for a second season. How’s it doing? It’s about something very specific that I love. And the more I thought about it, I thought, you’re an idiot to even consider turning this down.”
The timing aligned perfectly for Corden to bring back the “Late Late Show” alumni, enabling him to operate at a high level.
“What’s made it really joyful is seeing so many familiar faces return just for these five weeks,” Corden remarked. “It’s been glorious.”
Reflecting on his decision to conclude “Late Late Show” in April 2023 after eight successful years, Corden is proud of its legacy. From the U.K., he has observed the controversies surrounding his former CBS colleague, Stephen Colbert, and the pressure on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel from the Trump administration and the FCC.
Corden sensed a major shift in the industry even in 2023, as “Late Late Show” ended just before the writers’ strike began on May 2, 2023.
“I remember when I when ‘The Late Late Show’ was wrapping up, we had about a week to go and very kindly, we’d been invited to talk at the Paleyfest about the show. And I was stood backstage with David Staff, who runs CBS Studios, a wonderful man who I just love and adore, and I consider him a friend still and always will. And we stood backstage and there was this clip reel running on the screen. And, and he said, ‘It’s so sad, isn’t it?’ And I said, ‘I don’t think it is sad, actually.’ I said, ‘If I’d signed that contract that you offered me,’ which took a lot of willpower to walk away from, you’d have come to me and said, ‘We need to cut $10 million from this budget,’ ” Corden recalled.
“And as soon as you need to cut $10 million from a budget, the only way you do that is by making your team smaller. And as soon as you make your team smaller, you change the entire environment of the team that are making that show. And I said, ‘I don’t think it’s sad at all.’ And he went ‘Two years? It would have been in six weeks.’ That’s where it was at,” he said. “I feel just incredibly proud of what we did and of what we accomplished when we did it.”
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