James Corden has opened up about how ‘emotional’ it will be for him to finally leave America and return to the UK after announcing his exit from his talkshow.
Earlier this year, the 44-year-old revealed that he had made the decision to step down from The Late Late Show, which he’s hosted in Los Angeles for the past seven years.
He still has a while to go until he leaves, with his final episode expected to air around summer 2023.
On Friday’s Good Morning Britain, the Gavin and Stacey star spoke to Richard Arnold about how he feels to be returning to the UK, having been born in London and grown up in Buckinghamshire.
‘It’s going to be really emotional. It’s going to be a real thing to draw it to a close but I’m so proud of it. I’m so proud of what we’ve done,’ he said.
The presenter added that while he loves living in LA with his family, they always knew they wouldn’t be staying in the City of Angels on a permanent basis.
‘I love where we live, I love being in Los Angeles, I love it, we always knew it was an adventure and not a final destination,’ he stated.
Referring to the UK, he added: ‘This place is amazing, this little island. The stuff that it’s created, the things that it’s given the world. I’ve always been very proud to call it home.’
In April, James addressed his decision to leave The Late Late Show after nearly eight years, confessing that it was a ‘really hard’ choice to make.
‘It’s been a really hard decision to leave because I’m so immensely proud of the show. I’m thrilled to be extending [for a year]. I always thought I’d do it for five years and then leave and then I stayed on,’ The History Boys star said.
‘I’ve really been thinking about it for a long time, thinking whether there might be one more adventure.’
The host, who went viral across the globe with his Carpool Karaoke segment, added: ‘My bosses here at CBS have been incredibly supportive and extraordinarily patient with me while I made this decision.’
CBS President and CEO George Cheeks praised Corden’s achievements on the show, stating: ‘Seven years ago, James Corden came to the US and took television by storm, with huge creative and comedic swings that resonated in a big way with viewers on-air and online.
‘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.’
James was recently rocked by controversy over an incident that occurred at The Balthazar restaurant in New York, when it was claimed he was ‘extremely nasty’ to staff members.
After the TV presenter was banned from the restaurant by its owner – a ban that was subsequently overturned – it was revealed that he’d reached out to say sorry… but workers at the eatery were reportedly not happy with the apology.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
