Entertainment

James Corden admits leaving ‘Late Late Show’ and relocating to England is ‘hard’ and ‘overwhelming’

James Corden says he missed hosting “The Late Late Show” when the “Barbie” movie hit theaters.

“In the summer when the ‘Barbie’ movie came out, you think, ‘Oh, I wonder what we would have done around that.’ We would have found some mediocre song to do about it, without question,” he told “Today.”

During a Monday appearance on “Today,” Corden, 45, got candid about what he misses about the show and his move from LA back to England.

“It really had nothing to do with not enjoying the show anymore,” Corden said, about leaving “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

Corden hosted “The Late Late Show” on CBS from 2015-2023, before stepping away.  

James Corden opened up about leaving his show and starting his SiriusXM show. NBC
James Corden with his wife, Julia Carey. GC Images
James Corden called “The Late Late Show” the “single greatest time I’ll ever have in my working life.” NBC

He’s been replaced by Taylor Tomlinson, 30, who got her show “After Midnight” in that time slot (and it hasn’t been a hit, as that’s been slammed as “mediocre” and “unwatchable”). He’s also launching a new radio show, “This Life of Mine,” on SiriusXM. 

 “It was the single greatest time I’m pretty certain I’ll ever have in my working life,” he continued, talking about “The Late Late Show.”

“But my son was 3 when we moved [to America], my daughter was 12 weeks. When we left, he was 12, my daughter was 8, and our younger daughter — who is an American, and we treat her as such…No, really for us, it was the notion that it was time. We wanted them to know their grandparents. And with my son finishing 6th grade, it was just an absolute pull to go home, and root that period of their lives in — we wanted them to know Britain, and their extended family.”

James Corden confessed that he does miss “The Late Late Show” sometimes. NBC
James Corden with his wife, Julia Carey. Getty Images
James Corden and his wife Julia moved their kids back to England, which he called “a real challenge.” Getty Images

Corden said that he does miss “The Late Late Show” at times. 

“I really miss being in a gang, like our show — we had pretty much the same team and crew for the whole 8 years. We did 1,197 shows together. 85 percent of that team was the same from day one to the end. That’s the thing I miss.

“But,” he added, “I don’t miss talking about American politics.” 

James Corden and his kids Max Corden and Carey Corden. Getty Images
James Corden and his wife, Julia Carey. Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
James Corden with his kids Max Corden and Carey Corden. Getty Images

Corden, who now lives in England with his family — TV producer wife Julia Carey, son Max, 12, and daughters Carey, 9, and Charlotte, 7 — said that it’s been an adjustment. 

“It’s been brilliant, and hard, and overwhelming. I think moving house is hard enough, moving children, moving schools — picking it up and going so far, from everything they knew from life in Los Angeles — it’s been a real challenge. It’s been tough. But at the same time, immensely rewarding…You’re only as happy as your least happy child.” 

His new SiriusXM show, “This Life of Mine,” will involve Corden interviewing celebs such as Jeremy Renner, David Beckham and Kim Kardashian about places, possessions or a piece of music that is special to them. 

Jeremy Renner and James Corden talking for the first episode of “This Life of Mine.” NBC
Jeremy Renner is James Corden’s first celebrity guest on his new show. NBC

For instance, a clip from his new show featured Jeremy Renner talking about why titanium is the object he chose to talk about.

“It’s 15-20% of my body, at this point. It will be with me forever,” Renner said, referring to his near-fatal snow plow accident in January 2023.  

“The conversations are intimate,” he said. 

Corden’s show, “This Life of Mine,” launches on Feb. 1 on SiriusXM.