James Corden Final 'Late Late Show' Recap: Farewell After Eight Late-Night Years

The Last Last Late Late Show with James Corden. Terence Patrick ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from James Corden‘s primetime special and final installment of The Late Late Show on CBS.

So long, James Corden. The affable Brit who took over for Craig Ferguson in 2015 ended his eight-year run as host of CBS’ The Late Late Show on Thursday.

To help say goodbye to its late-night star, CBS set aside an hour in primetime for a pre-taped special that included video montages and candy-coated skits so Corden could show off his singing chops. First up: a musical number with Corden, who stood on top of the old Television City building to sing a rendition of Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” — but in this case, it was changed to “Last Show.”

That was followed by a playful bit with Tom Cruise, who agreed to perform with Corden in a Hollywood staging of The Lion King. With Cruise as the warthog and Corden as the meerkat, the duo performed “Hakuna Matata” for a live audience — and yes, the Top Gun: Maverick star, whose hair was spiked black, actually belted the tune.

Then it came time for one final Carpool Karaoke session with old pal Adele, who sung a few tunes with Corden before asking him to recall some of his more memorable karaoke moments. “Stevie Wonder changed it a lot,” he recalled, before saying how Adele’s first carpool appearance in 2016 — which has been watched more than 250 million times on YouTube — led to performers like Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga to participate, as well.

Then, they swapped personal stories that made them both choke up.

“I’ll miss everything,” Corden told Adele as she “drove” him to his final Late Late Show taping. “I underestimated how many friends I made doing it. More than anything, I’ll miss going into work with my friends everyday. I am going to miss Los Angeles. I’m just so certain it’s time for us as a family, with people getting older … it’s time to go home.”

But first: Corden’s actual final show. Reporters were allowed to watch the Los Angeles taping of the episode, which kicked off with Corden “locked” in the stairwell, unable to get to the stage because he didn’t have the right code to open the doors. After announcing that Will Ferrell and Harry Styles would be his final guests, Corden finally gained entry and ran to the stage, where he was met by a roaring crowd that included his dad and mom — whom Corden dinged for using too much Botox.

There was a lot of kibitzing with the band and sidekick Ian Karmel before Corden got to the goofy headlines, like a glue spill on a Michigan highway (“talk about being stuck in traffic”) and birds that were taught to make video calls (“pet birds are better with technology than your mom and dad.”)

Karmel then introduced a goodbye clip from President Biden, who thanked Corden for never asking him to sing in a car. Corden expressed gratitude that he didn’t have an extreme right-wing producer who would have brought on Donald Trump.

As Deadline first teased, Corden pre-taped a skit with fellow late-night hosts Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, all of whom implored him not to reveal any tricks of their trades once he became a civilian. They also begged him to not grow a long beard and end up on a show like The Masked Singer. (David Letterman even appeared via remote.)

So how did the skit end? Corden showed up on The Masked Singer with fellow late-night quitter Trevor Noah.

The Last Last Late Late Show with James Corden airing Thursday, April 27, 2023, with guests Harry Styles and Will Ferrell. Photo: Terence Patrick ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Afterward, Styles took the stage alongside a sledgehammer-wielding Ferrell, who proceeded to destroy Corden’s desk before the trio started their chat.

“It’s your last show, man,” justified Ferrell.

Styles recalled his favorite moments with Corden over years, including the time they did a music video together, how he hosted The Late Late Show twice and even had the words “late late” tattooed on his arm.

Then they played a final round of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts, with included servings of “bug trifle” and “bull penis” and a concoction of “salmon, clam juice and wasabi.” Ferrell consumed two without incident.

“You’ve done such an amazing job coming into the late-night space, such original comedy and to establish your place in America while coming from a shit-hole country like England, coming here and holding your own,” said Ferrell. “Bravo, great job.”

The episode ended with Corden — sitting behind a replacement desk — commenting on how he wanted to say something profound before he left The Late Late Show for good. “I’ve struggled to find the words to sum up what this past eight years have meant to me,” he began.

“We started with Obama then Trump then a global pandemic. I’ve watched America change a lot over these past few years, I’ve watched divisions grow, I felt a sense of negativity,” Corden continued. “I guess all I really want to stay, I implore you to remember what America signifies to the rest of the world. My entire life, it’s always been a place of optimism and joy. Sure, it has flaws. Show me a country that doesn’t … every single one of us is a work of progress. Just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn’t make them bad or evil. There are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences. We have to try to the best we can to look for the light, look for the joy. It’s out there. That’s all this show has ever been about. Thank you for letting me do this. Thank you for letting into your home every night.”

Corden ended the show with a original song about leaving the late-night genre.