James Corden Tears Up While Discussing His 'Late Late Show' Exit

It was an emotional night on The Late Late Show as James Corden opened up about his decision to leave the CBS late night program in summer 2023.

Corden explained that he never viewed The Late Late Show has his "final destination," but rather as a step along his larger "journey" in Hollywood. "I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way," he told his audience. "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."

"But I gotta tell you, 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," continued Corden. "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."

True to his promise, Corden began to choke up. "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," he said. "Here's to the next 12 months. It's going to be a blast. I promise you that."

Corden joined The Late Late Show in March 2015, succeeding longtime host Craig Ferguson. When he departs next summer, he'll be the second longest-tenured Late Late Show host, with just over eight years under his belt.

The Late Late Show With James Corden airs weeknights at 12:35 AM ET on CBS.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.