James Corden’s final night as late-night series host kicks off Thursday with a primetime special followed by the final episode.
Published Date – Sat 4/29/23 11:00am
Washington: James Corden joins several familiar faces, including some surprisingly famous guests, as he bids farewell to CBS’s “Late Show” after eight years as host.
Corden’s final night as host of the late-night series began Thursday with a primetime special followed by the final episode, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
In a special segment featuring Corden and Tom Cruise as Timon and Pumbaa, a live performance of The Lion King at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, it concluded with a “Carpool Karaoke” segment by the host’s close friend Adele .
Corden kicked off the special with a musical track in which he sang his own lyrics to the tune of Donna Summer’s “The Last Dance.” Corden announced that he and his family would be leaving Los Angeles to move back to London, singing lyrics like, “Let’s blow CBS’ dough one last time / In my last day in the sun, go big or go home.”
last time it was #SpillYourGuts with will ferrell and @Harry_Styles! pic.twitter.com/xb3Sokl2Dc
— The Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 28, 2023
In a collaboration with Cruise, who has made multiple previous appearances on the show and often had an adrenaline rush, the pair hit the Lion King stage, first in a rhino costume and then performing “Hakuna Matata,” which surprised the Los Angeles audience. The unforgettable mongoose and warthog duo.
After the show, Corden and Cruise appeared to have a falling out, as Corden hinted that the actor would soon forget about him and find another late-night host to befriend.
“When Mission: Impossible 12 comes out, you won’t be thinking of me,” Corden claimed. “You’ll be leaving BASE jumping with Bowen Yang.” Eventually, the two mended things with a duet on “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and Cruise Interrupted him, “Shut up. You asked me to say hello.” For the final “Carpool Karaoke,” which has become one of the show’s signature segments, Adele woke up with the crash of cymbals before they hit the road. Corden sleeping soundly in the bedroom. Adele participated in the segment for the second time, and the stars performed her songs “Rolling In The Deep”, “Love Is A Game”, “I Drink” and “Hometown Glory”, in addition to Funny Girl’s “Don’t Down It’s Raining” My Parade. One of the surprises in the final episode was a video message from President Joe Biden, who had previously appeared on camera with Corden, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Biden mentioned that the two had filmed at last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. A segment in which the comedian tries to perform at the White House.
“After working for me in the White House for a day, I’m amazed you can stay in any job for eight years,” Biden quipped with a laugh. “Thank you for the joy you bring to families across America and especially thank you for never asking me to sing in your car. I sing for nothing.” Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and David Letterman — surprising Corden in his bedroom. The visitors wanted to make sure Corden didn’t give away their secrets, including that they didn’t always watch the projects the guest was promoting, and tried to convince him to stay.
Previously announced guests for the show were Harry Styles and Will Ferrell, who have made numerous appearances over the years. Ferrell started his visit by smashing Corden’s desk with a sledgehammer. Later, when Styles was asked to name his personal Late Late Show highlights, he quoted a dodgeball saying, “I was hit nuts by Michelle Obama.” All three of them played a shortened version of “Spill Your Guts, or Fill Your Guts,” Styles was asked if there would be a One Direction reunion. The question drew wild cheers from the audience, and while the surprise reunion didn’t materialize, Styles left the door open for the future. “I don’t think it’s a yes or no question,” the Grammy winner replied. “I would never say never. If there was a time when we wanted to do it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t.” After Styles and Ferrell praised Corden’s performance, the outgoing host addressed the audience. A final farewell. “It was life-changing,” he said of his time as host. “All we wanted was a little bit of ease, a bit of ease at the end of the day. Thank you for letting me do this.” Corden’s final moment on stage saw him play a farewell piece on the piano. He needs to redo the line in the middle of the numbers because he’s so emotional. The song includes a refrain, “Good night/Thank you for watching/This is our show.”
