When is James Corden's last episode on The Late Late Show?

He bows out this month!

an extreme close up of James Corden smiling on the red carpet of The Late Late Show
(Image credit: Future/Getty)

James Corden's last episode on The Late Late Show is sooner than you think!

He's the British actor, comedian and presenter who's made a name for himself Stateside thanks to his hosting duties on the popular The Late Late Show. Everyone from Tom Cruise to Prince Harry have appeared on the show, often in segments that show off the celebrities' lighter sides. And who could forget of course the now infamous Carpool Karoake skit that's had icons like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Elton John and Adele all sing-a-long will Corden takes them for a spin.

The 44-year-old - who was recently embroiled in a drama after comments made to restaurant staff - is sadly set to step down from his Late Late Show position this month and move back to the UK, after an incredible eight years at the helm. We've shared details of when James Corden's last show is and all the celebrities that will be stopping by to celebrate.

When is James Corden's last episode on The Late Late Show?

James Corden's last episode on The Late Late Show has been confirmed as April 27, 2023. A one-hour Carpool Karoake episode will air before the main show's final episode at 12:37am ET/PT.

Marking James' exit, CBS will run three weeks of special "Late Late Shows" before the final episode. Corden has teased the Carpool Karoake special as "one final over-the-top sketch". Girlband Blackpink will appear in the karoake episode in addition to a Lion King performance, where James will be joined by a few surprise "iconic guests". A huge host of celebrities have signed up to appear on James' last show, the list includes: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Tom Cruise, Josh Gad, Jennifer Garner, Brett Goldstein, Kate Hudson, Allison Janney, the Kardashians, Mila Kunis, Seth Meyers, Billy Porter and Sharon Stone.

Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in December 2022, James opened up on his plans for the last show and how he expects he'll be feeling on the big night. 

"My biggest plan, well, my intention which I think I’ll fail at dramatically is to just not be just like crying for the entire hour but I think I will be," he said. "Our intention is to go out in the way that we came in and I will miss it hugely. I will miss it every day. I will miss the people that I worked with.

"We are going to go out with a bang … they’ll be tears, so many tears, ’cause this has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I never took this for granted, ever."

Who will replace James Corden?

Instead of replacing James Corden as host, CBS have confirmed that The Late Late Show will end. Taking over the time slot will be reboot panel show @midnight, which has comedian Stephen Colbert on board as executive producer.

The comdey game show first ran on Comedy Central between 2013 and 2017. According to The Hollywood Reporter, though Stephen Colbert is up for the revival, it's understood that original host Chris Hardwick will not be returning.

The Late Late Show ending is the end of an era for many fans. The show first aired on CBS in 1995 with Tom Snyder as the original host. Craig Kilborn, took over from Snyder in 1999 and stayed on for fiver years, before Craig Ferguson became the thrid host in 2005. Corden then took over after Ferguson's departure in 2015.

Why is James Corden leaving The Late Late Show?

James Corden is leaving The Late Late Show because he and his family are moving back to England. James wants his children to grew up in London and be closer to other family members.

Talking to Jimmy Fallon on his chat show, James made it clear that his reason for quitting wasn't because he no longer loved the show. "We’re a long way from home and we really want our children to know what it’s like to grow up in London… To have a solid relationship with their grandparents and that is time that you don’t get back," he explained.

James Corden and Julia Carey posing on the red carpet of the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscars party

(Image credit: Getty)

Corden shares three children - Max, 11, Carey, eight, and Charlotte, five - with his wife Julia. Appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show, James recounted an incident with his eldest son which influenced his decision to leave.

James recalled it was a Sunday and his son Max was waiting to play with him downstairs, however James had to go to work instead.

"I got in the car and I called my wife Jules and I said, 'I’ve realized, best case scenario we have six more summers where Max is like, even remotely wants to be around us and I cannot waste another one,'" Corden explained. 

"So, really the choice was to go, 'Well if I really want to do this other work, that cannot be at the expense of our children, our family,' and that is really all it comes down to."

Video of the Week

Explore More
Emily Stedman
Features Editor

Emily Stedman is the former Features Editor for GoodTo covering all things TV, entertainment, royal, lifestyle, health and wellbeing. Boasting an encyclopaedic knowledge on all things TV, celebrity and royals, career highlights include working at HELLO! Magazine and as a royal researcher to Diana biographer Andrew Morton on his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In her spare time, Emily can be found eating her way around London, swimming at her local Lido or curled up on the sofa binging the next best Netflix show.