Is the name James Corden familiar to you? It will be soon enough. TheWrap.com is reporting that the actor is slated to take over for Craig Ferguson as the host of CBS’ The Late Late Show.
Ferguson announced in April that he was leaving the late-night show and that his last appearance would be “at the end of the year.” During the announcement, he joked that he would “do something else… probably, I’m thinking, carpentry.”
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He also referenced Gwyneth Paltrow’s famous phrase. “CBS and I are not getting divorced, we are ‘consciously uncoupling,’ but we will spend holidays together and share custody of the fake horse and robot skeleton, both of whom we love very much.”
The comedian decided to exit the show after Stephen Colbert landed the coveted seat held by David Letterman on The Late Show. While Ferguson was in consideration, he was passed over for the Comedy Central personality.
While many media watchers thought Chelsea Handler, Joel McHale or Neil Patrick Harris were the front-runners, it was a less familiar name that was chosen. CBS has done well with picking a comedian who isn’t as well-known to U.S. audiences in that time slot. It was successful for the network during Feguson’s reign in the 12:35 a.m. time slot.
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Corden is currently seen on-screen in the Keira Knightley film Begin Again, and he will be costarring in Disney’s Into the Woods later this year. The British comedian also has a strong social media following, with 4.35 million fans. This factor may have given him the edge as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have proven that this is one of the keys to their success.
Neither CBS nor Corden have confirmed the reported news, but it definitely looks like the late-night landscape is changing again.
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