Listen: James Corden reunites Late Late Show team for Fox
Listen: James Corden reunites his Late Late Show team for Fox's World Cup after show, After Hours With James Corden, airing at 11 p.m. nightly through July 19. Three years after leaving CBS, Corden told Variety's Daily Variety podcast that the finite Fox Sports gig was the one hosting offer he could not refuse.
Key Takeaways
- Corden hosts After Hours nightly at 11 p.m. on Fox through the World Cup final on July 19.
- Executive producer Ben Winston and head writer Ian Karmel rejoined Corden alongside Rio Ferdinand.
- The offer from Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade arrived more than a year before the tournament.
- Corden and Winston previously produced a similar ITV after show during the 2010 World Cup.
- Corden said he had largely said goodbye to hosting until the U.S. World Cup opportunity emerged.
Why did James Corden return to nightly TV for Fox?
On the latest Daily Variety podcast, Corden explained that Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade pitched him more than a year ago. Since leaving The Late Late Show in April 2023, Corden had turned down other hosting offers. The U.S. World Cup tournament felt different.
He was not rushing back to a desk job. The show runs for a fixed window tied to the tournament, not an open-ended series renewal. Corden told Variety that thinking it through made him realize he would be foolish to pass it up.
Who from The Late Late Show is back on After Hours?
Corden recruited executive producer Ben Winston and former head writer Ian Karmel. Winston told Variety he did not realize how much he had missed producing an hour of live television every day. Karmel joins Corden and British soccer great Rio Ferdinand at a big table on set.
Corden called the reunion glorious. Old colleagues returned for roughly five weeks of production around a subject he knows deeply. For more live TV coverage, see our Streaming and TV Alerts hub.
What does the After Hours set look like?
After Hours debuted June 11 on the tournament's opening day. It airs nightly at 11 p.m. through the final match on July 19. The set sits beside the Fox Sports World Cup studio used by Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The clubhouse-style space features soccer memorabilia, including photos, balls, cleats, flags, pennants, and fan scarves. A life-size Pelé wax figure on loan from Madame Tussauds in London is among the eye-catching props.
How does Corden view his Late Late Show exit now?
Corden wrapped eight years on CBS in April 2023, one week before the writers strike began May 2. He told Variety he is proud of the show's legacy and has watched late-night turmoil from the U.K., including pressure on Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.
He recalled telling CBS Studios leader David Staff at Paleyfest that budget cuts would have shrunk his team within weeks had he stayed. Corden and Winston also produced a similar World Cup after show for ITV in 2010. Hear the full conversation on the Variety Daily Variety episode.