James Corden Gets Choked up During Final ‘Late Late Show’

The Late Late Show With James Corden has officially come to an end after eight years, but not without the help of host James Corden’s famous friends – and a few tears. The CBS late-night host made his final appearance on Thursday after hosting a primetime special wrapping up his tenure with visits from celebrities like Adele and Tom Cruise. 

Corden and Adele set off on an emotional final road trip in the final ever Carpool Karaoke segment, which was released online ahead of the finale episode, while Cruise joined Corden on stage for some live musical theater, where they performed scenes from The Lion King. As Corden thanked the Top Gun star for everything he’s done for the show over the years, Cruise cut him off, saying, “Shut up. You had me at hello.”

When it came to the final actual episode of The Late Late Show, the mood was even more bittersweet, as Corden struggled not to get overwhelmed with his emotions during his final monologue as the audience, which included the host’s parents, cheered him on. “It’s been life-changing,” Corden said of his time as host. “All we’ve ever wanted is just be a little bit of light, of levity at the end of your day. Thank you for letting me do this.”

The departing host was also joined by several major names during the final show, as President Joe Biden shared a special video message poking fun at Corden’s White House visit year while congratulating him on his impressive run on the show. “James, congratulations. 1,200 shows in eight years,” Biden began. “After the day you spent working for me at The White House, I’m surprised you lasted eight years at any job. To you, Reggie and the entire team, thank you for all the joy you brought to homes across America, and special thanks for never asking me to sing in the car…We’ll miss you pal. I can’t wait to see what you do next.”

Corden was later joined by Harry Styles and Will Ferrell, who immediately used a sledgehammer to destroy the show’s desk as a form of performance art. The trio also played one final round of “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts,” during which Styles surprised One Direction fans with his answer about potentially reuniting with his former bandmates: “I feel that it’s not a yes or no question,” the Grammy winner said. “I would never say never to that. If there was a time where that was what we wanted to do, I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”