James Corden Eyed By CBS As Possible Replacement For Craig Ferguson
CBS may have just found its newest late night host in British actor and producer James Corden. Corden is reportedly slated to replace Craig Ferguson on the “Late Late Show”.
While the move has not yet been confirmed by CBS, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap that the job will go to Corden in December when Ferguson’s contract expires.
James Corden, a 35 year old British actor and producer, is best known in the UK for his hit series Gavin and Stacey. He was also recognized at the 2012 Tony Awards for his role in the play One Man, Two Guvnors.
Corden can currently be seen in the film Begin Again, which stars Mark Ruffalo and Kiera Knightly. Corden also held roles in One Chance, Gulliver’s Travels, and Dr. Who.
The news of Corden’s role on the “Late Late Show” comes months after Ferguson announced in April that he would be leaving the show when his contract was up in December 2014. He made his announcement shortly after his predecessor David Letterman announced he would be leaving his show. Ferguson has hosted the show for ten years.
Ferguson said back in April, “I’ll be stepping down at the end of this year, in December. Then I’ll go and do something else, probably, I’m thinking carpentry, but I haven’t made my mind up yet.” He added,”I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I feel doing this show for 10 years, that’s enough.”
At that time, CBS entertainment chairman NIna Tassler did not indicate that there was a front-runner to replace Ferguson on the show. She reiterated this during the Television Critics Association Press tour.
“Obviously, it’s an incredibly valuable time period,” Tassler said. “We haven’t really thought about it yet. We want to let this sink in.”
Tassler added to the discussion in July, saying that she would be meeting with her team in August to talk about the format of the “Late Late Show” as well as settle on a new host. Along with Corden, other possible candidates included Joel McHale, Neil Patrick Harris, and Aisha Tyler.
CBS has made their late night line-up a priority this year, particularly with the success of NBC’s late night schedule with the addition of Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” and Seth Meyers hosting “Late Night With Seth Meyers”.
Corden, if given the job, will follow new host of the “Late Show” Stephen Colbert.
