James Corden’s tears as he takes his final bow and says farewell in star-studded last Late Late Show

James Corden got very emotional as he teared up while signing off on his The Late Late Show hosting gig after eight years.

The 44-year-old television personality ended his run on US late night television by performing a piano ballad with several references to his 1200 episodes over the years as his final guests included pop megastar Harry Styles and comedian Will Ferrell.

Toward the end of the musical number his voice began to crack and tears welled up in his eyes as he looked straight into the camera.

Corden sang: ‘And part of me thinks why not stay here forever? But deep in my heart, I just know. No more shows to be showing. It’s time I was going. It’s time. Thanks for watching, that’s our show.’

The crowd uproariously applauded and gave him a standing ovation as the British star signed off.

He said: ‘Thank you so much for your time, everybody. I will miss you. Good night.’

The Into The Woods star then pointed to the camera before turning to his audience and giving them a salute.

Corden then wiped the tears away with his jacket sleeve as he made his way to the curtain and gave one final wave at the audience while taking the moment in.

He then gave one final goodbye bow as the curtain opened up behind him before making his final exit.

Before that Corden had welcomed his final guests Styles and Ferrell as the musician was asked if there will be a One Direction reunion.

The 29-year-old English singer asked the question to himself while playing a final game of Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts with host James, 44, and fellow final guest Will Ferrell, 55.

‘Yes or no, will there be a One Direction reunion?,’ Styles said to wild applause from the studio audience in Los Angeles. 

‘I would never say never to that. I think if there was a time where we all felt like that was what we wanted to do, then I don’t see why we wouldn’t,’ Styles answered.

Styles has been a frequent visitor to the show, and has even guest-hosted twice. He’s been game for a number of taped bits with Corden, who is leaving to spend more time with his family in the UK, including the time the host directed a music video for Styles’ song Daylight for just $300.

The former X Factor contestant also took part in a more than 11-minute segment featuring a UK Vs. US dodgeball game where Corden, Styles, ‘Games of Thrones’ actor James Bradley and Benedict Cumberbatch faced off against players including Michelle Obama, Mila Kunis, Kate Hudson, Lena Waithe, and Melissa McCarthy.

‘As a friend, I’m so incredibly proud of you,’ Styles told Corden. ‘On a personal note, you’ve been a safe space to me always as a friend.’ He added that he was ´’selfishly very excited that you’re coming home.’ 

Styles, Corden and Ferrell then embraced in a group hug.

Corden used part of his farewell speech on his final episode to address the deep rift in America over hot button issues including politics and ideology.

‘We started this show with Obama, then Trump and a global pandemic. I’ve watched America change a lot. I’ve watched divisions grow and I’ve felt a sense of negativity boil over,’ said the host. He implored his audience to ‘remember what America signifies to the rest of the world. My entire life it has always been a place of optimism. … Yes, it has flaws but show me a place that doesn’t. Show me a person that doesn’t.

‘Just because somebody disagrees with you it doesn´t make them bad or evil. We are all more the same than we are different. There are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences and we have to try as best we can to look for the light, look for the joy. If you do, it´s out there. That´s all this show has ever been about,’ he said.

Corden announced one year ago that he would be ending his late-night show after eight seasons, citing a desire to return to his native UK to be closer to family and loved ones. His parents were seated in the audience for the final taping, and his sisters, he joked, were in town too — but at a bar instead.

Styles and Farrell weren’t the only people of stature who were featured on the episode as US President Joe Biden joined the star-studded affair.

The President didn’t drop by the studio, but instead filmed a short video appreciation of Corden’s eight-year stint on the series from what appeared to be the White House.

During his speech, in which he thanked the 44-year-old host for ‘all the joy you’ve brought to homes across America.’

Biden joined several film and television shows sending Corden off in style, including his old pal Tom Cruise, who performed in the Lion King stage musical with the host during a prime time special, as well as Will Ferrell and Harry Styles in the episode proper.

Corden appeared to be surprised to see a video message from Biden, and he said ‘Stop’ in shock once he saw footage of the White House.

He was so overwhelmed by the honor that he put his head down on his desk as the President began to address him.

Biden congratulated him on his ‘incredible run’ of ‘1200 shows in eight years.’

But then he looked back on Corden’s visit to the White House in 2022, when he played the role of an intern and assistant to Biden.

The hilarious clip showed Corden presenting the President with an edible arrangement of fruits.

‘This… is both a snack… and… a gift,’ he said with overly dramatic pauses as he placed it on the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.

‘Who is that guy?’ the President asked with perfect comic timing after Corden stepped out.

In the new clip, Biden ribbed Corden by saying, ‘I’m surprised you lasted eight years at any job!’ 

The message also included a sweet photo of Corden and his bandleader Reggie Watts, along with a photo of the entire crew on set.

A quick montage featured some of Corden best moments as host, including his sky-diving segment with Tom Cruise, a musical performance in Manhattan with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, the time he presented a horrible bust of David Beckham to the soccer superstar, and a Carpool Karaoke segment in which he wore a too-tight Sgt. Peppers uniform while joined by Paul McCartney.

‘And a special thanks for never asking me to sing in the car,’ Biden added to laughter from the audience over a montage of Carpool Karaoke segments. ‘I can’t sing worth a damn.’

The clip ended with footage from Corden’s previous trip to the White House showing him and Biden both putting on a pair of the President’s preferred aviator sunglasses.

‘We’ll miss ya, pal. I can’t wait to see what you do next,’ Biden concluded on a gracious note.

Corden was overwhelmed again as the camera returned to him and the audience erupted in applause.

‘That is amazing!’ he said. 

He joked before moving on, ‘There was a minute in the middle when I was watching when those photos were going when I was like, “Wait, have I died?”‘

Corden was also lucky enough to welcome his parents in the audience as he even took a playful jab at his own mother Margaret.

Both of James’ parents – Margaret and his father Malcolm – made the trip across the pond for the final episode, as the 44-year-old comedian acknowledged them in the audience when starting his monologue.

‘My mom and dad are here. Are you okay, mom, dad, are you holding it together?’ he asked his parents.

His mother Margaret – who raised the late-night talk-show host with her husband in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire – said she was fine… for a moment.

‘Until you ask me to give you a kiss before we came on and then I was gone,’ Margaret said, while holding back tears, when Corden made a Botox joke.

‘I didn’t even know you could move your face that much since all of your Botox,’ he said as the crowd started laughing, as Margaret responded, ‘Oh piss off.’

Corden added, ‘She said to me last night, she said we would still be able to come out here and she said why?’

‘She said there is a certain collagen for my lips that I can’t get at home,’ he said as both of his parents laughed.

They also played a clip of James waking up in his bed with Seth Meyers staring at him. 

‘I need to talk to you about you leaving,’ Seth, 49, said. ‘You can’t just leave a talk show’

He turned and Jimmy Kimmel was also in his bedroom.

‘Hosting a network last night talk show makes you part of a very exclusive club and if we’re going to let you leave, we need to know you will keep our sacred secrets,’ Jimmy, 55, said .

‘What secrets?’ James said.

‘You know how we don’t watch every episode of TV or movie that are guests are on to promote,’ Seth said.

‘You are telling me I didn’t need to watch all four seasons of Mozart in the Jungle?’ James said.

‘Of course you didn’t have to watch that,’ Jimmy said. ‘Mozart was never even in the jungle.’

‘I missed my sister’s wedding for that,’ James said. ‘What else?’

‘The fake laugh we all have for when a guest tells a story that isn’t funny,’ Jimmy said laughing.

Stephen Colbert, 58, then came out of James’ closet laughing.

‘You’re not going anywhere are you?’ Stephen said.

‘Of course not, I live here,’ James said.

‘Stick around we’ll be back with more James Corden everybody,’ Stephen said laughing.

James promised them he wouldn’t reveal any of their secrets and asked them all to leave.

‘James have you thought through what other job will allow you to break into song and dance every single night?’ Stephen said.

‘I don’t sing and dance every night,’ James said.

‘You do,’ Jimmy Kimmel said.

James said he did two years without singing and dancing, but Jimmy pointed out that was during COVID. James said he had thought long and hard about it and it might be the hardest decision of his life but that he was leaving.

Just then Jimmy Fallon walked out of his bathroom.

‘In that case, we are going to have to lay out the terms of the official exit,’ Fallon.

Seth said he couldn’t look like he was enjoying retirement too much.

‘You are going to grow a huge one,’ Stephen said. ‘One that says God spoke to me from a bush.’

David Letterman, 76, then appeared in the room with his bushy white beard.

‘You know God did speak to me and he told me I don’t need to be in this bit,’ David said.

‘Don’t get any big ideas, stick to corporate gigs, podcasts maybe The Masked Singer,’ Kimmel said.

James said when he first came to America he heard of the late night wars.

‘Then I came to realize, we are not at war, we are a family,’ James said. ‘We’ve been through so much together.’

James then started singing. Stephen told him to stop. Seth said they needed to talk about splitting up his ideas. They all said they wanted Carpool Karaoke. James said that he did have other bits.

‘You can’t have any of my ideas,’ James said. ‘I’m not growing a beard. I’m not doing any of this.’

Kimmel said he left them no choice.

‘We are going to have to revoke your invitation to the Met Gala,’ Kimmel quipped.

‘Not fashion’s biggest night,’ James said.

James then woke up and said it was just a dream. Six months later, James was taking off his mask with Trevor Noah on The Masked Singer.

Also Thursday, CBS aired a primetime special called ‘The Last Last Late Late Show Special’ featuring taped segments with Tom Cruise (where they performed stunts and sang a duet of ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ from ‘The Lion King’) and Adele, where they taped a final Carpool Karaoke segment. 

Corden reminded the singer that she has an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar and wondered if she would ever actively pursue a Tony Award. ‘You have the EGO’ he said.

‘I really don´t think that that is ever gonna happen. I would never write a musical or anything like that because I f***ing hate musicals,’ said Adele to laughter. ‘I also think the EGO suits me better.’

There were also goodbyes from the other late night hosts. Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman all appeared in a pre-taped segment with Corden. They joked that since Corden was ending his show, they could each call dibs on one of his segments.

They all chose Carpool Karaoke, referencing Corden’s most popular sketch where he drives around Los Angeles with celebrities and sing songs. Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Chris Martin are a few of his Carpool Karaoke passengers. The segment was such a hit that it spun-off into its own series for Apple. Corden only appeared in the debut episode with Will Smith in the car.

Corden closed out the final episode by playing a piano and singing a song with the crew and staff gathered around the stage. 

‘Part of me thinks I should stay here forever but deep in my heart I just know,’ Corden sang. ‘No more shows to be showing, it´s time I was going, It´s time. Thanks for watching, that´s our show.’

The Late Late Show With James Corden premiered in March 2015 with Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks as his first guests.

Mila, 39, was back as a guest on Wednesday for the penultimate episode of the show.

Corden succeeded Craig Ferguson, 60, who hosted The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson from 2005 to 2014.

CBS plans to retire The Late Late Show franchise in favor of less expensive formats.