When James Corden moved to the UK after eight years as Hollywood’s golden boy, he was surely expecting a lot of fanfare. After all, with a high-profile television career fronting The Late Late Show, one of America’s most prestigious late-night talk shows, he had achieved an enviable level of fame in America that few Britons have achieved.
He was on first-name terms with a number of celebrities and the talk from industry insiders was that a big deal with a British broadcaster or streaming giant like Netflix or Amazon was inevitable.
Although Corden, 46, modestly insisted that he simply wanted to spend more time with his family once back on British soil, those who know him say there was no doubt he was expecting the same kind of adoration he received in Town of tinsel.
Only things haven’t turned out that way. Stories have circulated that he is unpopular in the industry.
There have been no public announcements of projects in the works, except for a voice role in next summer’s animated film The Smurfs Movie. And sources say he has also been reluctant to replicate his career in the United States and host a talk show here, because it is “too much work.”
In fact, if it weren’t for the upcoming Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey, the popular show Corden co-wrote with Ruth Jones, his big British comeback would almost certainly have been something of a flop, insiders say.
Bringing back the show that made his name is, I’m told, his trump card: one of the only things he can do that is guaranteed to not only be a hit but also catapult him back into the spotlight.
James Corden with Ruth Jones in a Gavin & Stacey Christmas special
James Corden and Ruth Jones filming the 2024 Gavin & Stacey Christmas special in Barry, South Wales
A source tells me: ‘There was a huge expectation that James would achieve something big somewhere. I didn’t want the daily grind of doing a night show because it’s a lot of work and exhausting, but there were talks of some big projects.
“Nothing materialized apart from an impressive, if short, stint at a London theatre, which has been baffling for the television industry.
‘You have to ask yourself why. James loves being the center of attention, he loves being the center of attention, but this just wasn’t happening.
“But then, out of nowhere, Gavin and Stacey are back and James is back on the radar.”
This time too, the comedian, born in Hillingdon, west London, appears keen to maintain as much creative control as possible over the project, which will be the comedy’s final episode.
As usual, it will be broadcast on the BBC but, for the first time, it will be made by Fulwell 73, the production company backed by Corden, and Jones’ label Tidy.
“James is in charge,” said a source in the Welsh seaside town of Barry, where Gavin and Stacey is filmed. “He and Ruth wrote the script and he has a bit of a dominant personality.” Another added: “James has held the key to the comeback and in a way it has given him some power over the BBC.”
James Corden with pop star Harry Styles, whom he considers a friend, on The Late Late Show in 2023
James Corden and Ruth Jones writing the script for this year’s Gavin & Stacey Christmas special
It’s unclear if that will open doors for him in the long term. But Corden is said to have “really enjoyed” his time at work when the episode began filming in September and appeared to be on the charm offensive.
He was seen mingling with fans and even filming them for a BBC documentary about the making of the Christmas special. He was said to be openly friendly with both fans and paparazzi.
But there have been tensions within the cast, particularly between Corden and his once close friend Mathew Horne, 46, who plays Gavin Shipman. The couple had their own TV show Horne & Corden and could often be found at Cardiff’s Tiger Tiger nightclub during the filming of previous series of Gavin & Stacey.
However, they told me that this time the contact between them was more limited. The pair fell out after critics savaged his show, and Corden went on to befriend those higher up the chain of fame, such as David Beckham, Adele and Prince Harry. He hasn’t looked back.
Sources say their relationship has not improved and reveal that while they both stayed in suites at the five-star Parkgate hotel in Cardiff during filming of the Christmas special, they did not socialize.
“James and Mat’s lives went in completely different directions,” says a source who knows them both. “They were inseparable and spent most days together, but when their projects started going wrong, that was it.”
Corden’s funnyman halo started to fade some time ago. In October 2022 he was banned from New York brasserie Balthazar after owner Keith McNally described the star as a “hugely talented comedian but a little jerk” for being rude to his waiters.
McNally claimed that Corden demanded two rounds of free drinks for his table after finding a hair in his food, and on a second occasion had yelled at waiters after finding traces of egg white in his wife’s egg yolk omelet. Julia Carey.
The ban was lifted when Corden “apologized profusely,” but the reputational damage had already been done.
James Corden with his wife Julia Carey at the 2024 Met Gala in New York
James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones in the first season of Gavin & Stacey
Derogatory anecdotes about Corden’s alleged bad behavior also appear regularly in the gossip newsletter Popbitch.
Despite these public relations problems, his life today is much more domesticated. His three children need transport to their fee-paying schools in north London and he has been seen using hire bikes to get around the capital with his friend, singer Harry Styles.
He’s also been seen hanging out at London’s newest club Soho House, 180, and celebrity haunt Chiltern Firehouse.
But once the curtain falls on Gavin and Stacey this Christmas, some have wondered what will come next. As one source says: ‘Gavin & Stacey was James’ golden goose – he always had her in his back pocket to pull out at the best moment. He has used it now.
“So let’s wait and see if any great opportunities come his way.”