James Corden leaves celebrities gobsmacked after making sexual joke about Dame Judi Dench

James Corden left celebrities gobsmacked on Saturday (5 April) after cracking a rude joke about Dame Judi Dench.

Hollywood rolled out the red carpet to honour some of the best and brightest boffins at this year's Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Los Angeles.

Dubbed the 'Oscars of science', the awards ceremony which celebrates the world's top scientists had a star-studded guest list.

And although Corden's comedy wasn't as controversial as some of the jokes cracked at this year's Academy Awards by host Conan O'Brien, one did go down like a lead balloon.

The likes of Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Zoe Saldaña, Lizzo, Christina Aguilera, Will.i.am, Alicia Keys and Jodie Foster were among those in attendance on Saturday.

But both academics and A-listers alike were left stunned when host James Corden cracked a crude joke at the expense of Brit legend Dame Judi Dench.

The Gavin and Stacey star, 46, who was hosting the Breakthrough Prize ceremony for the fourth time, made an awkward gag about the 90-year-old actress and US health official, Dr Anthony Fauci.

Corden's crude joke raised some eyebrows (Lester Cohen/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize)

You might remember Fauci, 84, for his work during the pandemic, as the infectious disease expert led the US' response during Covid, as well as being chief medical officer to former president Joe Biden.

Corden said: "Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together - other than, of course, that one magical evening where Dr. [Anthony] Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench."

The comedian's wisecrack wasn't met by roars of laughter, as the stars seated in the room instead appeared to be left stunned by the sexual joke, according to the Daily Mail.

The camera panned to the crowd after Corden's comment, showing how Don't Worry Darling director Olivia Wilde was left open-mouthed by the host's humour.

Thankfully, Dame Judi herself was spared her blushes in front of international boffins, as she did not attend the awards which are held in a space aircraft hanger in Los Angeles.

Dame Judi Dench, pictured at the 2022 Oscars, was the punchline for Corden's joke (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

The Breakthrough Prize is the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg, his wife Priscilla Chan, computer scientist Sergey Brin, entrepreneur Anne Wojcicki, investor Yuri Milner and his wife Julia.

Each year, top prizes of $3 million are doled out to the winners of categories such as Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics.

Breakthrough Prize honoured scientists 'driving remarkable discoveries in gene editing, human diseases, the fundamental particles of the Universe and its underlying mathematical principles' this year.

Zuckerberg said of this year's awards: "This year’s Breakthrough Prize laureates have made amazing strides - including treatments for major diseases affecting millions of people worldwide - showing once again the transformative power of curiosity-driven basic science."

LADbible has contacted Corden's representatives for a comment.