James Corden ends final The Late Late Show with warning to America

It's the end of an era, James Corden has signed off from his final ever episode of The Late Late Show.

For the past eight years, the comedian has entertained US audiences interviewing some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

But last night, the laughter stopped as Corden took to the stage for one last time and said goodbye.

And he had a clear message for his fans, and the whole of the United states, that he wanted to share before he left.

Looking back at the past decade, the 44-year-old said that he had seen how the country had changed, and noticed there had been a dark shadow looming large.

He urged his viewers to reconsider the path the country was on.

The Late Late Show

“I’ve struggled to find the words to sum up what this past eight years have meant to me," said a clearly emotional Corden.

“We started with Obama then Trump then a global pandemic. I’ve watched America change a lot over these past few years, I’ve watched divisions grow, I felt a sense of negativity.

“I guess all I really want to stay is, I implore you to remember what America signifies to the rest of the world.

"My entire life, it’s always been a place of optimism and joy. Sure, it has flaws. Show me a country that doesn’t… every single one of us is a work of progress.

“Just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn’t make them bad or evil. There are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences."

He added: “We have to try to the best we can to look for the light, look for the joy. It’s out there. That’s all this show has ever been about.

"Thank you for letting me do this. Thank you for letting into your home every night.”

Among the long list of A-listers who took part in the final episode was movie icon Tom Cruise, who received a standing ovation for his Lion King performance.

The Late Late Show

Not something you'd imagine the Mission Impossible star to be doing, is it?

He and Corden sang 'Hakuna Matata' in front of a real crowd on Broadway, and just like everything Cruise does, it was pretty epic.

But it wasn't just the audience who were impressed, fans watching at home were absolutely blown away by the rendition too.

One person said: "Happened to be in the audience of @TheLionKing when James Corden & Tom Cruise surprised the audience filming for *tonight’s* finale of @latelateshow . It was pretty genius."

Another added: "Imagine paying to see Lion King and James Corden and Tom Cruise walk out on stage."

A third said: "Tom Cruise singing 'Hakuna Matata' with James Corden in front of a real musical audience and then Can You Feel The Love Tonight is why he is one of a kind."

Topics: James Corden, Tom Cruise, US News, TV and Film

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom