James Corden Fights Back Tears Talking 'Late Late Show' Exit in Emotional Monologue

James Corden is breaking the news to his viewers that this will be his final season as host of The Late Late Show.

Corden addresses the news in his monologue on Thursday -- which was released earlier in the afternoon, before the show aired -- and got emotional as he announced his forthcoming exit.

"I have some news of my own to share with you. Seven and a half years ago, I started hosting this show. And there is no other way to put it, it has changed my life. I love it. I love all the people that work here. I am so proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s been beyond my wildest, wildest dreams," Corden shared. "So I’m happy to announce today that I’ve signed a new contract, to carry on hosting The Late Late Show."

"The other half is, the sadder news is, I’ve decided to sign on for one more year on the show and that this will be my last year hosting The Late Late Show," Corden added. "This will be my last year hosting the show. When I started this journey, it was always going to be just that. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as my final destination, you know? And I never want this show to overstay its welcome in any way. I always want to love making it. And I really think in a year from now, that will be a good time to move on and see what else might be out there"

"But I’ve got to tell you, we are not leaving today!" Corden continued. "We still have a year to go and we are all determined to make this the best year we have ever had making this show. We are going to go out with a bang."

Corden promised that there will be "Carpools, and Crosswalks, and sketches and other surprises."

"And there will be tears. There will be so many tears," he continued, fighting back his own. "‘Cause this has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, it really has. I’ve never taken this job for granted. Ever. Not once. And…the fact that you watch us at home. Or you watch us online. Wherever you are, all over the world. The fact that we get to try and entertain you and spend time with you, is an absolute privilege for me and every single person who makes this show. Here’s to the next 12 months and it’s going to be a blast, I promise you that."

Corden first signed a contract to host The Late Late Show -- which had been previously hosted by Craig Ferguson -- in 2014 and premiered on March 23, 2015.

Following the news of this being his final season, a source told ET that Corden's exit from the show didn't come as a surprise.

"The Late Late Show crew has been waiting since January for James Corden to re-sign his contract before it was up by the summertime. Some of the crew already had a feeling Corden was not going to re-sign, so, they started looking elsewhere for work opportunities," the source shared. 

The source noted that while the exact reason for Corden's departure is unknown, there has been some buzz about him wanting to spend more time with his family.

"I think we all could tell he was ready to go," the source added. "We kind of saw it coming so, it doesn’t surprise us."

A separate source close with production on the late night talk show, echoed rumblings about Corden wanting to spend more time with his family, telling ET that his announcement is, "bittersweet for the staff."

"It's bittersweet for the staff. We’re grateful for the time we’ve had together, and glad James is giving us a year notice," the source said. "But we’re a family, and we’ll miss each other. It’s not a total surprise. James wants to do other things, including spending more time with his family."

There's no word yet on who will take over after Corden departs the show next year.

The Late Late Show airs weeknights at 12:30am ET/PT on CBS.

James Corden Celebrates 1,000 Episodes of ‘The Late Late Show’ (Exclusive)

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Up Next

RELATED CONTENT:

James Corden Leaving 'The Late Late Show' in 2023

Lizzo Previews New Song 'About Damn Time' on 'The Late Late Show'

James Corden Tests Positive for COVID-19, Cancels Upcoming Episodes

BTS Gives 'Crosswalk Concert' on 'Late Late Show With James Corden'