James Corden Urged by David Letterman and Late-Night Hosts Not to Leave 'The Late Late Show'

James Corden hosted his final episode of 'The Late Late Show' on Thursday, April 27.

It was a historic Thursday evening as James Corden bid farewell to The Late Late Show after eight years. The 44-year-old British late-night host had a star-studded lineup for his send-off and even shed quite a few tears. In one funny moment, he was joined by all of the major late-night hosts in a sketch titled "Late-Night Nightmare."

In the bit, Corden is asleep at home when he's visited by fellow late-night comedians Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and retired Late Show host David Letterman.

"We're here to tell you, you can't just leave a talk show," Meyers tells Corden.

"If we're gonna let you leave, we need to know you're gonna keep our secrets secrets," Kimmel chimes in.

Some of those secrets include the fact that the hosts don't watch all of the shows and films their guests are promoting and that they practice a "fake laugh" when a guest tells a story that isn't funny.

The hosts also urge Corden to reconsider his exit from late-night, with Colbert joking of the Broadway veteran, "Have you thought this through? What other job will allow you to break into song and dance every single night?"

'The Late Late Show With James Corden'

They tease Corden for his frequent musical numbers on the show, but the performer is not convinced.

"I've thought long and hard about this. It maybe the hardest decision of my life, but I am leaving," Corden tells his peers.

Accepting his decision, Colbert says, "You're gonna grow a beard, a huge one, one that says, 'God spoke to me from a bush.'"

Letterman then appears, joking, "You know, God did speak to me, and he told me I don't need to be in this bit."

After Kimmel jokes that Corden's Met Gala invitation will be "revoked," Corden cuts to six months later when he and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah appear as contestants on The Masked Singer.

Corden spoke with ET ahead of his final show, and explained why he felt "compelled" to leave the show now

"You don't want to be making a mistake but I just feel compelled to do it," Corden told ET's Nischelle Turner. "I feel like I've got to. I feel like if I don't leave now or I never will...or it will be me just being pushed out the door." 

Corden first announced plans to leave The Late Late Show in April 2022. He remained host for a final season his departure on Thursday.

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