James Corden Responds to Stephen Colbert Feud Rumors: 'It's Silly'

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James Corden is ready to lay these rumors to rest.

Despite continually slamming reports that he will be taking over Colbert's Late Show late-night time slot, the 37-year-old talk show host has again found himself at the center of the rumored feud.


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"I just think it's silly," the Late Late Show host recently tells Variety about rumors of a late-night shakeup. "I think it's mostly just people trying to drum up something that doesn't exist."

Rumors that CBS was planning to give Corden Colbert's 11:35 p.m. time slot (and send Colbert to 12:37 a.m.) have circulated in the past few months due to Corden's relatively strong digital presence, consistent ratings, and Emmy nominations, despite what the two late-night hosts and CBS execs have said about it.

"The reason [the time-slot switch] doesn't exist is that I know my boss," Corden says of CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, "And I know that when he makes a decision, that's the decision he's going to make. He's going to stick by that and so should he."

Corden, who has found success with buzzy segments like Carpool Karaoke and Drop the Mic, instead offered that his competition lies on the Internet. "I just find the notion of talking about time slots to be something archaic really. It kind of feels like telling the time with a sundial," he shares. "Our competition is no other show. Our competition is everything on the Internet."


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Regardless of Corden's repeated squashing of the time-slot reports -- "Never gonna happen," he told Howard Stern in June after the radio host continued to push for an answer -- Colbert admits the rumors still hurt.

"That makes you feel bad," he told The Hollywood Reporterin July. "The implication of that question is that the show isn't good enough in its present position."

"I'm a human being. Yeah, I care," he revealed. "But [the rumor] doesn't jibe with what I know about our show, so you recover."

Corden, too, believes Colbert is finding his footing.  "Have you watched Stephen's show in the last two weeks? It's incredible. It's fantastic. It's just been awesome to watch," he says. "I'm incredibly proud to be the show on after his. I think he is an incredible talent and a host and a broadcaster and a voice. That show, I feel like it's finding its feet every single day."


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