James Corden to Take Over 'Late Late Show' for Ferguson

09.08.2014

​After weeks of speculation surrounding Craig Ferguson's possible replacement in his 12:35 a.m. time slot, CBS has officially announced that yes indeed, British comedian will take his place next year as host of The Late Late Show.

Corden is a 36-year-old actor, comedian and TV personality who has appeared in U.K. series Gavin and Stacey and BBC/'s The Wrong Mans, which he also co-created. He also starred in Begin Again, as well as upcoming films One Chance and Into the Woods. Currently he hosts Sky 1's comedy game show A League of Their Own in the U.K.

Nina Tassler, chairman of CBS Entertainment, calls Corden "the ultimate multi-hyphenate - a writer, creator and performer who is loved and respected in every medium he touches, including theater, comedy, music, film and television. James is already a big star in the U.K. and he's wowed American audiences on Broadway; we're very excited to introduce his considerable and very unique talents to our network television audience on a daily basis."

Tassler told The Hollywood Reporter that the choice was largely based on Corden's broad range in the entertainment business: he has appeared on (and won awards for) TV, film and theater, with a strong social media following thrown in.

"In this day and age, certain actors come to your attention and you can't stop following him, and James is one of those talents," said Tassler. "He has more multi-hyphenates in his resume than anyone I've seen in a long time. To me, he's like a cross between Fred Astaire and Jack Black."

Ferguson originally announced his departure from the show after his 10-year stint as host this past April, when he said that he will leave the show this coming December. He is currently in talks with Tribune for a syndicated half-hour show as well as hosting Celebrity Name Game.

As to when CBS plans to hand the reins over, no firm date has been announced, but says that Corden will take over sometime next year. At the age of 36, Corden will become the youngest host of the broadcast late-night shows.