King James Corden “Carpool Karaoke” leaves the show late at night

LOS ANGELES (AP) – James Corden has said he will be pulling out of his late night TV show on CBS next year, calling it “a good time to move on and see what else there might be.”

Corden announced his decision While taping Thursday’s “The Late Late Show,” which began hosting in 2015.

“When I started this journey, it was always like this. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as an end destination, you know?” he said. “And I never want this show to be outdated in any way. I always want to love making it.”

Corden, who did not provide details of what path his career might take next, said the late-night show “changed my life. … I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. It has been beyond my wildest, wildest dreams.”

He said he would be staying with the show for another year, and promised he would “come out with great fanfare” and predicted, “With so many tears.”

In a statement, CBS President and CEO George Cheeks praised Corden for taking “huge comedic and creative twists,” including “Carpool Karaoke” videos in which Corden and pop stars including Adele and Paul McCartney performed songs on the road.

Corden’s contract was due to expire in August, but the London-born actor and writer extended the agreement for another season. The show, which airs on weekend nights, will depart at 12:37 a.m. ET in the spring of 2023.

“We wish he could stay longer, but we’re so proud that he’s made CBS his home in America and that this partnership will span another season on The Late Late Show,” Cheeks said.

The network had no further comment, including who might replace Corden. The previous host of the show was Craig Ferguson.

Corden was considered an unlikely choice when he was appointed host of “The Late Late Show”. He starred in the British comedy series “Gavin & Stacey” and won a Tony Award in 2012 for his Broadway performance in “One Man, Two Guvnors”, but was not widely known by American viewers.

“Carpool Karaoke” and other comedy clips, including “Crosswalk the Musical,” proved popular online, building Corden and bringing the show well beyond the streaming site.

He has predicted his decision, including on a December 2020 podcast episode of “Smartless.” Corden said he had an “overwhelming feeling that my family had marched to the beat of my drum for far too long.”

Corden said he didn’t have an end date for the show in mind and that it “will always be a bigger family decision than a professional one. It’s going to be about the people we miss so much for whom we feel homesick.”

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This story has been corrected to say that the show’s air time is 12:37 a.m.

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Associated Press writer Alicia Rancelo in New York contributed to this report.