James Cordon Talks 'Late Late Show' Departure: 'I Wasn't Fired!'

Two years after James Cordon left 'The Late Late Show' on CBS, he says people are still convinced he was fired.

Corden replaced Craig Ferguson as host of the late-night talk show in March 2015, but said goodbye eight years and 1,200 episodes later. He told his fans that he decided to leave because he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children.

Some, however, aren't buying it.

Known for his iconic segments such as 'Carpool Karaoke', James Cordon said goodbye to CBS in April 2022. During his last 'The Late Late Show', he ended on a serious note.

"I implore you to remember what America signifies to the rest of the world. My entire life, it has always been a place of optimism and joy," he told his audience. "Look for the light. Look for the joy, because if you do, it's out there. And that's all this show has ever been about."

Of course, it wouldn't be James Cordon if he didn't throw a small punchline in there, telling his fans, "If you've looked at my yearbook photo and [said] like, 'that guy is gonna have a late-night talk show,' you're like, 'no, he's not.'"

"I'm so proud of the show," he said. "I'm so proud of what we've done and it absolutely feels like the right time to say, 'I think we did everything we came to do.'"

Two years after he left the late-night show, James Cordon says fans in England are still convinced he was fired from the network.

“People are very nice. But no one believes that I wasn’t fired,” Corden told Jimmy Kimmel on a recent appearance of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

“People will honestly be like, ‘You don’t have to give me that bulls–t. It’s fine, mate. If you got fired, you got fired,’” Corden continued. “Because nobody thinks you would ever leave what is — let’s be honest — a cushy existence.”

Kimmel then suggested he get a letter from CBS saying that he was not fired and that he left on "your own free will," but Corden says that wouldn't do any good because “they don’t know what CBS is."

“So they’ll go, ‘Well, that’s not a real thing.’ And then I have to tell them what the show was, and they’ll go, ‘Hang on, it was on at 12:30 at night. That’s a ridiculous time to put a TV show on.’”

When Corden first announced his departure from the show, he did so in a monologue, shocking fans. “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," he said.

Adding, "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.”

Corden was on Kimmel to promote his new podcast, 'This Life of Mine With James Corden', which is exclusively on SiriusXM.

When the project was first announced, Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM's president and chief content officer said, "James Corden is an incredible talent who is always pushing the boundaries of what's possible."

Adding, "With a career that spans acting on stage and screen, developing and launching hit series such as Carpool Karaoke, and of course his iconic eight-year run as a late-night host, James has been a trailblazer in the entertainment business. We're so honored to welcome him to the SiriusXM family as he begins this next phase of his illustrious career and makes his mark in audio."

Per the official press release, the podcast is described as: "From favorite music and movies to books and advice, the show will seek to tell the untold stories of some of the most well-known public figures."

Corden spoke about his new project at the time of the announcement. "I am thrilled to be joining SiriusXM. Scott and the whole team have made me feel so welcome as I start this new chapter," he said. "It's a dream to have a space to engage in deep conversations with the people whose work and talent I greatly admire."

Among his first guests are Martin Scorsese, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Tom Ford, Jeremy Renner, David Beckham, Billy Porter, Julianne Moore and Odell Beckham Jr.