James Corden reveals how he turned to Adele for help amid backlash in LA over his “rude behavior” in the latest Carpool Karaoke, airing Thursday.
The Late Late Show host, 44, who earns $36 million a year, is returning home to the UK to be closer to his relatives, but opened up about the mistakes he believes he made in the United States.
James is known to have landed himself in hot water after being criticized online by Keith McNally, the owner of NYC restaurant Balthazar, for being the “most abusive customer” ever.
And one TV director has called James Corden the “toughest and most obnoxious presenter” he’s ever worked with, claiming that the English comic was berating and cursing staff for a popular British game show.
But he showed his softer side when he revealed that he turned to 34-year-old Adele when he was struggling with the consequences of his behavior for which he apologized.
In tears: James Corden revealed how he turned to Adele for help amid backlash in LA over his “rude behavior” in the latest Carpool Karaoke, airing Thursday
Hard time; Adele has revealed she once had a six-hour conversation with her close friend James Corden after he broke up about ‘work’ and ‘the internet’
Adele has revealed that she once had a six-hour conversation with her good friend James Corden after he broke up about “work” and “the internet.”
The teary-eyed singer, 34, hinted that the talk show host, 44, wasn’t happy with his life in America during the very last Carpool Karaoke, admitting she felt “unsafe.”
During the latter part of the iconic format, James explained, “It was work stuff and the internet and all that stuff.”
Adele then replied, “It got me thinking, I felt so unsafe, while you feel unsafe, because you’ve always been like this [the adult] you’ve had that since I was 21.’
And then I went to the studio a few weeks later, and I wrote this and I sang it into my phone and I sent it to you and I remember you saying, “That’s exactly how I felt.”
James intervened and said, “It was all I felt that day. I was amazed at how you managed to take everything I felt myself, and… life, and just put it into a verse.
In October, James was struck by controversy when he was banned from Manhattan eatery Balthazar by owner Keith McNally, who labeled James his “most abusive customer ever” for allegedly berating his staff.
Keith — one of the most famous restaurateurs in all of New York — took to Instagram to announce the ban, twice accusing the comic of gross and childish behavior.
At the first, James reportedly claimed a hair was found in his food — and demanded free drinks to make amends, according to McNally.
Good friends: The singer, 34, hinted that the talk show host, 44, was not happy with his life in America during the very last Carpool Karaoke, admitting it made her feel “unsafe”.
Opening: During the latter part of the iconic format, James explained, ‘It was work stuff and the internet and all that stuff’
Emotions ran high: Adele then responded: “It got me thinking, I felt so unsafe, while you felt unsafe, because you’ve always been that way [the adult] you have, since I was 21′
The second involved his wife, Julia, and an egg yolk omelette she ordered. Keith claimed she got a plate with egg whites on it, which angered James.
The final straw came shortly after when another omelet was sent with a side of house fries instead of salad, sending the star into a full-blown rage.
James later apologized for his behavior and Keith lifted his ban.
Elsewhere in the Carpool Karaoke chat, Adele first revealed that a verse in her song I Drink Wine was inspired by James, when he later turned to the singer for advice as he was having his own rough time in life.
‘[The verse] was inspired by a conversation you and I had, and it was January 4, 2020 or something, and we’d been on vacation with the kids…” Adele began.
Adele, who finalized her divorce from Simon in March 2021, two years after announcing their split, revealed she went on a family vacation with James, his wife Julia Carey, their three children and her son Angelo, 10.
And we were on our way home and my mood had changed and it was like the first year I felt like I had to hold myself accountable because I was just grown up, whereas the year before that I had Simon, you and Jules and the kids were so important to take care of me and Angelo,” she said, bursting into tears.
‘You used to do it with humor, you used to have something like ‘good luck with that!’ with everything I pursued, and you always were, you were like an adult with me, you and Julia would always give me this advice.”
Some of the lyrics they sang along included the lines, “How come we’ve both become versions of a person we don’t even like?”
“We are in love with the world, but the world only wants to bring us down, putting ideas in our heads that somehow corrupt our hearts.”
James held back tears, calling it a “privilege” that Adele had managed to capture how he felt and put it in one of her songs.
However, the segment started off on a much lighter note, as the Someone Like You singer played a prank on James by coming to his home in LA.
Adele snuck into his bedroom and brutally woke James up with crash cymbals as she told her she would take him to work.
As they began their journey to the CBS studios, James was seen in the passenger seat for a change as the two friends got ready to sing together.
Things get off to a shaky start, however, when the Tottenham-born megastar tells James she’s enjoying herself behind the wheel, adding: “I’m not a brilliant driver, actually.”
Gesture: “And then I went to the studio a few weeks later, and I wrote this and I sang it into my phone and I sent it to you and I remember you saying, ‘That’s exactly how I felt'”
Prank: The video begins with Adele pranking James at his home in LA
Surprise! Adele is filmed planning to wake James before driving him to work
After launching a rendition of her hit Rolling in the Deep, Adele freaks James out when she starts asking him questions about Carpool Karaoke, saying, “There’s been some damn brilliant ones, and some s*** too.”
James said it was his very last carpool and admitted he was “excited” and “scared,” while Adele agreed, “Yeah, I bet.”
“I don’t know – it’s been eight crazy years, on the one hand it feels like it’s over soon (clicks fingers) and on the other hand I feel like I can’t remember what life was like before I was here,” a tearful James said.
Adele then revealed how James’ departure affects her personally. “I’ve never lived in LA without you guys, so I’m a little nervous about it.
The pair also reveal a story about how James had tried to play an elaborate prank to fool Adele into thinking there was a wild bear on the loose in Beverly Hills.
But things got off to a rocky start when Adele arrived early and her assistant noticed there were secret cameras in the room.
Despite doing everything he could to make it happen — including getting Gayle King to record a spoof news report about the bear — James cut it off when he saw Adele starting to feel uncomfortable.
Later, James talked about Adele’s “EGO” status now that she’s won an Emmy, Grammy, and an Oscar – and would only need a Tony Award to earn the prestigious “EGOT” status.
“I really don’t think that’s ever going to happen,” Adele laughed.
“I would never write a musical or anything like that…because I hate musicals. I also think that the EGO suits me better’
That doesn’t stop Adele from singing along to Barbra Streisand’s Don’t Rain On My Parade from the musical Funny Girl, though.
After another emotional song to Adele’s Hometown Glory, the pair begin to cry again as Adele tells him, “You are one of my best friends in the whole world.”
Wiping away her tears, Adele added, “I’m just not ready to come back yet [to the UK] yet. Otherwise I would go with you.’