Revealed: The real reason why James Corden brought back Gavin & Stacey, as TV insiders tell KATIE HIND the truth about strained relationships with his co-stars

When James Corden moved to Britain after eight years as Hollywood’s golden boy, he must have expected a lot of fuss. After all, with a high-profile television career at the helm of The Late Late Show, one of America’s most prestigious late-night chat shows, he had achieved an enviable fame in the US that few other Britons have managed to achieve.

He had a first-name relationship with a slew of A-listers and the talk from industry insiders was that a major deal with a British broadcaster or streaming giant like Netflix or Amazon was inevitable.

Although Corden, 46, modestly insisted he simply wanted to spend more time with his family once he was back on British soil, those who knew him say there was little doubt he was hoping for the same kind of adoration afforded him. Tinseltown.

Only: it hasn’t quite worked out that way yet. There are stories going around that he is not popular in the industry.

There have been no public announcements of projects in the pipeline, other than a character role in next summer’s animated film The Smurfs Movie. And sources say he has also been reluctant to replicate his career in the United States and host a chat show here – because it is ‘too much work’.

Without the upcoming Gavin & Stacey Christmas special – the hugely popular show Corden co-wrote with Ruth Jones – his big British comeback would almost certainly have been a devious joke, insiders say.

Bringing back the show that made his name is, I’m told, his trump card. One of the few things he can do that is guaranteed to not only be a hit, but catapult him back into the spotlight.

One source tells me: ‘There was huge expectation that James would get a big deal somewhere. He didn’t want the daily grind of a nighttime show as it is a lot of work and tiring, but there was talk of some big projects.

‘Nothing happened other than an impressive but short stint in a theater in London, which was mind-boggling for the television industry.

‘You have to wonder why. James loves the spotlight, he loves being the center of attention, but this simply didn’t happen.

‘But then, out of nowhere, Gavin and Stacey are back and James is back on the radar.’

Once again, the comedian, born in Hillingdon, West London, appears keen to retain as much creative control as possible over the project, which will be the sitcom’s final ever episode.

As usual, the film is being shown by the BBC, but for the first time it is being made by Fulwell 73, the production company backed by Corden, and Jones’ company Tidy.

“James is in charge,” said a source on location in the Welsh seaside town of Barry, where Gavin & Stacey is filmed. “He and Ruth wrote the script and he has a personality that is somewhat dominating.” Another added: “James has held the key to the comeback, and in a way it has given him some power over the BBC.”

It is unclear whether this will open doors for him in the longer term. But Corden is said to have “really enjoyed” his time on the job when the episode started shooting in September and seemed to be on a charm offensive.

He mingled with fans and even filmed them for a BBC documentary about the making of the Christmas special. He was said to be openly friendly towards both supporters and paparazzi.

But there have been tensions within the cast, especially between Corden and his once close friend Mathew Horne, 46, who plays Gavin Shipman. The pair had their own TV show Horne & Corden and were often found at Cardiff’s Tiger Tiger nightclub while filming for previous Gavin & Stacey series.

However, I was told that contact between them was more limited this time. The pair fell out after critics trashed their show, and Corden went on to make friends with people higher up the fame chain, like David Beckham, Adele and Prince Harry. He hasn’t looked back.

Sources say their relationship has not improved and reveal that although they both stayed in suites at the five-star Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff while filming the Christmas special, they did not socialize.

“James and Mat’s lives went in completely different directions,” says a source who knows them both. “They were inseparable and spent most days together, but when their projects started going wrong, that was it.”

Corden’s funny halo started to disappear some time ago. In October 2022, he was banned from New York brasserie Balthazar after owner Keith McNally described the star as a “tremendously gifted comedian but a little idiot of a man” for being rude to his wait staff.

McNally claimed that Corden demanded two rounds of free drinks for his table after finding a hair in his food, and on a second occasion he shouted at the wait staff after finding traces of egg white in his wife Julia Carey’s egg yolk omelet.

The ban was lifted when Corden “apologized profusely,” but the damage to his reputation had already been done.

Derogatory anecdotes about Corden’s alleged bad behavior are also regularly featured in the gossip newsletter Popbitch.

Despite these PR problems, his life is a bit more domesticated these days. His three children need to be taken to their fee-paying schools in north London and he has been spotted using rental bikes to travel around the capital with his friend, singer Harry Styles.

He has also been spotted at Soho House’s newest London club, 180, and the famous Chiltern Firehouse.

But once the curtain falls on Gavin & Stacey this Christmas, some are wondering what could happen next. As a source says: ‘Gavin & Stacey were James’ golden goose – he always had it in his back pocket ready to pull it out at the best time. He has now taken advantage of that.

‘So let’s wait and see whether great opportunities come his way.’