When I first learned that The Late Late Show with James Corden was coming to an end because Corden was stepping down as host of CBS’ talk show after nearly a decade on the job, I knew the announcement would be met with some differing reactions from the public. However, all that went through my mind was the question of whom the English Emmy and Tony Award winner would be passing the torch to when he officially leaves in the spring of 2023.
Later, I heard from Variety that CBS was considering abandoning the single-host format and replacing the actor with a whole panel. I will certainly keep that exciting idea in mind as I present a few people I think would make for a great new Late Late Show host (or hosts, perhaps).
Neil Patrick Harris
Like James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris has won multiple Emmy Awards and a Tony Award and has hosted a few award ceremonies to great acclaim, including the Oscars in 2015. Of course, that information just barely scratches the surface as to why the multi-talented and effortlessly charming former How I Met Your Mother cast member would kick serious butt as the new face of The Late Late Show.
Tig Notaro
Acclaimed stand-up comedian and Army of the Dead cast member Tig Notaro once hosted an online talk show called Under a Rock, which sheds light on her inability to immediately recognize celebrities by challenging her to guess the name of her guest in each episode. I think the experience might have served as great preparation for her to take on a job like hosting The Late Late Show, which would also give her the opportunity to become a little more in tune with pop culture.
Samantha Bee
Someone with experience hosting a late night show and whose own Emmy-winning program was recently and suddenly cancelled after seven seasons on TBS is Samantha Bee. I believe the Full Frontal host deserves to be given another chance to have her bold, unfiltered voice heard as the headliner of another show and I like the idea of her following her fellow former Daily Show correspondent — Late Show host Stephen Colbert — every night.
Nish Kumar
A comedian known for hosting the United Kingdom’s own equivalent to The Daily Show, The Mash Report, from 2017 to 2020 is Nish Kumar, who is severely underrated and underexposed in the United States. Because James Corden was also not very widely known to American audiences before taking over as host of The Late Late Show, maybe the gig could help the British-Indian comic — who already deserves another show, in my opinion — achieve greater status here.
Richard Ayoade
Another supremely talented British comedian I thought of to replace Corden (and I promise the amount of fellow U.K. natives on this list was purely coincidental) is Richard Ayoade, whom most probably recognize as Maurice Moss on one of the funniest British comedies on Netflix, The I.T. Crowd. He has brought his signature, subversive wit to various hosting gigs over the years — i.e. his Oscars Slap joke at 2022’s British Academy Television Award — and I believe it deserves a more stable home for American audiences to bear witness to on a nightly basis.
Matt Berry
Ya know, if The Late Late Show does become a panel talk show, I think it would be a great opportunity for Ayoade to reunite with fellow The I.T. Crowd star Matt Berry as co-hosts. Yet, that being said, the star of FX’s series adaptation of What We Do in the Shadows (and Toast of London, to name just a few) — with his velvety, booming voice and impeccable comedic talent — would be a more-than-perfect choice on his own, too.
Keegan-Michael Key
Ever since he and Jordan Peele brought their beloved, eponymous sketch comedy series to a close in 2015, Keegan-Michael Key has been busy doing a bunch of stuff, from poking fun at musicals with Cecily Strong on Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon! or doing the same with Hollywood’s obsession with reboots in the Reboot cast for Hulu. The Emmy winner has also tried his hand at hosting the likes of game shows, awards ceremonies, and even daytime TV (with a guest host gig on Live with Kelly and Ryan), but not late night, which I think he would be a fantastic candidate for.
Tiffany Haddish
Tiffany Haddish has also been a guest-host on Live with Kelly and Ryan, as well as Ellen, in addition to hosting TBS’ movie presentation lead-in talk show, Friday Night Vibes, for 13 episodes and winning an Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live in 2018. Let alone the fact that she is one of her generation’s most renowned comedians and versatile talents, she certainly has the right experience to show that she is ready to take on a gig like hosting The Late Late Show.
Aziz Ansari
Since he and the rest of the Parks and Rec cast had their final curtain call, Aziz Ansari has been up to a lot of different things — such as creating and starring on the Emmy-winning Netflix comedy, Master of None, and working on his feature-length directorial debut, Being Mortal — but “host” is not a title he has added to his resume since the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. I think we should change that, because The Late Late Show could use someone with the unique, comedic perspective that he has shown in some great stand-up specials over the years.
Billy Porter
I am not sure if there is anything that Billy Porter cannot do, based on his Emmy Award win for his starring role as Pray Tell on Pose, multiple Tony Award wins, and reputation for consistently employing the most entertaining presence in whatever project he is involved with — such as in Amazon Prime’s Cinderella cast, for instance. Therefore, even if he was not brought on as the sole host of The Late Late Show, his lively, infectious, flamboyant personality would easily make him the most memorable member of the panel.
Craig Ferguson
Do you remember when Conan O’Brien took over The Tonight Show for an astoundingly brief seven months and people got pissed when the person he replaced, Jay Leno, came back to host it afterward? I think that if Craig Ferguson — the person James Corden replaced — were to come back to The Late Late Show, it would have the opposite effect, because the Scotsman remains, in the eyes of many, the most beloved host in the show’s history.
Especially if the multi-host format becomes a reality, the possibilities of who could take The Late Late Show to new heights in its next era are endless.
