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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Kyle O'Sullivan

Drastic changes James Corden made to win over Americans while 'tide turned' on him in UK

James Corden was once the darling of the UK - but began to lose popularity after a number of controversies, feuds and failed projects. With the 'tide turning' against him on these shores, James landed a lucrative presenting gig on The Late Late Show in the US and quickly managed to win the adoration of the American people

The actor became a household name playing loveable Smithy in Gavin & Stacey, the BBC comedy which he also co-wrote, but the pressure to recreate his success became too much and he admitted he let the fame go to his head. The first chink in his armour was exposed during the 2008 TV Bafta awards, where James he took to the stage to pick up the Audience Award for Gavin & Stacey and used the time to complain that his show hadn't also been nominated for Best Sitcom.

"Instead of applause, I was met with silence, shock and disbelief," he wrote in his 2011 autobiography.

"Now, of course, I can see why and how it must have looked – ungracious, ungrateful and brattish. Rather than using my speech to thank everyone who'd helped on the show, I'd ruined the moment and belittled myself in the process."

It was the start of a bad time for James, whose behaviour got worse and he even started being rude to close pal and Gavin & Stacey co-writer Ruth Jones.

"As 2008 wore on, it got so bad I was being rude to my agent and I even started being rude to Ruth. If I was in company and the conversation wasn't revolving around me, I would just switch off," he said.

James was all over our screens, fronting a comedy sketch show called Horne & Corden with Gavin & Stacey actor Matthew Horne and horror-comedy movie Lesbian Vampire Killers.

Both were universally panned by critics and audiences alike, with the Independent writing an article headlined 'James Corden: The backlash begins'.

It asked: "After a cocky turn at the Baftas and a panning for his latest sketch show, is the tide turning on the bright new star of comedy?"

James and Matt had been so close that they saw each other every day, but the failures of their projects caused them to drift apart until they no longer spoke.

In his autobiography, James added: "We had gone from heroes to zeroes. It hurt. I knew I was to blame. The person I had become wasn't the person I had wanted to be. I had drifted so far from my close friends and family that I didn't know how to pick up the phone and talk to them any more."

To his credit, James realised he needed to step away from TV and started winning over the public again with his performance in the stage play One Man, Two Guvnors.

When the play went to Broadway, the actor won the Tony Award for Best Actor which led to him being cast in 2014 Into The Woods - and in the sights of a number of Hollywood executives.

CBS needed a new host for The Late Late Show in 2015 and, in Corden's own words, made the "really bold choice" to choose him tas he'd never even been on an American talk show before.

James made his late night debut in March 2015 with actors Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis as guests - and UK viewers noticed he had made a drastic change to his voice.

Viewers claimed he had gone 'posh' and he was speaking noticeably slower than usual to appeal to the American audience.

Britney Spears with James Corden on his popular Carpool Karaoke sketc (PA)

There were also other big changes, as James decided not to sit behind a desk like every other chat show host in the US and interviewed all his guest at the same time.

Despite being an unknown Stateside, he instantly won people over with his funny gags, warm tone and hilarious segments, such as Carpool Karaoke where he took A-list celebs out for a drive while singing their songs.

The Paul McCartney epsiode won an Emmy for Best Variety Special and the one featuring Adele belting out her hits has now been watched over 240 million times on YouTube.

Bill Carter, a media analyst for CNN, said Corden told him that he "had to beg people at the beginning", but it quickly became the other way round.

Revealing why he thinks the presenter is so popular, Carter said: "Corden's voice — the guy can sing — has been his great asset because his signature bit, 'Carpool Karaoke', has become an entertainment industry phenomenon.

"It's now so popular that just about every major recording artist does the segment with him."

James has gone on to appear in a number of musical films, including Cats, The Prom and Cinderella - but they all mostly received negative reviews.

James Corden with Kylie and Kris Jenner on The Late Late Show (CBS via Getty Images)

In April this year, James announced he is coming back to the UK after spending seven years hosting The Late Late Show, reportedly turning down the offer of a new multimillion pound contract.

The 'homesick' star, who is married to TV producer Julia Carey, was left feeling like he was taking his wife and their three kids away from people.

While tearing up on his show, James announced: "When I started this journey it was always going to be just that, it was going to be a journey, an adventure.

"I never saw it as my final destination, and I never want this show to overstay it’s welcome. I always want to love making it. I really think in a year from now that will be a good time to move on to see what else is out there.

"We are all determined to make this the best year we have ever had. We are going to go out with a bang."

Admitting it was one of the hardest decisions he has ever made, James continued: "There’ll be tears, so many tears, ‘cuz this has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I never took this for granted, ever."

It remains to be seen what's next for Corden - and how he will be received back in the UK.

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