He admits it is ‘the biggest gamble of his life’ and is terrified that his latest television venture will be a flop.?
And it would seem comedian James Corden, who makes his debut this month as anchor of The Late, Late Show – one of America’s top talk shows – is right to be concerned.?
Corden and his new employers, CBS, are so worried that American audiences won’t get his British brand of humour that they have staged a secret ‘dress rehearsal’ to gauge reaction and ensure he is word perfect for his first live show on March 23, when Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks will be a guest.
A source on the programme revealed they needed to ‘iron out the glitches and find out what works’, adding: ‘The US audience is totally different to anything James has experienced before. It’s been a real rollercoaster of highs and lows.’
The Mail on Sunday gained exclusive access to Corden’s rehearsal last week, and while some of the 200 invited audience – many of them professional actors paid to ‘fill’ seats – seemed charmed by his laid-back delivery, most complained that they were ‘baffled’ by his sense of humour and found his estuary accent difficult to understand.?