James Corden brought out a series of A-listers as he bid farewell to his eight-year stint as a late-night talk show host.
From Joe Biden to Harry Styles, a string of celebrities graced the stage with the British host to bid farewell.
And in a rare first, other late-night hosts including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman came together to riff on Corden’s place among them.
Opening the show, Corden began his last ever monologue by thanking his fans for tuning in, where he introduced his parents to the cheering crowd.
‘Thank you for tuning in, thank you for being here, we have a fun show – are you ready?’ he said.
James Cordon ended his Late Late Show run with a star-studded send off
Will Ferrell And Harry Styles
The star-studded final show opened with a backstage shot of Corden greeting the show’s champagne-holding staff, where he began an extended sketch about being locked out from his final show.
As he satirically struggled to enter the studio, Corden found himself trapped backstage before being greeted through a window by his guests.
‘Terrible timing with this door thing eh? Because it’s your last show,’ said Harry Styles, as he screamed through the glass alongside Will Ferrell.
Corden’s final Late Late Show begun with an extended sketch about being locked out of the studio
Corden was joined by Harry Styles, center, and Will Ferrell, right, as the in-show guests for his final show
Mom And Her Botox
As Corden began his opening monologue, he thanked his fans for tuning in after eight years on the air.
‘This is it gang, this is it,’ he said. ‘This is the final Late Late Show in the history of CBS, and tonight, finally, we are determined to get it right.’
The British performer introduced his emotional parents during the segment, where he joked with his mom about her Botox.
‘Are you okay mom, dad are you holding it together?’ he asked, before his mom wiped away a tear as she responded: ‘Until you asked me to give you a kiss before we came on, and then I was gone.’
‘I didn’t even know you could move your face like that, since all of your Botox,’ he added.
Corden introduced his parents during his final opening monologue
President Joe Biden
In a surprising turn, US President Joe Biden made an appearance over video to praise Corden for his eight-year stint on late-night TV.
‘James, congratulations on an incredible run,’ said Biden, as Corden put his head in his hands.
He added: ‘1200 shows in eight years, but after a day spent working for me at the White House, I am surprised you lasted eight years in any job.’
Late-Night Rivals
Corden was then joined by several TV legends in a striking sketch featuring other late-night talk show hosts.
Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers woke Corden up in the comedy skit to joke about his retirement, despite most being on other networks.
‘We’re here to tell you, you can’t just leave a talk show,’ said Meyers.
‘Hosting a network late-night show makes you part of a very exclusive club – and if we are going to let you leave, we need to know you will keep our sacred secrets… we don’t watch every episode of TV or movie that our guests are on,’ added Kimmell.
Tom Cruise And Music
The show also included a surprising musical number featuring Tom Cruise, where the actor donned a warthog outfit in a rendition of Lion King.
In a performance of ‘Hakuna Matata’, the Top Gun star joined Corden as they sang for the cheering crowd.
The landmark episode moved on to Corden’s main in-show guests, where Will Ferrell and Harry Styles joined him on the couch.
During his entrance, Ferrell hilariously jogged onto the stage with a sledgehammer before smashing Corden’s desk into pieces.
‘Bless you both, I am so grateful,’ said the host. ‘It means the world to me that you’re both here, two people I love and adore so much.’
The trio then played a final game of the Late Late Show’s ‘Spill your guts’, where Harry Styles sensationally teased a One Direction reunion.
‘I would never say never to that,’ he said.
A Closing Number
Corden wrapped up the show with a heartfelt musical number, where he broke down in tears as he recalled his time on the network.
‘Now the last karaoke’s been carpooled, and we all came along for the ride,’ he sang. ‘The last spill your guts has been swallowed, and I’m still feeling nauseous inside.
‘And soon I will head home to London, but I’ll sure miss it here in LA.’
He ended in nostalgic fashion with slow-motion snippets of the show through the years, before signing off: ‘Thanks for watching, that’s our show.’