James Corden is reportedly being lined up to “supersede” Ellen DeGeneres and become the new head of the afternoon TV talk show circuit, according to a new report out this weekend.
The 41-year-old Corden currently hosts The Late Late Show, and has rapidly gained popularity over his years at the helm of that late night talk show thanks to his fun and memorable viral-friendly segments including Carpool Karaoke.
Related: Is This The End Of Ellen DeGeneres?!
Corden’s reported consideration to replace Ellen is an eye-opener, though, to say the least. This summer, the 62-year-old comedian and long-time TV legend has found herself battling repeated accusations of a “toxic” workplace environment and other bullying allegations made against her, staff members and producers. Other repeated accusations have held that her “mean” attitude is common knowledge in Hollywood, further damaging her brand and persona in the public eye.
According to sources at NBC, Corden has long been viewed as “the long-term successor” to DeGeneres and her eponymous talk show, even before her controversies started to pile up this year. Now that they have, though, insiders are claiming to The Sun and other outlets that NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy is quickly “lining up” Corden to take over Ellen’s time slot sooner rather than later.
The insider explained more to the British media outlet, saying Ellen’s current controversies have really sped up the likely transition period (below):
“This issue has fast tracked everything and made everyone look at the future today. James Corden was being eyed for Ellen’s job in the long term before any of this came to light. Now this shocking new development places a spotlight on the next step. James and his team have been trailblazers in modern TV, taking the once considered graveyard chat show slot into a cutting edge format with huge online, social media and global recognition.”
Wow!
Now, there’s one little problem: Corden is still under contract with CBS, which currently airs his late night talk show. That contract apparently only runs through 2022, however, so he may not have much time to wait (or be bought out) if things really are serious here.
It’s doubly dramatic to see Corden’s name pop up now because insiders close to the embattled New Orleans native are claiming she may be ready to throw in the towel altogether. One show source spoke to The Daily Mail about it, saying (below):
“She feels she can’t go on and the only way to recover her personal brand from this is to shut down the show … The truth is that she knew what was going on.”
Yikes!!!
At least one Ellen Show head honcho is optimistic about the future, though.
Executive producer Andy Lassner tweeted earlier this week about the future of the show itself, first making an indirect reference to the controversy with a meme about the crazy year that 2020 has been:
Me: I really think 2020 is gonna turn around and start getting better
2020: Lol, I’m gonna make your bed the epicenter
— andy lassner (@andylassner) July 30, 2020
When a fan replied to that post wondering about his future employment, though, Lassner followed it up with his own assurance that the show would remain on the air:
Nobody is going off the air.
And #GoKingsGo— andy lassner (@andylassner) July 30, 2020
Well then. That seems… firm?
Guess we’ll see in time whether Lassner is right or not.
Beyond that, what do U all think of James Corden as a potential replacement for Ellen DeGeneres, Perezcious readers? Whether now or far in the future, would he be a good choice?! Could he really stand to up and replace her right now??
Sound OFF about it with your reaction to ALL this news down in the comments (below)…
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
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