James Corden insists no one ever talks about how hard marriage is

James Corden has had a lot of bad press recently. Last week he was forced to eat humble pie after he was accused of copying a joke originally told by comic Ricky Gervais in 2018.

The host was publicly called out following Monday’s edition of The Late Late Show, where he told a gag relating to Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. However fans quickly pointed out it was remarkably similar to one Ricky told in his 2018 stand-up show, Humanity, while Ricky himself tweeted that it was a “word for word” copy.

James later responded to the backlash, saying it was a mistake. “Inadvertently told a brilliant Ricky Gervais joke on the show last night, obviously not knowing it came from him,” he tweeted. “It’s brilliant, because it’s a Ricky Gervais joke.”

In October, he made headlines around the world after the owner of New York restaurant Balthazar called him “extremely nasty”, when he complained about the food and service.

James apologised and admitted he had “made a rude, rude comment” to a waiter. But his critics were quick to point out he really should have better restaurant etiquette – not least because he plays a chef in the new Amazon Prime comedy-drama, Mammals.

James stars as “complex” London chef Jamie Buckingham, a man whose life is blown apart following his wife’s tragic miscarriage – and the discovery that she’s been unfaithful.

Before filming the six-part series, the former Gavin & Stacey star, 44, shadowed a real chef to learn the tricks of the trade and found it to be quite an eye-opener.

“I really loved working with this brilliant chef who actually ran the restaurant that we were filming in,” he says. “I spent some time with him and he was talking to me about how to move in the kitchen.”

If James was expecting to witness expletive ridden meltdowns while slaving over those hot stoves, he wasn’t disappointed. “There was one point where [the chef] said, ‘There’s nothing you can say that’s too insulting to any of the people here. There is nothing you can say,’” he revealed.

“The idea of being politically correct has not reached the kitchens yet, and I found that quite extraordinary and tried my best not to go full Gordon Ramsay!”

While his time in the kitchen didn’t help him avoid his faux-pas, the very fact James’ “ungracious” behaviour made headlines around the world is testament to his level of fame.

His shock decision to quit the talk show earlier this year also caused a stir – and the Amazon drama was the catalyst.

“It just made me think, ‘Oh, maybe there’s something else in me that I might be able to manifest in the right way, and maybe there’s another adventure out there,’” he explains.

“As soon as I took The Late Late Show job, I’ve always known that I wasn’t going to be there forever. I knew that the second I started it. I didn’t think it would be my choice to leave; I thought the show would get cancelled six months in or whatever, as lots of things do.”

Jez Butterworth, the Olivier Award-winning writer, first sent James the script for Mammals in 2019 and the actor was instantly smitten.

“I actually don’t think there’s an actor in the world who wouldn’t be interested and intrigued by anything that’s written by Jez,” he says.

While filming Mammals during lockdown, James decided he was going to call time on his stint as a chat-show host. “I’ve always thought that I was going to leave and yes, the experience of shooting Mammals cemented that for me,” he admits. “I love The Late Late Show.

"But I know that it’s the right thing to do to end it, because we’ll have done 1,200 episodes.”

In Mammals, which begins on 11 November, James stars alongside Melia Kreiling, who plays his glamorous on-screen wife Amandine.

The action starts with them enjoying a last-minute holiday on the south coast ahead of the arrival of their baby. But events take a dark turn when Amandine suffers a miscarriage.

While sharing the tragic news with those closest to him, Jamie discovers his wife’s infidelity and it sends his world into freefall.

“His whole world changes four minutes into the show,” says James. “The rug is ripped from under him. And then that’s it really for the rest of the series.”

Mammals also stars Oscar-nominated British actress Sally Hawkins as Jamie’s sister, who is having her own fair share of marital issues.

James believes TV viewers have never seen the idea of marriage explored so forensically as it is in Mammals. He has been married to his TV producer wife, Julia Carey, for 10 years, but last week she was spotted out running errands in LA without wearing her wedding ring.

“It’s funny with marriage, no one ever really talks about just how hard it is sometimes,” says James, who is dad to Max, 11, Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four. “Like the sacrifice that you and your partner have to make.

"What you’re both trying to do is grow together, knowing that you’re never staying the same. You’re constantly evolving. And if you’re not evolving, then you might as well be dead. You have to be moving and evolving at the same time as someone else.”

On meeting Julia, James said, “I absolutely knew, minute one, that I couldn’t do any better than this. When I met Jules… It’s a miracle. Every day she must just look at me… ‘What did I do? It’s a huge mistake!’”

James swapped High Wycombe for Hollywood in 2015, a move that turned him into a household name. Speaking on Good Morning Britain recently, James said, “I love where we live, I love being in Los Angeles, but we always knew it was an adventure and not a final destination.

"[The UK] is amazing. The things it’s created, the things it’s given the world. I’ve always been very proud to call it home.”

With Mammals, he’s making his first return to the small screen since his Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special back in 2019. And despite the many acting credits to his name – including a Tony Award-winning turn in hit Broadway show One Man, Two Guvnors – he admits he still doubts himself.

“I’ve found every single second of Mammals to be incredibly rewarding,” he says. “I loved it and I feel proud of it. Because every step of the way, you don’t know if this is something you’re capable of, but you hope that you might be.

“All you want to do is keep surprising people. People were surprised when I got the job on the The Late Late Show. They said, ‘Well, you can’t do that.’ That’s the thrill of it.

"We’re not here very long and you want the experience of working with different people and to have new and different experiences.”

So does he enjoy the fame that comes with having such a high profile?

“It’s all just part of the adventure, really,” admits the star. “It’s odd, because I had a moment in my career where people thought I was from Essex, and that I was just like a real lad and they’d buy me pints.

“And then now, sometimes I meet people and they’re ever-so-slightly disappointed if I’m not just completely ‘on’, which you have to be when you’re hosting a show like The Late Late Show. Let’s be honest, it’s all fun and games. That’s all it really is!”

When speaking on GMB, James said of his final talk-show episode, “It’s going to be really emotional. It’s going to be a real thing to draw it to a close. I’m so proud of what we’ve done.”

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