James Corden appears to have been embraced by the nation once more as the Gavin and Stacey finale has proved a huge hit with viewers.
The last ever episode of the show – which came five years after the most recent Christmas special – pulled in a massive 12.5 million viewers for the BBC.
The show was the brainchild of James and co-star Ruth Jones who penned the finale in secret earlier this year.
It marks a change of fortune for the comedian as stories have swirled for quite a while that he was unpopular in the UK entertainment industry.
James moved back to Britain earlier this year following an eight-year stint in the US hosting The Late Show with James Corden on CBS.
There have been no public announcements of projects in the pipeline, except for a role voicing a character in next summer’s animated The Smurfs Movie.
James Corden appears to have been embraced by the nation once more as the Gavin and Stacey finale has proved a huge hit with viewers
The last ever episode of the show – which came five years after the most recent Christmas special – pulled in a massive 12.5 million viewers for the BBC
And sources have said he has also been reluctant to replicate his Stateside career and front a chat-show here – because it’s ‘too much work’.
Indeed, if it wasn’t for the Gavin and Stacey finale – his big British comeback would almost certainly have been something of a damp squib, insiders say.
According to the Mail On Sunday, bringing back the show that made his name was one of the only things he could do that is guaranteed not only to be a hit but to catapult him back into the limelight.
A source said: ‘There was a huge expectation that James was going to get a big deal somewhere. He didn’t want the daily grind of doing a nightly show as it is a lot of work and is exhausting, but there was talk of some big projects.
‘Nothing materialised apart from an impressive, yet short, stint at a London theatre, which has been baffling for the television industry.
‘You have to wonder why. James loves the limelight, he loves being the centre of attention, but this was simply not happening.
‘But then bang, out of the blue, Gavin & Stacey is back and James is back on the radar.’
The move seems to have worked as fans and critics alike adored the episode, which saw James’ Smithy and Ruth’s Nessa finally tie the knot after her proposal went disastrously wrong five years ago.
The show was the brainchild of James and co-star Ruth Jones who penned the finale in secret earlier this year
The episode saw Ruth’s Nessa and James’ Smithy finally get married
James moved back to Britain earlier this year following an eight-year stint in the US hosting The Late Show with James Corden on CBS
If it wasn’t for the Gavin and Stacey finale – his big British comeback would almost certainly have been something of a damp squib, insiders say
It comes after the former chat show host found himself at the centre of controversies over the last few years.
In 2022, James hit headlines after he was branded a ‘tiny cretin of a man’ and banned by the furious owner of iconic New York Balthazar restaurant – who claims he was the ‘most abusive customer ever.‘
McNally, who has a colorful history of booting out celebrities of his exclusive restaurants, claimed that James also behaved similarly at his former restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg, on several occasions and left one server ‘shaken’.
The furious owner said that he ’86’d’ the star – which means you have been banned – and claimed Corden found a hair in his main course when dining there in June, before demanding free drinks for the mistake.
In a second incident McNally claimed that Corden was dining with his wife, Julia Carey, at the eatery on October 9 for brunch.
He said that James asked for a table outside, and Julia ordered an egg yolk omelet with a salad.
The couple complained to the server that there was ‘a little bit of egg white mixed with the egg yolk’ and sent the dish back.
McNally added: ‘The kitchen remade the dish but unfortunately sent it with home fries instead of salad.
In 2022, James hit headlines after he was branded a ‘tiny cretin of a man’ and banned by the furious owner of iconic New York Balthazar restaurant
‘That’s when James Corden began yelling like crazy to the server: ‘You can’t do your job! You can’t do your job! Maybe I should go into the kitchen and cook the omelet myself!’
James later called the manager of the restaurant and apologised ‘profusely’ and was ‘given a second chance’.
The comedian is well known for his provocative and at times strange behavior.
In 2017, as the Harvey Weinstein scandal was just being published, James made fun of the rapist’s victims.
‘It has been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water,’ he told a gala in New York City.
‘Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it’s weird watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water.’
He later apologised, tweeting: ‘To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.’
At the end of 2019, he ridiculed the technical team behind the film Cats, in which he starred.
‘I haven’t seen it, I’ve heard it’s terrible,’ he told a British radio show, and then told the Oscars audience while presenting an award: ‘As cast members of the motion picture Cats, nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects.’
In September 2021, while promoting his film Cinderella, he dressed as a mouse and danced in a road, thrusting his groin at bemused drivers.
James was accompanied by Camila Cabello, who plays the lead role, and Billy Porter, as a character called Fab G.
James was branded as ungracious and arrogant following his behaviour at the 2008 Baftas where he moaned about Gavin and Stacey not being nominated for Best Comedy
In an interview with the New Yorker in 2020, James admitted fame went to his head thanks to the huge success of the show
At one point James seemed to take a drag on what looked like a spliff, before dancing some more.
In July 2022, he was knocked off his bicycle in London by a fellow cyclist, who swerved in front of him on busy Regent’s Street, nearly pushing Corden into a car.
The comedian was furious, and loudly berated the young bike ride who cut him up.
James was branded as ungracious and arrogant following his behaviour at the 2008 Baftas where he moaned about Gavin and Stacey not being nominated for Best Comedy.
He said: ‘How can what is apparently the best comedy performance and the television programme of the year not even be nominated as a comedy?’
In an interview with the New Yorker in 2020, James admitted fame went to his head thanks to the huge success of the show.
He said: I started to behave like a brat that I just don’t think I am. It’s so intoxicating, that first flush of fame. And I think it’s even more intoxicating if you’re not bred for it.’
James said his parents Margaret and Malcolm ‘prayed’ for him and even Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydron who plays Uncle Bryn intervened.
He told his co-star: ‘I said, ‘Look, this is a bit awkward to say, but I’m just hearing these things about you, and you’ve got to know that the way you behave has an effect on people.’
