Yes, He’s Really Driving!
Did you ever wonder who is managing the steering? Because we did, and surprisingly, James is actually driving! The host makes sure to take the easiest routes and to drive at a slow and steady 20 miles per hour.
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Thank You George
The late great George Michael is actually to thank for the show becoming a regular segment on James’s late night talk show. In 2011, Michael and Corden recorded a comedic skit for the U.K.’s Comic Relief charity event. The pair had so much fun filming the segment that James was inspired to make the segment a regular series. And so, carpool karaoke came to be!
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It’s Getting Hot in Here
According to one of the famous Jonas brothers, Nick, filming the segment can get pretty heated. The sound made by the air conditioner would be heard on the video footage, so the singing celebs are forced to brave the heat. He made a memorable appearance on the show with Demi Lovato.
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Always a Fan
Corden has shared that he only invites his favorite singers to appear on the show. If he’s not a genuine fan of the featured star, the comedian will refuse to film the segment. “Otherwise what’s the point?” he was quoted saying in a recent magazine interview. “I feel lucky to spend any time with these people.”
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Get in Line
The show’s producers are sure to take some extra safety measures to ensure filming runs smoothly. James’s car is actually part of a large convoy. There are two cars driving ahead of him and three cars behind him who ensure that other drivers don’t interfere with filming.
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Diva Troubles
Mariah Carey is well known for her diva behavior. The legendary pop star almost ruined the very first episode of the series. She reportedly showed up to filming and refused to sing, claiming she had had a long night beforehand. After many hours of back and forth with James and the show’s producers, Carey finally relented and agreed to sing.
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Celeb Favorite
Adele appeared in one of segment’s most popular episodes. The sensational superstar enjoyed her time in the passenger seat so much that she spent three hours in the car with the talk show host. Adele’s appearance has racked up a whopping 142 million views.
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A Lyric Genius
Impressively, James supposedly does no preparation for each episode. The comedian is a whizz with remembering lyrics. “I have an odd kind of autism,” he said. “There’s this odd thing in my brain where I remember songs. I’ve always sort of just been able to and it’s never really a matter of brushing up. If I wasn’t a huge fan of the person we wouldn’t be doing it.”
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A Slow Start
Back in 2015, when James first conceptualized the segment, he initially had a hard time convincing get A-list celebs to get involved. Apparently, Corden was refused by every single star he first approached. “If you imagine an artist — just think of any artist in the world — they said no to it. I mean, everyone. I’m talking, like, who’s the dudes who did Cotton Eye Joe? We were in those sorts of territories. And they’re like, ‘I’m not doing that’.” Luckily, Mariah Carey ultimately agreed and helped to launch the now-viral series.
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On the Spot
Christina Aguilera recently shared some revealing behind-the-scenes secrets from her time on the segment. She said that each star has absolutely no idea what they’re in for until they start filming. “It’s all improv. Everything you see us saying and doing in the car, none of that’s rehearsed. We did know what songs we would sing, for the most part, but we hadn’t actually sung them together until we were in James Corden’s car,” she said.
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Carrie Underwood Reveals
Carrie Underwood has a hockey-player kink and is a Wham! fanatic, cowboy vests cost more than our rent and Corden can hold a note longer than a seven-time Grammy winner. Extra points for an always-welcome Dumb & Dumber reference.
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Fun Jason Derulo Facts
Fun fact: Derulo can hit operatic notes even while hungover. He can also give you dabbing lessons in a parking lot and perform an impromptu concert of “Talk Dirty” atop a stranger’s star-tour bus.
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Iggy Iggy Iggy
Not only does Azalea’s carpool session prove to detractors that her rap skills at the very least trump her pitchy singing (sorry, Ig), but the pair’s giddy planning of the rapper’s nuptials (Corden to officiate, Demi Lovato to act as bridesmaid) and subsequent wedding-dress shopping also prove to be downright charming. You have to check this one out.
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One Direction
From dodgeball games to tattoo roulette, Corden is basically the 1D whisperer—here, he gets the usually choreography-averse group to don matching denim shirts and break it down to “No Control.” Bless you, James Corden. This episode is very comical, and proves Corden really can sing.
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The Biebs
Bieb’s Carpool Karaoke was so good, he did it twice. After his fall off the bandwagon, fans fell in love with him again from this episode. Bieb’s first foray on Carpool Karaoke was basically like every middle-school sleepover we ever had—talking about kissing, swapping clothes, wolfing down French fries and wailing to Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road”—but volume two ups the ante, with the twosome going shopping (sequins and snowboards are involved), tackling “shrinkage” and head-banging to Alanis Morissette.
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Rock Legendary
Having the rock legend sing classics like “Maggie May,” shred on air guitar and chat about “shaggin’ and a’ drinkin'” is exciting enough, but throw in an A$AP Rocky cameo in the back seat and now we’re talking.
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Metallica
When asked about the pairing Corden revealed. “This was the best day ever. I was very nervous about it because it’s Metallica and we don’t have a lot of overlap.” But he says that even though he was initially awestruck by the rock stars he knew from growing up seeing them on TV, he soon realized they were a bunch of dads and very sweet.
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First Lady Request
Fans were delighted when the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, made a surprise appearance in one of James’s most popular sketches. According to reports, Michelle’s people actually requested to be featured – a carpool karaoke first. “She had a new initiative called Let Girls Learn and [legendary songwriter] Diane Warren had written a song. They came to us and said they felt the best way to [promote it] was to do a Carpool,” shared James.
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Celeb Walkout
Surprisingly, there was one star who bailed just before filming was scheduled to begin. Bryan Adams was set to be featured in a special 80s-themed segment but once the star learned of the concept, he refused to go through with filming. “Bryan’s walked in, seen the list of other people that have done it, turned around, walked, and got in his car and left,” Corden recently revealed.
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Elusive Kanye
Kanye West is the one star that James has yet to pin down to be featured on the segment. The controversial rapper and fashion designer has been booked to appear twice in the sketch, but cancelled both appearances at the very last minute. James did share that West was apologetic about his cancellations – he even sent James a pair of custom Yeezy sneakers as a sincere sorry.
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Would He Survive?
Of all the singing superstars that have joined James on his way to work, the talk show host has one particular favorite. Corden claims that Bruno Mars was the celeb guest he had the most fun filming with. ”It’s a bit like picking your children, you know what I mean?” jokes Corden, when asked which was his favorite guest appearance. “But in terms of the one I’ve enjoyed doing the most, I think it was probably Bruno. Like, I really, I got a bit depressed afterwards … Because I’d been looking forward to it for so long and I’m such a fan.”
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The Big Bucks
Though Corden is reportedly one of the lowest-paid late night talk show hosts, the popularity of Carpool Karaoke has given the star a much-deserved boost to his salary. In 2017 alone, he reportedly raked in $4 million. As of 2018, his net worth stands at $12 million.
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The Wishlist
There’s one megastar that Corden is absolutely desperate to feature on the show: The incredible Queen Bey. “It would break the internet,” he said of a potential Beyonce feature. “She’s on tour right now. We’re working on it.”
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Award Winner
Few people know that Corden has an impressive background in film and theatre acting. The man of many talents won a prestigious Tony Award for his role as Francis Henshall in the broadway show “One Man, Two Guvnors” which ran from 2011-2012.
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Madonna’s Secrets
Each star who appears on the segment seems to feel pretty comfortable in the passenger seat. With the discreet cameras and intimate setting, many singers have been more than willing to reveal some surprising anecdotes with the talk show host. One of the juiciest revelations came from the Queen of Pop, none other than Madonna. The icon insinuated that she had had a brief fling with Michael Jackson. When asked about the nature of their relationship, Madonna said, “So you want me to kiss and tell then, don’t you?” She then says, “Baby, I’ve been around,” before recalling that she made the first move describing the late Jackson as “a willing accomplice.”
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The Least Popular
Elton John was featured on a special Superbowl episode of the segment. Despite the singer’s decade-spanning, acclaimed pop career, the video is the least viewed sketch of the entire series. Elton’s appearance has only been viewed 14 million times.
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Surprising Skill
The second most-watched episode of the sketch features Corden’s close friend, pop star Justin Bieber. The video has been watched 134 million times. The star showed off one of his most surprising secret talents. Corden handed Bieber a Rubik’s Cube which he managed to solve in under a minute!
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Celeb Texts
Corden has got his guests to do some pretty outrageous things during their memorable ride-alongs. One of the most hilarious celeb moments includes a famous text exchange. Corden hijacked Jennifer Lopez’s phone and proceeded to text Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, saying, “I’m kind of feeling like I need to cut loose. Any suggestions, let me know. J. Lo (you know, from the block).” An unassuming DiCaprio responded with the now infamous response: “You mean tonight, boo boo? Club wise?”
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Behind-the-Scenes Magic
Despite the segment’s relaxed and seemingly effortless atmosphere, there’s actually a huge amount of work that goes into recording each episode. 20 Cameras are used to capture the footage. The cameras are penny-sized to ensure that the host is not distracted by their presence. Each segment is recorded in roughly an hour and then edited down to the most entertaining 15 minutes.
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An Unexpected Fan
Anna Wintour is not exactly known for her warm personality. The notoriously cold Vogue editor surprisingly claims to be one of James Corden’s biggest fans. Wintour said that Corden was her ”favorite comedian” in her Vogue 73 Questions interview. This is definitely one of the most unexpected celeb BFF pairings…
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Hacked Emails
Adele had reportedly verbally confirmed to do the segment at the beginning of 2015 but producers had a hard time believing the superstar would actually show up to filming. After calling her manager, Jonathan Dickens, James said: ‘We said we’d love to do Carpool, and amazingly, they replied, saying, “Okay. December 21, 12:30 at this address. Does this work for you?” ‘I was like, “Oh my God, that can’t be right. Has someone hacked my email?”
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Flood Gates Open
Even top dog television producers can’t keep it together when Adele belts out one of her emotional tracks. One producer, Carly Shackleton, started crying during filming when Adele and James sang the star’s heart-wrenching hit ‘Someone Like You.’ “I turned around, and she’s in floods of tears. Buckets and buckets of tears,’ said James. “Adele just touches those chords.”
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She Didn’t Want To Leave
“She was having a great time, and James was having a great time,” one producer told Vulture magazine about Adele’s record-breaking appearance. “She’s a remarkable woman. She is the biggest star, I would say, in the world right now. But yet she’s the most down-to-earth, lovely girl you could meet. You sometimes wonder if success will change someone, but it wasn’t with her. She’s as wonderful as you would hope she would be.”
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Stevie Wonder Changed It All
Stevie Wonder’s Carpool Karaoke appearance is actually to thank for the show’s popularity. “He was just promoting his tour, and not an album. But then, within 48 hours after he did Carpool, an album he had released in 2002, a greatest hits, went to No. 1 in the U.K and Europe. And it went up in the U.S., too. And the labels and the artists all sat up after that.” According to Corden, a string of A-list celebs were desperate to appear on the series after Wonder’s segment aired.
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Most Memorable Carpool Karaoke
Most recently, Corden was escorted to work by none other than the famous and legendary Beatles member Paul Mccartney. The duo drove around the streets of the musician’s hometown, Liverpool. The city is also the inspiration behind many of the band’s iconic songs. The star even surprised a few unsuspecting locals by appearing from behind a curtain to perform his best hits in one of the city’s pubs. Imagine being serenaded by McCartney over a pint!
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B*itch Im Madonna
In Madonna’s iconic segment, the pop star casually made snarky remarks about James’s choice of shirt. “It’s very Seattle 1990s.” Spilling all about her smooch with Michael Jackson (and giving him chardonnay beforehand to get him to “loosen up”), twerking, sticking her legs out of the window, admitting that she used to have a “perverse” desire to be a nun, everything about Madonna’s car ride was a complete delight.
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How Do They Choose The Best Bits?
Corden has revealed that editing the segments down to just fifteen minutes can be pretty difficult. “I think you’ve got to be sort of strict with yourself, and kill things that you love,” Corden says. “There are always some amazing, amazing bits in there. But we choose what we feel was the best 14, 15 minutes… The best television always leaves you wanting more.”
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Take That Spills The Beans
The famous UK band Take That revealed what it’s like to be in the car in front of the cameras. “It was an amazing experience filming. You don’t realize how much work goes into it. As soon as you get in the car you’ve got 30, 40 cameras pointing at you from different angles. You have to be sitting in a certain position. There’s a crew of about 25 people. You’re in convoy, and you’re driving around LA for almost three hours.”
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Ed Sheeran’s Mad Skills
Ed Sheeran’s episode revealed that the talented musician is willing to take even the most ridiculous challenges. Corden challenged Sheeran to fit as many chocolate Maltesers in their mouths as they possibly could, and somehow Sheeran shoveled 55 into his mouth. We admit, it made us want to try it at home.
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Jane Krakowski Speaks Out
It appears that the segment’s footage is as authentic as it gets. Actress and singer Jane Krakowski said “It’s all improv. Everything you see us saying and doing in the car, none of that’s rehearsed. We hadn’t actually sung them together until we were in James Corden’s car,” she said. So how long did it really take to make the segment? “An hour and a half. Max.”
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They’re Just Real People
Corden owes the success of the segment to its relaxed atmosphere. With the unobtrusive camera set up and James’s easy interviewing style, the featured stars are able to have fun and really open up. James has said that his ultimate goal for the segment is to create a “bubble” where the guests actually forget they’re being filmed. “There’s just a very humanising quality to it, which is all anybody wants to see, really,” he said.