That’s what friends are for! As James Corden headed into his last week of hosting The Late, Late Show, there was no way he was going to be able to say goodbye properly without hosting one last Carpool Karaoke, the Internet smash segment that became a sensation for fans and musicians alike. While he’s hosted many musical greats over the years, it’s commonly agreed upon that Adele‘s ride is the most famous — and as his close friend, she came back to the show for another to close out his show.
The segment starts with Adele sneaking into James’ home to wake him up before work in the most obnoxious/hilarious way possible: smashing symbols right next to his ear! After getting him out of bed and into the car, Adele offers to drive him to work — an offer he quickly regrets as she almost hits another car just as she pulls out of the driveway!
Once she’s cruising, however, all seems right with the world, and the two get down to the business of singing! They start things off with a little “Rolling in the Deep,” arguably Adele’s first massive hit, and what makes this version so iconic is that she sings the HARMONY for James as he hits the high notes! Next, they burst into her power ballad “Love is A Game” from her latest album, 30, while reminiscing about the legacy of Carpool Karaoke. James relives the first carpool with Mariah Carey, where she said she wouldn’t sing, and also the unforgettable time Stevie Wonder sang their wedding song on speakerphone to his wife. All of these moments were ‘life-changing’ for him, but James admits that his video with Adele catapulted his funny idea into a massive success.
It’s clear just how close the two are halfway through the ride, as Adele actually breaks down in tears talking about their friendship. She admits that the song “I Drink Wine” was written after the pair shared a six-hour conversation about their feelings about fame, life, and family, as they were apparently going through similar struggles at the time. Adele’s 2021 album, 30, dealt with these struggles, especially the pain of going through her divorce from her husband, Simon Konecki, and trying to explain the breakup to their young son, Angelo.
Through his own tears, James admits he was “floored” by how she “captured I was feeling about myself and life and just put it in a verse,” and called being a part of the journey of the song “Greatest privilege.”
But it wouldn’t be a carpool karaoke without singing a cover song. Adele very famously knew all the words to Nicki Minaj‘s “Monster” when she first appeared, but after proclaiming she would never ‘EGOT’ because she “f*cking hates musicals,” she perfectly belts out a flawless rendition of Barbra Streisand‘s “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl. (And on Babs’ birthday too! Bless!)
At the end of the ride and his final Carpool Karaoke, James reflected on ending this chapter of his life and career. “I’ll miss everything,” he said of his departure from The Late Late Show. “I’ve underestimated how many friends I’ve made. I’ll miss going to work with my friends every day. I’m just so certain it’s time for us as a family; it’s time to go home.” James and his wife, Julia Carey, plan to take their three children back to the U.K.
James announced his exit from The Late Late Show in on Apr. 2022. “I’ve decided to sign on for one more year on the show and that this will be my last year hosting,” he said. ” “When I started this journey, it was always going to be just that. It was going to be a journey, an adventure. I never saw it as my final destination, you know? … I really think in a year from now, that will be a good time to move on and see what else might be out there.”
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