James Corden has emerged as a likely candidate to replace Jeremy Clarkson should he leave Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, GB News has learned.
Clarkson returned to the presenter’s chair earlier this year on ITV in the latest series of the long-running quiz show – a year on from causing controversy with his comments about Meghan Markle.
ITV recorded the episodes before he made the remarks and decided to air them a year on after the channel and Clarkson both had to deny rumours he’d been axed.
Across the pond, meanwhile, as the Clarkson saga was unfolding, Corden was wrapping up his time as The Late, Late Show host in the USA.
Corden’s now returned home – albeit with a few complaints about his new pay packet – and has returned to work in the UK in a new play and on his own new podcast.
With no concrete announcement made about the Millionaire host for the next series, GB News heard from Gambling.com TV betting expert, James Leyfield, about the chances of Corden taking over.
James Corden has ditched the US and returned to the UK
GETTY
After revealing a much-rumoured Gavin and Stacey return was an odds-on possibility, Leyfield said: “If (a Gavin and Stacey return) doesn’t materialise, then James could be an ideal host for a show like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
“While Jeremy Clarkson is currently in the hot seat on the ITV programme, James is just 2/1 to take his place.
“In March 2023, Jeremy and ITV were forced to deny speculation he had been axed from the quiz show after five years, but when he does depart, ITV could have a ready-made replacement in James.
“But following his The Late Late Show stint in the US, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if James took on a similar UK-based show now that he, wife Julia Carey and their three children are living back in England.
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“He is 3/1 with the bookies to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton by landing a new British-based chat show.”
ITV is still yet to officially unveil its plans for the future of WWTBAM, telling GB News earlier this year “we make commissioning decisions on a series-by-series basis and as such we are yet to confirm further commissioning commitments beyond that”.
The channel’s stance came after a senior source at the show’s production company claimed Clarkson had been given the chance to stay on as host.
According to the Mirror, the source said: “Clarkson made a big mistake with his column, but unusually for him, he did apologise wholeheartedly afterwards.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Could James Corden rake over from Jeremy Clarkson soon?
ITV/ABC
“This helped him compared to someone like Piers Morgan who refused to make a U-turn on his comments about Meghan on GMB.
“ITV have been playing a waiting game to see how things look and how people have been reacting to new episodes going out this year of Millionaire with Clarkson.
There has been no huge reaction and so a decision has been made to continue with him in the chair.
“It is a second chance for Clarkson but if he were to overstep the mark again it’s unlikely there will be a third chance.”
Source Agencies
