James Corden is a British entertainer, best known for hosting The Late Late Show with James Corden and the show’s most popular recurring segment, “Carpool Karaoke.” Given Corden’s down to earth nature, his parents often make appearances on his show and social media, leading many to wonder about James Corden’s parents and who they are outside the show.
James Corden’s parents are Malcolm and Margaret Corden. The cute couple has been married for 47 years, and despite their son’s move to Los Angeles to be a late night host, they still reside in the London area.
Read more below about James Corden’s parents, how they influenced their son at a low point in his career, and why Corden’s fans adore his parents, too.
Malcolm and Margaret
Malcolm Corden was born in 1951 in Staffordshire, England. Malcolm’s father was a big band leader and Malcolm himself was a musician in the Royal Air Force band, before ultimately becoming a Christian book salesman.
Margaret Corden was born in 1952 and became a social worker after graduating. Margaret was raised as a member of the Salvation Army church, which Malcolm joined when the duo met.
The details of their courtship are scarce, but the couple married and had three children, including James Corden.
The family settled in Hazelmere, a suburb of the Buckinghamshire area of England. Though the family struggled financially, Corden’s parents dutifully took him to auditions, even though the youngster was never cast at that time.
Parental Advisory
Despite James Corden’s struggles, Margaret and Malcolm’s support for their son and his career never wavered. When Corden finally found success in the U.K. with the show he co-created, Gavin and Stacey, the fame went to Corden’s head and he began exhibiting high-maintenance, bratty behavior.
Speaking of that time in her son’s life, Margaret said, “You can try and say, ‘Look, James, you’re making a prat of yourself,’ but you can only do so much.” Corden himself agrees that his behavior had gotten out of hand, but he wasn’t sure how to curb it.
In his autobiography, May I Have Your Attention, Please?, Corden described his conduct, writing, “If I was in company and the conversation wasn’t revolving around me, I would just switch off. The person I had become wasn’t the person I had wanted to be. I had drifted so far from my close friends and family that I didn’t know how to pick up the phone and talk to them anymore.”
It ultimately took a very frank heart to heart with Margaret and Malcolm to get Corden back on track. The couple showed up out of the blue and confronted their son about his churlish behavior, concluding with a group prayer and Malcolm telling Corden, “You’ve so much to be thankful for, James. I know it’s been a tricky year, but you can’t carry on like this.”
Corden turned his behavior around and his career took off stateside. Though he had achieved minor fame in Europe, it was when he took over as host of The Late Late Show in 2015 that he rose to international fame. Though Corden was a surprising choice for many, the show scored well in the ratings and Corden became beloved on the late night circuit.
From London to Late Night
One of the reasons so many viewers tune into The Late Late Show is because of the funny segments Corden and his team have created, with the frontrunner being “Carpool Karaoke,” which finds Corden carpooling with a famous musician or singer and performing along the way. However, another beloved segment is when Corden has his parents visit the show and sends them out to major entertainment events and has them report back.
Considered by some to be the show’s secret weapon, Margaret and Malcolm have gone to the Tony Awards, attended the Super Bowl, visited the Grammy Awards and adorably interacted with each other and the major celebrities involved with each event.
You can watch Margaret and Malcolm celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary while running amok backstage at the Grammy Awards.
Though the Corden’s came from humble origins, Margaret and Malcolm clearly influenced their son to become one of the famous late night show hosts on air, not to mention creating a legion of their own fans with their charming appearances on their son’s show.