James Corden

Mathew Horne refuses to appear on James Corden show

Mathew Horne has refused to be interviewed for a programme about James Corden.

James Corden to host Brit Awards for third time

James Corden has said he is "totally privileged" at being asked to present the Brit Awards again.

James Corden reveals the rift with Mathew Horne

James Corden has revealed that he and comedy partner Mathew Horne, who were once inseparable, drifted apart after their sketch show failed drastically.

The makers of A League Of Their Own have got the title spot on. It stands alone, and seems proud to do so, as the crudest, crassest, most depressing programme on TV, although I haven't watched BBC Three recently so stand to be corrected. On last week's show there were jokes - using the term in same sense that Jedward call themselves singers - about giving Arsène Wenger oral sex, giggling about men kissing, Heather Mills having one leg and a comedian shouting "fucking posh fish" at a tank of fish (as opposed to randomly turning on the underwater upper classes).

There is another problem with the show. It's rubbish. Here's a joke from James Corden on what Phil Taylor likes to have for dinner: "Double eggs, treble chips then finish on a double ice cream." "I'm only joking," said Corden, helpfully, at one point. Corden appears to be turning into Ricky Gervais playing James Corden. Maybe the whole thing is a Corden in-joke, The Office of the comedy quiz world. There has to be something to explain its excruciating awfulness.

James Corden used to be in a boyband

James Corden is hiding a hilarious secret. The roly-poly comedian used to be in a boyband called Insatiable.

While its antecedent, They Think It's All Over, managed to show the surprisingly sharp side of sporting figures such as David Gower and Steve Davis, A League Of Their Own merely plays down to expectations. Team captains Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp, though likable enough, aren't terribly interesting, leaving the burden of entertainment on James Corden and his interchangeable support staff of panel-show comics, which, for this fourth series, includes Jack Whitehall, Jason Manford and Lee Mack.

The comedy panel show will be addressing one of the very biggest questions in sport this week: Does Andy Murray have a sense of humour?

As series four begins, the tennis star takes his place on the red team where he shows off his unexpected talent as a rapper and also gets the chance to serve a tennis ball straight at James Corden's head. It's an attempt to recreate a William Tell-style stunt by Roger Federer that's been a massive viral hit on YouTube, so no pressure.

Also feeling the heat this week are panellists Freddie Flintoff, Kevin Bishop and Corden himself. They were given a masterclass in penalties from Matt Le Tissier and then got the chance to do it at Wembley at half time during the Manchester derby ­Community Shield game.

For Scouse comedian Bishop, taking a penalty in front of 80,000 Mancunians is no laughing matter.

A big guest straight off the bat for series four: Andy Murray, taking a break from tantalising losses in Grand Slam semis. In the last series, Tim Henman fired serves at the show's regulars. How can Murray top that? By picking up a microphone to reveal his talent for rapping, backed by regular host James Corden.

The show's also held onto star players John Bishop and Andrew Flintoff, along with Jamie Redknapp and Georgie Thompson. Other guests are comic Jason Manford, and Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier.

Interview: James Corden, author, comedian, actor

"The person I look back on, two-and-a-half years ago, I don't really recognise as me," says 33-year-old James Corden.

Interview: James Corden, actor

An interview with comic actor James Corden.