James Corden

ITV in £6m bid to lure star James Corden

Gavin and Stacey actor James Corden is poised to become ITV's third highest paid star in a £6million, three-year golden handcuffs deal.

This is worth watching for curiosity value alone, as the publicity shy Katie Price and her new husband, former cross-dressing cage fighter Alex Reid, pitch up on Alan Carr's couch for their first TV interview as a married couple. Obviously they have much to plug, including Price's "latest novel" Paradise. "Latest novel" is a shocking phrase when you consider that as this is her latest novel, there must have been others. Also appearing are James Corden, who will bore on about the World Cup, and Latino cutie Enrique Iglesias.

Dizzee and Corden's World Cup Shout tops chart again

Rapper Dizzee Rascal and comedian James Corden have topped the charts for a second week with their unofficial World Cup anthem Shout.

At some point in the recent past, James Corden decided to combine being a fine actor with an alternative career as TV's new King of Blokes. James Corden's World Cup Live is one of the consequences.

Borrowing flagrantly from the formats of countless shows before it - Sky's Soccer AM, TGI Friday and Baddiel and Skinner being the most obvious - James Corden's World Cup Live is a blend of comedy, chat and banter performed before a braying studio audience that has been as ruthlessly drilled as the Arsenal offside trap under George Graham. (Soccer-phobic readers: rest assured that this is my last torturous football analogy.)

"A good point!" pronounced James Corden on England's one-all draw in their opening World Cup match against the USA. Either Corden hadn't watched the same toothless, largely clueless, and hilariously calamitous performance I'd endured, or he had a live party to host in its aftermath and wasn't going to let dour reality intrude on the festivities.

In an eclectic choice of guests for the opening show, the sofa was shared by Simon Cowell, who needs no introduction, and Katy Perry, who soon will, should Russell Brand dump her as his fiancee.

Had England beaten the USA I'm sure Katy's combination of kookiness and volume would have charmed the watching nation, but as things stood, her presence was overwhelmingly irritating and pointless.

She was, however, preferable to the intolerably smug Cowell, there to plug his World Cup single. "I'm going to get it played in the England dressing room at half time" he boasted. As if the team didn't have enough to worry about.

But the show sinks or swims on the abilities of its star. Quick-witted and affable, Corden performed heroics in keeping up the show's momentum through its modest 20-minute duration. James Corden's World Cup Live could yet prove good fun, it just needs to loosen up and relax into its run - a bit like the England football team, in fact.

James Corden: Abbey Clancy is queen of the wags

Abbey Clancey is Queen of the football WAGs, according to her World Cup Live co-host James Corden.

Dizzee Rascal and James Corden score World Cup hit

Rapper Dizzee Rascal and comedian James Corden have gone to the top of the UK singles chart with their unofficial World Cup anthem, Shout.

This is billed as an "alternative reaction" to the World Cup, though some might feel that there has been precious little alternative to James Corden recently (he's even in tonight's Doctor Who!), and that he's perhaps delighted us long enough for the time being. For those who can't get enough of the big man, however, he will be straight on after every ITV big match, joined by family, friends, celebrities and a human world cup wall chart. Those whose tastes for this sort of thing run no further than Baddiel and Skinner can nowadays find them on podcast.

James Corden & Patrick Stewart: A very unedifying spat

Several hours after his very public spat with Star Trek legend Sir Patrick Stewart on the podium of the Glamour awards, James Corden was still brooding. Corden admitted to one friend that he was 'worried' about how the whole thing would be perceived.

James Corden's World Cup Live: The Aftermath

These half hour 'celebrations of football' will not be presented by Charlie Brooker and David Mitchell but the distinctively less amusing James Corden and Abbey Clancy.

Steady On James

Had enough of James Corden? Then you are probably not alone and you won't be tuning in to ITV's post-match coverage during the World Cup.