James Corden

James Corden's World Cup Live. I haven't even seen it yet. To be honest, I'm not sure I need to. James Corden's World Cup song. I haven't heard it yet. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to. James Corden's World Cup Diary, in The Times. I haven't even read it yet. To be honest, I look forward to it like a family funeral.

Why is it that World Cup 2010, regardless of what happens on the field of play, will now always be irrevocably-tainted by Corden's omnipresence? Was his Sport Relief skit at Sports Personality of the Year that good? (No. No it wasn't). Was Gavin and Stacey that good? (No. It was a c-list British Friends. And not even the good series. The ones where it was just a soap opera.) Was Horne and Corden that good? (Ha.)

So why the World Cup ubiquity? No one really knows. The Times column, at least, can be explained. The Thunderer gives out football-writing jobs to comedy dead zones (Giles Smith, Alan Davies, etc.) like Corden increases the profit margins of his local bakeries. (Ha! Have that, Corden, I'm stealing your best material, too). But the rest? "Entertainment" executives are forever trying to re-plough once successful furrows. In their tiny, bean-counting minds, major international football tournament = Euro '96 = Baddiel & Skinner = Fantasy Football = 3 Lions = enough money to buy every Ukrainian woman in Dubai.

Baddiel and Skinner are out of commission, so Corden's their go-to guy. He's funny (to them), he likes football (he's been on Sport Relief and he supports West Ham - which is also like football) and he's available.

So, there it is. Suck it up and deal with it. In 2034 when we're watching repeats of Rooney being sent off in the second round, Lampard missing the crucial penalty against France in the quarter final, and Terry crying so much that he single-handedly irrigates the entire Sahara, it will be Corden's gurning face bookending the clips. There, forever more, like the dog weeing on Jimmy Greaves in Chile, like the stink being wiped off Bobby Moore's hands before meeting the Queen, or Frank Rijkaard's saliva dripping from Rudi Voller's face. Only with less charm.

So enjoy it. Enjoy it all. James Corden's World Cup Come Dine With Me. James Corden's World Cup Big Brother's Little Brother. James Corden's World Cup Derek Acorah's Ghostbusters.

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For this two-hour bonanza in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, Channel 4 recently assembled 24 of Britain's best comedians to perform in front of a live audience at the O2 arena in London. So - deep breath - Jack Dee, Andy Parsons, David Mitchell, Fonejacker, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand, James Corden, Jason Manford, John Bishop, Kevin Bridges, Kevin Eldon, Lee Evans, Mark Watson, Michael McIntyre, Noel Fielding, Patrick Kielty, Rich Hall, Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones, Sean Lock, Catherine Tate and Shappi Khorsandi take turns on stage to make it the biggest live stand-up show in British history. If that's not enough for you, Alan Carr and Bill Bailey perform with Stomp and Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Johnny Depp provide additional sketches.

Now here's a treat for an Easter Monday night; just as you look back fondly on the four-day bank holiday weekend and look forward not too fondly to returning to work tomorrow, Channel 4 have taken it upon themselves to cheer you up. They've skimmed the cream of comedy talent for a gala night dedicated to making us laugh, while raising funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital's Children's Charity. The night will fund two new anaesthetic rooms, allowing parents to stay with their children right up until they enter the operating theatre. Make sure you watch tomorrow's brilliant documentary, Great Ormond Street (9pm BBC2), to get some idea of the astonishing work done at the hospital. The cast of comics is a glittering one: David Mitchell, Bill Bailey, Catherine Tate, Jack Dee, James Corden, Jo Brand, Jonathan Ross and many, many others will perform stand-up routines in front of a capacity crowd at the massive O2 Arena in London. As a nice little bonus, Robert Webb, Ricky Gervais, Derren Brown and Johnny Depp, who can't be there in person, have filmed comic sketches especially for the night.

Channel 4's Comedy Gala, The 02, London

There was a curious mix of something old, something new, something borrowed (such as BBC stars Catherine Tate, Rob Brydon, James Corden and Ruth Jones) and plenty of blue for this mammoth charity gig housed by a venue that was once itself a standing joke when it was the Millennium Dome.