James Corden is still planning a massive homecoming when his “Late Late Show” goes to London this week — but it will be under a more watchful eye than previously planned, and audience attendees should expect security lines to be longer.
Tuesday through Thursday’s episodes will include, as previously planned, Ed Sheeran doing “Carpool Karaoke,” a “Mary Poppins” version of “Crosswalk: The Musical” and Jennifer Hudson doing “Drop the Mic.” But after the suicide bombing that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert last month and seven murdered in a London Bridge assault over the weekend, safety will be of paramount concern.
“We always have a lot of security for any of our shows,” executive producer Rob Crabbe told TheWrap on Monday. “For obvious reasons, the City of London stepped up its security — and we’re in Westminster, so security is more present.”
Added executive producer Ben Winston: “We’re in touch with the local police, we’re in touch with the local security services and we’re taking all the precautions we need to to make sure that the sure the show [goes] off without any incident.”
Other guests this week will include Nicole Kidman, David Beckham, Emily Blunt, Tom Cruise and Kit Harington, plus music from Harry Styles and Kings of Leon.
You might think the show’s specific London setting — a Methodist church — could make for a somber tone. But Winston said that won’t be the case, and that the church is “relaxed” about hosting Corden, who has promised to “”stay within the moral boundaries.”
“They don’t want us to disrespect their church, so they wanted to just make sure there’s nothing too lewd or too rude,” Winston said. He added that given Corden’s generally clean humor, the show “had to change nothing.”
The episodes will be recorded at 5 p.m. London time, as opposed to the normal 5 p.m. Pacific Time when the show is in Los Angeles. London is five hours ahead of New York City and eight hours ahead of L.A., which will take Corden a bit out of the domestic news cycle. But it will also give the show more time to shoot, which could be helpful since filming tends to take longer in new surroundings.
The first of three “The Late Late Show” London episodes airs at 12:35 a.m. ET/11:35 p.m. central on Tuesday.