James Corden made a powerful statement about London for the opening of the first special episode of his chat show, The Late Late Show. The show, which is usually based in the US, will take place in London for three days. Speaking from Westminster, the Gavin and Stacey star delivered a message about the terror attack at London Bridge, and how the horrific incident felt "incredibly close to him."
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Pointing out the rainy weather, he joked: "Good evening everybody and welcome to British summertime." He continued: "We are here in the heart of London now. As I'm sure you know, a few days ago last Saturday night, this city was attacked and it happened about a mile or so that way near London Bridge… But this time it felt incredibly close to home. All of our Late Late Show staff were out in London on Saturday night having a great time and were all staying in a hotel about two minutes away from where the attack took place."
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He then explained why they intended to make the hilarious sketch show in the city. "Now some people might say it’s a strange time to do a variety show from this city," he said. "I couldn't disagree more… We're going to bring you the silliest, stupidest, most fun-packed shows we've ever made for you to celebrate London, and Britain, and everything it has to offer and you know what? The people who carried out that attack they would hate that too. I'm so proud to be broadcasting here, from my hometown. I'm proud to show off its beauty, its adversity and its stoic British determination to not let anybody or nothing stand in our way. This is not a country that feels afraid."
James was praised for his speech
Pointing out the weather once more, he concluded his monologue: "It may be the worst weather in the world, but it's still my favourite city." Fans were quick to praise James, with one saying: "This was so beautifully said. I hope every second of tonight was filled to the brim with happy vibes and smiles and love," while another added: "Such a beautifully worded monologue James, think you have managed to say what the whole country is thinking, thank you!"
