James Corden has spoken out about being "fat-shamed" during his brief stint on Hollyoaks in 2000, years before he rose to fame.
The Gavin & Stacey star revealed he refused to film a scene on the Channel 4 soap that he found humilating.
For one episode, the plus size actor played school caretaker Wayne, whose bedroom was initially decorated with photos of junk food.
James, 41, took issue with the posters and refused to continue filming until they were removed.
He told The New Yorker: "I thought that they were just really being nasty about anyone that's overweight.
"I remember saying to the guy: 'I don't know one person who would take a picture of a hot dog and a burger and stick them on the wall'.''
His stint on Hollyoaks came seven years before he would land his big break when he wrote and starred in Gavin & Stacey, which recently won the Impact Award at the NTAs.
James also slammed Hollyoaks in 2009 during an interview with The Telegraph, calling it "hell on earth".
'It was a horrible place to work," he said.
"I'm sure it has changed a lot now but I was there a long, long time ago and I hated it."
He continued: "No-one cared about making TV they just cared about other things and that's not how I particularly like to work.
"There is not a huge amount of care or love that went into to making the show.
"It was a bit like a prison. There is a lack of aspiration and no-one wants to make it as good as they can."
MirrorOnline has reached out to a rep for Hollyoaks for comment.
Dad-of-three James also told The New Yorker he sought therapy after fame turned him into "a d**khead".
“It’s so intoxicating, that first flush of fame. And I think it’s even more intoxicating if you’re not bred for it,” he told the publication.
“I started to behave like a brat,” James continued.
The turning point came during the 2008 BAFTAs, where, he brazenly said he should have got three TV Baftas, instead two.
It led his co-workers to confront the rising star on his behaviour, especially when his partying became a little too much.
Actor Rob Brydon, who played Uncle Bryn in Gavin & Stacey, was forced to step in, who told his friend outright that his behaviour had to change.
“Look, this is a bit awkward to say, but I’m just hearing these things about you, and you’ve got to know that the way you behave has an effect on people,” Rob told the star.
James opted for therapy as a way to get through the difficult moment in his career, and eventually forced himself to stay at home during the evenings to curb his partying ways.
James has since turned his life around and recently celebrated the triumphant return of Gavin & Stacey for the successful Christmas special in 2019.
