James Corden has directly addressed the outcry surrounding a viral video that indicated he does not drive the car in Carpool Karaoke.
Fans were outraged after footage showed Corden and Justin Bieber in a Range Rover, which was being towed along the road as they filmed the popular segment.
Corden dedicated part of his US series The Late Late Show to the debacle, in which he dismissed the claims as “fake news”.
“I know this looks bad,” he said, adding: “But I just want to say right now that I always drive the car unless we’re doing something where we think it might not be safe, like a dance routine or a costume change or if I’m drunk.”
He continued: “In the case of Justin Bieber, it was a safety issue where we thought it would be best to tow the car. Frankly, I kept getting lost in his eyes.”
After sharing a series of headlines regarding the furore, Corden joked: “I’m just shocked I’ve done something that upset people more than Cats.”
He told viewers: “I swear to you, 95 per cent of the time I really am endangering the lives of the world’s biggest pop stars.”
Corden poked fun at the people who expressed their shock by stating: “I hate to be the bearer of even more bad news, but while we’re getting things out in the open, I don’t actually need [the celebrities] to help me get to work – often, I’m at work already.”
Carpool Karaoke, in which Corden drives stars around as they sing their hit songs, has hosted a number of artists including Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters and Cardi B.
