Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show Replacement Is ...

British actor James Corden will replace Craig Ferguson as host of The Late Late Show on CBS next year, part of a complete overhaul of the network's late-night talk show lineup put in motion by the impending retirement of David Letterman. The network says it picked Corden, who won a Tony Award in 2012 for his role in the play One Man, Two Guvnors and appears in the movie Begin Again with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. Corden is also in the upcoming film Into the Woods with Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. He hosts a sports-oriented game show in Britain and also acts in and writes the BBC series The Wrong Mans. "I can't wait to get started, and will do my very best to make a show America will enjoy," Corden says.

Nina Tassler, chairman of CBS Entertainment, calls Corden "a rare entertainment force who combines irresistible charm, warmth, and originality with a diverse range of creative instincts and performance talent." Ferguson has hosted The Late Late Show for 10 years. He said he would be leaving shortly after Letterman announced his retirement and Ferguson was passed over, with Stephen Colbert getting that job sometime next year. Ferguson will leave the show in December, CBS says. Corden's hiring recalls that of the Scottish-born Ferguson, who was relatively unknown in the United States before CBS gave him the job. (Ferguson has a new gig lined up.)