James Corden is back after midnight tonight, and he’s launching his new FOX late-night series with a guest who was there at the very start of his first one.
Three years after signing off from CBS’ The Late Late Show, Corden launches FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden tonight with Mila Kunis as his debut guest. Kunis was a guest on Corden’s very first Late Late Show in March 2015 and went on to make eight appearances on the CBS show.
After Hours is a 24-episode pop-up series tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to air live on FOX at midnight ET. Corden will be joined in studio by former England national team captain Rio Ferdinand and comedian Ian Karmel, Corden’s former Late Late Show head writer and sidekick.
Little has been revealed about the show beyond FOX’s promise of a “fun, high-energy and comedic celebration” of the tournament, built around Corden’s lifelong soccer fandom. The network has said the show will spotlight the day’s biggest World Cup moments and storylines while also making room for surprise appearances from figures in pop culture and the game itself.
FOX shared a short clip this afternoon of Corden dropping in on the U.S. team at their training facility:
After Hours reunites Corden with several key members of his former late-night team. In addition to Karmel, the show’s executive producers include Ben Winston, James Longman, Gabe Turner, and Eric Pankowski, all of whom have ties to Corden’s CBS run.
The new series arrives as late night continues to experiment beyond the traditional desk-and-band format. Last year, ESPN tried its own sports-late-night hybrid with Jason Kelce’s They Call It Late Night, a limited-run series built around the NFL playoffs. But FOX’s version has a different advantage: rather than asking an athlete to host a late-night show, it puts an established late-night performer at the center of a live sporting event already built to generate conversation.
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Here’s What We Know About James Corden’s Late-Night TV Return
can’t wait!