Apple dropped a surprise gift on the doorstep of late-night fans whose holiday spirits might need a lift this season: a brand new “Carpool Karaoke” special.
The unannounced holiday edition of James Corden‘s signature late-night bit dropped Sunday night—marking the first installment of the “Carpool Karaoke” franchise since Carpool Karaoke: The Series wrapped up in June 2023, shortly after Corden left The Late Late Show.
A Carpool Karaoke Christmas features singalong rides with pop megastars Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Chappell Roan.
As was the case with regular episodes of Carpool Karaoke: The Series, Corden isn’t in the driver’s seat for the special, but he does make an appearance.
The special opens with Corden preparing for Christmas in London when he gets three simultaneous Facetime calls from Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, and Lady Gaga asking for rides. Corden calls in a favor from Apple Music host Zane Lowe.
“I’m gonna level with you, Zane,” Corden tells Lowe. “They’re Carpool Karaoke rides.”
“I don’t know, James,” a hesitant Lowe replies. “That’s kind of your thing.”
Following the success of The Late Late Show segment—a staple of the show since its earliest days—Apple launched the Carpool Karaoke: The Series, which paired up two artists for rides rather than keeping Corden at the wheel. The streamer aired 75 episodes of the series between 2017-2023.
Corden continued airing installments of the segment on The Late Late Show until he went off the air in April 2023. His final installment of the bit was a ridealong with Adele that came as a surprise to him.
A Carpool Karaoke Christmas is produced by CBS Studios and Fulwell 73 Productions, with executive producers Corden, Ben Winston and Eric Pankowski. It’s available now on Apple TV+ and Apple Music.
