Corden’s shattered – but says he loves it

THE self-confessed workaholic comedian James Corden, presenter of CBS’s Late Late Show and father of two, says that being tired is a privilege.

‘I don’t really care about being tired, because I really like it. I consider it an absolute privilege to be tired.

‘I am so well rewarded — I get to wear expensive clothes,’ says James, 38. ‘I keep meeting people who go: “God, you must be so tired,” and I think, what? It’s not like I’m down the mines! My cousin’s tired — he’s a bricklayer.

‘Also, once you’ve done a play eight times a week — we did 492 One Man: Two Guvnors in 18 months . . . I’ll never be as tired as that in my life. That’s a tiredness I never want to experience again. That hurt my body. My life now is a breeze.’

In 2015, CBS extended Corden’s three-year contract by two years, and upped his pay to £1.5 million a year. ‘They can sack me at any point,’ he said, ‘but I don’t think I can leave.’

Paul O’Grady recalls how he and the late Cilla Black were once mistaken for lovers during a ‘romantic’ trip on the Orient Express. Ex-drag queen O’Grady, who is gay but has a daughter and grandchildren from a youthful liaison, recalls: ‘I took Cilla on the Orient Express for her 60th. The conductor said: “Shall I make up both bunks or shall I put two bunks together?” I said: “I’m not getting in with her!” and she said: “I’m not getting in with him neither!”’