James Corden 'open' to becoming Mayor of London
18 May 2025, 13:21 | Updated: 18 May 2025, 15:43
The British television star is reportedly considering a career in politics, as he revealed his interest in becoming Mayor of London to politicians at the BAFTA Awards.
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Corden told the hosts of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast he was a "regular listener" and "enjoys the cut and thrust of politics", a source at the BAFTA television awards told the Mail on Sunday.
Corden also met former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson and Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby at the glamorous event in London last Sunday.
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The source said there was "talk that he should run for Mayor of London."
"He clearly has a lot of respect for those who put themselves out there and run for office", the source added.
"And it was suggested that he should step into the political arena and stand in the future."
The current Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, is widely expected to leave the position in 2028, meaning Labour will have to look for a new candidate.
Corden is thought to be a Labour supporter, and has previously posted on Twitter criticising Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the party.
I can’t shake the feeling that if @tom_watson had been leader of the Labour Party the outcome of this could’ve all been so different. Jeremy Corbyn has now lost two elections to opposition candidates who could’ve and should’ve been beaten.
— James Corden (@JKCorden) December 12, 2019
Corden, 46, rose to fame playing the much-loved character Smithy in the sitcom Gavin and Stacey, which aired from 2007 to 2010.
He reprised the role in the two reunion special episodes, which aired in 2019 and 2024.
He attended the BAFTAs last week with his Gavin and Stacey co-stars.
Ruth Davidson, who played Nessa in the series, won the award for Best Female Performance in a Comedy.
Corden gained prominence in the United States when he succeeded Craig Ferguson as host of the late-night talk show The Late Late Show in 2015.
Corden and his wife Julia returned to the UK last year and purchased an £11.5 million home in north-west London.
