On September 8, 2014, CBS announced that James Corden would succeed Ferguson as host of The Late Late Show on March 23, 2015. His show, originally slated to premiere on March 9, 2015, CBS pushed back its premiere to March 23, 2015 in December 2014, in order to use the NCAA basketball tournament as a means of promoting Corden's debut, and prevent a situation where two episodes would be pre-empted during the first week of the tournament. Corden's hosting tenure is the first to have a house band (the lack thereof having been a running joke during Craig Ferguson's tenure before him); Reggie Watts serves as the franchise's first bandleader.

In keeping with customs employed on British chat shows, Corden interviews all of the nightly guests at once, opting for a more conversational style. He also eschews sitting behind the set's desk during the interview portion of the show, using it only for comedy bits and direct addresses to the audience. Corden's version of the show also originates from Studio 56 on a set that includes a bar. His segment on 'Carpool Karaoke' where stars sing their songs in cars became highly popular online and clips of the show became viral videos.