News | Entertainment
26 Jan 2026 18:11
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    James Corden broke down in tears as he discussed racism on 'The Late, Late Show'

    The 41-year-old presenter grew emotional and admitted he wished he could "put [his] arm around" his bandleader Reggie Watts after the musician reflected on his own experiences


    Reggie said: "I was fortunate to grow up in a place where I was pretty protected by my parents when it came to forms of racism that happened in my neighbourhood.

    "My mom was a fierce fighter and would get out of the house and get in people's faces about, you know, people calling me the N-word or whatever growing up and being different and stuff. So I feel really grateful that my parents and my father fought so hard to make my life feel normal and to have me grow up feeling like I'm a human being rather than I'm a demographic."

    "And just going back in my history, my father growing up in the Midwest and being in Vietnam and not being able to get a job when he got out of the Army because he was black.

    "And the economy wasn't doing that well and he had to reenlist, got sent back to Vietnam. And then when my parents got married their marriage wasn't recognised in the US because of laws prohibiting interracial marriage."

    Growing tearful, Reggie said: "I have this history in the black community in the Midwest that I don't access a lot because there's a lot of pain and emotion there.

    "So it's hard and so much is happening. And I want to use my platform for good. I go in and out, you know

    Wiping away tears, James replied: "I'm so sorry that you're feeling this. I would give anything to be in a room with you and put my arm around. I would so much, I would give anything to be able to put my arm around you."

    The British presenter admitted he had been "struggling" to know what to say about the civil unrest in the US in the wake of the death of George Floyd - who passed away after a police officer knelt on his neck to restrain him - but offered support and called for change.

    He said: "Who needs my opinion? Surely, this is a time for me to listen, not talk.

    "And then I realise that that's part of the problem. People like me have to speak up.

    "To be clear, I'm not talking about late-night hosts, or people who are fortunate like I am to have to have a platform. I'm talking about white people.

    "White people cannot just say anymore, 'Yeah, I'm not racist.' And think that that's enough, because it's not.

    "It's not enough, because make no mistake, this is our problem to solve. How can the black community dismantle a problem that they didn't create?"

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     26 Jan: Jesy Nelson has made a tearful plea to the UK's Health Secretary after her daughters were diagnosed with SMA
     26 Jan: Billie Eilish hit out at ICE as she received an award for her environmental advocacy
     26 Jan: Rebecca Loos is pleased Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is "standing up for himself"
     26 Jan: Claire Foy has likened starring in The Crown to being in a "blockbuster film"
     26 Jan: Timothy Busfield has been edited out of the movie You Deserve Each Other in the wake of his child sex abuse charges
     26 Jan: Jodie Foster still has scars after being "mauled by a lion" as a child
     26 Jan: Billy Bob Thornton has rubbished claims that he is leaving Landman
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    New Zealand Rugby insists it won't have to work to lure back the coaches it wants to apply for the vacant All Blacks role More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East More...



     Today's News

    Rugby:
    New Zealand Rugby insists it won't have to work to lure back the coaches it wants to apply for the vacant All Blacks role 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Jesy Nelson has made a tearful plea to the UK's Health Secretary after her daughters were diagnosed with SMA 18:01

    Entertainment:
    Billie Eilish hit out at ICE as she received an award for her environmental advocacy 17:31

    Politics:
    Labour's firmly rejecting Te Pati Maori's campaign policy - to abolish prisons and replace them with community community-led solutions by 2040 17:27

    Politics:
    Jules Radich is being remembered for his fight for Dunedin's new hospital 17:27

    Cricket:
    New Zealand batter Mark Chapman is in awe of India's ability to swing the willow in their T20 cricket series, which doubles as their World Cup build-up 17:07

    Entertainment:
    Rebecca Loos is pleased Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is "standing up for himself" 17:01

    Cricket:
    The Auckland Hearts have qualified for the women's elimination final of cricket's Super Smash 16:57

    Entertainment:
    Claire Foy has likened starring in The Crown to being in a "blockbuster film" 16:31

    Environment:
    No certainty New Zealand's summer will improve in coming months 16:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd