A new year often sparks new commitments to get fit, and James Corden feels more confident about that annual resolution this time around.
“The Late Late Show” host is heading into 2021 with a plan, a partnership and few candid comments about what prompted him to make a change.
"I’ve realized that every year, for the past decade — probably even 15 years — on January 1st, I’ve told myself and anyone that would listen that, ‘This is it. This is the year, I’m going on a diet. I’m going to lose a load of weight. I’m fed up with the way I look, I’m fed up with being unhealthy, and this is it — this is the year I’m doing it,’” Corden said in a clip for a new WW campaign. “Because of that, over Christmas, I’ve eaten everything that’s in the fridge because in my head in January I’m starting this diet, and it’ll be a success. And as you can see, well, it hasn’t."
On New Year’s Day, the 42-year-old performer announced his partnership with the company, formerly known as Weight Watchers, via video, and he explained that his past cycle of high hopes followed by no results was “starting to get (him) down in a way.”
“I’ve just sort of never been able to stick to anything like that,” he continued. “I’ve spent a long time accepting that this is my body and that’s it. But I really am sick and tired of just doing the same thing every year.”
Corden said that’s why he reached out to WW and asked for help figuring out why his weight loss attempts hadn’t worked.
“They told me that probably what I’m doing wrong is that I’m going on a diet, and that’s probably not the answer,” he recalled.
And so, for him, the first step was to stop fixating on weight and instead follow the company’s “wellness and health and feeling better” focus, which can help those around him, too — including his wife, Julia Carey, and their three children, Max, 9, Carey, 6, and Charlotte, 3.
"I want to change the way that I live,” Corden noted in a WW press release. “I want to be better for my children and for my family. I don't want to wake up tired, or feel embarrassed when I'm chasing my son on the soccer field and out of breath after three minutes. The weight is not the issue, it's the wellness of it I am ready to tackle. I'm going to take this year and work towards getting healthy.”
He added, “If 2020 taught us anything it was that taking care of yourself has to be a priority.”
Corden’s candidness about the topic is key to why WW wanted to work with him.
"James has the distinct ability to inspire people through his vulnerability, his humility and through his humor," Mindy Grossman, WW CEO and president explained in the press release. "We are beyond fortunate to have him as our global partner as he shares his poignant perspective during a time when it's more important than ever to prioritize our health."