James Corden is setting the record straight about tabloid reports last month that he was set to replace Ellen DeGeneres on her daytime talk show.
"Genuinely, I have no idea where that even came from. I think it was somebody started a rumor somewhere and someone jumped on the thing," the "Late Late Show" host told musician Alicia Keys during a "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" segment on Wednesday's episode of his show.
"There is absolutely no truth in that story at all, zero," Corden, 42, said, adding that replacing DeGeneres would be a terrible idea.
"As far as considering it, I think it would be a really crazy thing to take over from someone who I think has done the job so outrageously well for, like, 18 years."
Corden said the day that he decides to stop hosting "The Late Late Show" will be "the day to probably stop hosting a show every day."
Corden's statement came just two days after DeGeneres, 62, returned to hosting "Ellen" following a summer break filled with news reports describing the show's set as a toxic workplace. After the reports surfaced, Warner Media conducted an internal investigation that led to the departures of three of the show's executive producers.
DeGeneres addressed the controversy in the opening monologue of her season 18 premiere Monday and said she takes responsibility for the behind-the-scenes behavior of her staff.
"As you may have heard, there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation," said the host. "I learned that things happened here that never should've happened. I take that very seriously, and I want to say that I'm so sorry to the people who were affected.
"I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.
"We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace and what we want for the future. We have made the necessary changes and today we are starting a new chapter."
DeGeneres also spoke about the online backlash that claimed her TV persona of promoting kindness is not how she acts when cameras are turned off.
"There also were articles in the press and on social media that said that I am not who I appear to be on TV because I became known as the 'be-kind lady,'" DeGeneres said in her monologue.
"The truth is I am that person that you see on TV," she said. "I also am a lot of other things. Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient, and I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress."
DeGeneres reminded viewers that before she was a talk show host, she was an actress.
"But I don't think that I'm that good (of an actress) that I could come out here every day for 17 years and fool you," she said. "This is me, and my intention is to always be the best person I can be. And if I've ever let someone down, if I've ever hurt their feelings, I am so sorry for that."