James Corden Reportedly Bombs With NSFW Joke About Legendary British Actress

More so than most late night comedians, former talk show host James Corden has endured a fair amount of scrutiny from critics and fellow celebrities alike. At the recent Breakthrough Prize gala, Corden once again elicited a sharp response from the public at large, thanks in large part to a raunchy joke about the legendary British actress, Dame Judi Dench.

The Breakthrough Prize act as a series of awards dished out for influential advancements made in the fields of mathematics, physics, and life sciences. Since its formation in 2012, the ceremony has famously brought together various Hollywood personalities and leading figures in the scientific community, with past hosts including the likes of Morgan Freeman, Seth MacFarlane, and former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.

This year, the former host of The Late Late Show with James Corden oversaw festivities at the celebration, reprising his role as host from the 2020, 2023, and 2024 awards' ceremonies. This time around, however, the 46-year-old comedian came under fire for an off-color joke about the 90-year-old Dench, triggering a shocked response from celebrities in attendance.

"Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than, of course, that one magical evening where Dr. Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench," Corden told the crowd.

As an uncomfortable silence swept over the audience, the camera panned over to show several stars politely chuckling at the joke, with a visibly stunned Olivia Wilde seen raising her eyebrows at Corden's comments.

This is far from the first time Corden's on-stage behavior has sparked public controversy. At the 2017 amfAR charity fundraiser for HIV/AIDS research, Corden joked about the then recent allegations against Harvey Weinstein, telling the crowd in attendance, "It's been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it's weird."

The remark earned a loud jeer from the audience, prompting Corden to add, "If you don't like that joke, you should probably leave now."