James Corden: last-ever Carpool Karaoke with Adele explained - why is he leaving The Late Late Show

James Corden and Adele were brought to tears as they reunited for one final drive in an emotional Carpool Karaoke before the Gavin and Stacey star leaves The Late Late Show. It had everything viewers could ever have wished for: stunning renditions of iconic songs, incredible stories and plenty of laughter.

The long-running segment of the CBS talks how has become one of the most popular things on television over the years, not just in the United States but worldwide, as it typically involves Corden 'driving to work' with the help of various musicians as they joyfully sing along to a catalogue of tracks.

But for the last time it was different, as instead it was Adele behind the wheel.

What happened in the last Carpool Karaoke?

Recorded ahead of Corden's final-ever episode of The Late Late Show, which is set to air on CBS in the US on Thursday, 27 April, the 16-time Grammy award-winning artist arrived outside James Corden's house as the pair began to reminisce about his time stateside. All of this before Adele thought the best way to wake the host up was by smashing together some cymbals as their last journey commenced.

Looking back at his time on The Late Late Show, James Corden said: "I'm excited and scared in equal measure. I don't know it's been a crazy eight years. In one sense it feels like it's gone like that and in the other I can't really remember what life was like before being here."

The setlist for the last-ever Carpool Karaoke started in familiar fashion for the pair, as Adele and James began their ride with classic song Rolling in the Deep, which was the closing song on their first drive together back in 2016. She then gave a remarkable rendition of Barbra Streisand's Don't Rain On My Parade before admitting her hatred of musicals.

The rest of the featured songs involve Hometown Glory, Love Is A Game and I Drink Wine, which Adele recounted during the journey that she wrote it following an emotional six-hour conversation with James Corden. The pair went on to discuss their close friendship, as well as the hardship both have endured including Adele's divorce with Simon Konecki.

Adele explained: "It was the first year that I felt like I had to hold myself accountable for just being an adult, whereas the year before that, I left Simon and stuff like that, but you and Jules and the kids were so integral in looking after me. It got me thinking, I felt so unsafe with you feeling unsafe because you’ve always been, since I was like 21, you’ve always been like that, and then I went to the studio a couple of weeks later, and I wrote this.

"I remember I sang it into my phone and I sent it to you. And I do remember you saying, ‘That’s exactly how I was feeling.'”

Why is James Cordon leaving The Late Late Show?

Corden announced his departure from The Late Late Show almost exactly a year ago. He took over as host after comedian Craig Ferguson left the show.

The motivation behind the 44-year-old's departure is that he wants to move back home to England to be closer to his friends and family. Corden has been living in the US since 2015 as he started his role on the CBS talk show.

As tears started to flood his eyes during a last-ever Carpool Karaoke, James Corden said from the passenger seat: "I’ll miss everything, I think I underestimated how many friends I’d make doing this, and it’s like a family. So more than anything, I will just miss going into work with my friends every day, and I’m really gonna miss Los Angeles, I love it here.

"It’s been a brilliant adventure. But I’m just so certain that it’s time for us as a family, with people getting older and people that we miss, it’s time to go home.”

From our sister title PeopleWorld: Adele reveals James Corden’s support during difficult times