James Cordon took time at the start of Monday’s episode of ‘The Late Late Show’ to acknowledge a recent controversy involving his now overturned ban on New York restaurant Balthazar, offering an apology for the ‘rude comment’ he made to company servers. Corden said he made the comment “in the heat of the moment” after his table accidentally served a dish to which his wife allegedly had an allergic reaction.
“I didn’t yell or yell. I did not get up from my seat. I did not insult anyone or use derogatory language. I walked around thinking I had done nothing wrong, right? But the truth is I have. I made a rude comment and it was wrong,” Corden said. “It was a useless comment. It was unpleasant for the server.
Balthazar owner Keith McNally first publicly banned Corden from his business last week, posting a statement on Instagram that said alleged two separate incidents of rude behavior by the late night host. But McNally overturned the ban after a phone call with Corden in which the comedian “profusely apologized”.
“I called him straight away and told him how upset I was that someone was hurt by everything I said. We had a good chat. He appreciated the call. Corden said in his monologue. “I was glad we got to clear the air and felt like we treated it privately. But at that point the story was out there.” People were upset.”
Corden also praised Balthazar — “Love it there, the food, the vibe, the service” — and explained why he’s been slow to publicly comment on the situation.
“Whenever these kinds of moments come my way, I like to have a pretty British attitude,” Corden said. “Never complain, never justify yourself. That’s really my motto. But as my dad pointed out to me on Saturday, he said, ‘Son, you complained. So you might have to Listen, when you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility for it.
Corden also expressed hope that he would be back at Balthazar when he visited New York, so he could apologize in person.
Monday night’s broadcast of “The Late Late Show” represents the first after a brief hiatus from the late-night series. In a interview last week, Corden said he intended to address the controversy over the evening’s schedule.
