Much-loved British actor, writer and comedian James Corden, who achieved US fame with his ‘Carpool Karaoke’ and as the host of The Late Late Show, shared valuable advice on breaking into the business at a high-profile event supported by Durham University.
Pictured L-R: David Miliband, James Corden with Durham University students Haylie Sims and Shoaib Islam
Corden, who created, wrote and starred in UK smash hit sitcom ‘Gavin and Stacey’, told the packed audience, including Durham University students, to spend time honing their craft if they were to be successful in the arts and creative industries.
Inspiring the next generation
Our Marketing student Haylie Sims, who attended the lecture, said: “James said that one of the things he always tells his son is to spend his spare time honing his creativity.
“At Durham, there are so many opportunities to do the same through things like the annual fashion show, creating social media content, or even planning events for your college as a member of the JCR or GCR!”
The South Shields lecture series
Durham University supported the lecture along with the University of Sunderland and Colmans of South Shields. It was the latest in a series organised by former South Shields MP and Foreign Secretary David Miliband, held in Harton Academy, South Shields and took place on Saturday 25 January 2025.
Previous speakers include former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, actor Patrick Stewart and film producers Sam Mendes and Danny Boyle.
Bringing creativity to North East England
James Corden has been a co-owner in production company Fulwell 73 since 2017, which merged with Spring Hill to form Fulwell Cain in November 2024.
Fulwell Cain will soon base its new northern office in Sunderland with the development of Crown Works Studios, a £450m investment with £25m government investment.
This will make Crown Works one of the largest studios in Europe, with an estimated 20 sound stages by 2028, described as ‘the most economically significant development for the North-East since the arrival of Nissan in the 1980’s’.
‘Gavin and Stacey’ beat its own record to become the biggest Christmas TV special since 2008 with 19.3 million viewers. With 4.2 million of those being viewers aged 16-35, the BBC reported it is the highest young audience for a scripted show since 2002.
Image: David Miliband in conversation with James Corden
Image: David Miliband and James Corden meet attendees including Durham University students and staff
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