There’s a prevailing fan theory that James Corden will reunite One Direction on his last Late Late Show episode

The Late Late Show host James Corden is leaving his much-celebrated hosting gig after eight years, and it’s no secret that he loves music (um hello Carpool Karaoke) and specifically boy bands. Why, even Kpop superstars BTS have even made him an honourary member and gave him the moniker Papa Mochi. That’s some serious clout. 

Now that he’s on his way out, fans of another famous boyband, One Direction, are running with the theory that he’s gonna get the fab five to reunite for his last show, and this theory is literally taking hold of the internet.

The rumour mill began when popular celebrity gossip outlet DeuxMoi posted a blind item from an anonymous source suggesting that 1D would reunite along with who is assumed to be Tom Cruise for Corden’s final show.

Behold the chaos that is the 1D hive. Putting some fact together, like that Louis canceled his Asia tour, and that Harry won’t resume his Love On Tour until May, while Zayn has been active on social media again after a long hiatus, fans believe these facts cannot be a coincidence.

Some fans are truly getting their hopes up…  to the point that they might choose violence if it doesn’t happen. 

However, some fans just cannot believe the hype, and are pointing out all the reasons why it’s a bunk theory.

But should James ever make the leap and actually get the boys back in town, he might have a huge career reason to do so. Remember Cats? Remember that atrocity?! All is forgiven if 1D hit the stage, Corden.

This isn’t the first time the British funnyman has been tasked - nay, ordered - by the internet to reunite Harry, Liam, Niall, Louis, and Zayn. Back in 2020, the internet insisted he KIDNAP the boys and force them reunite on his show in the same manner that he kidnapped the Jonas Brothers previously. James was not having it, and was forced to address the rampant online speculation on his show. 

“As you can see here, I’ve had thousands of comments on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, insisting that I kidnap One Direction,” he said during his monologue. “You know that they’ve appeared willingly on the show before, right?”

“I’m not going to brag, I do have their phone numbers,” he continued, “So maybe you guys are right; it is way easier to determine their respective locations, leave my family, fly to different countries all over the world during a pandemic, kidnap them, and force them to sing ‘Night Changes’ in my car.”

“Put them back together? This is a boy band, not Humpty Dumpty!” he added.

Whether or not One Direction reunites, we know for sure that James’ final show will air April 27, and he recently opened up about his emotions over his impending departure  while appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

“My intention, which I think I’ll fail at dramatically, is to just not be crying for the entire hour, which I think I will be,” the Gavin and Stacey star said.

“So I’m really going to try to keep it together. Our intention is to, you know, go out in the way that we came in and I will miss it hugely.”