James Corden explains why leaving The Late Late Show was 'a very easy decision'

James Corden Attends "Mother Goose" The West End Panto Starring Ian McKellen And John Bishop
James Corden Attends "Mother Goose" The West End Panto Starring Ian McKellen And John Bishop / David M. Benett/GettyImages

James Corden, the host of The Late Late Show, who announced his planned exit from the talk show in April, revealed why he made his decision to leave in a Jan. 2 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

"Nothing about leaving the show was to do with not enjoying it," a visibly emotional James told Drew Barrymore. "I love it. But the truth is, it became a very easy decision because I always knew it was an adventure and I never, ever considered it to be the final destination."

James, who took over The Late Late Show from Craig Ferguson in 2015, further explained that he refused to allow his professional life to negatively impact his personal one.

"The choice was to go, ‘Well, if I want to do this other work, that cannot be at the expense of our children, our family,'" he said. "That is really all it comes down to."

James and his wife Julia Carey share son Max, 11, and daughters Carey, 8, and Charlotte, 5.