James Corden’s sexual joke about Dame Judi Dench has been removed from the official broadcast of this year’s Breakthrough Awards, according to reports.
The 46-year-old Late Late Show host made the inappropriate comment at the event in Los Angeles earlier this month, where he joked about the 90-year-old actress having a sexual encounter with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former U.S. chief medical advisor. His remark was met with silence from the audience, and actress Olivia Wilde was seen looking shocked.
Corden reportedly told the star-studded crowd, “Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than of course, that one magical evening where Dr. Fauci had a one night stand with Dame Judi Dench.”
The audience did not respond with laughter, and the camera cut to Wilde, who appeared stunned by the comment. The Mail reported that the joke was later cut from the final broadcast of the awards ceremony, which is available on YouTube. In the edited version, Corden is seen saying, “Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together,” with the controversial remark about Dench removed. He continues, “And Hollywood has come out tonight.”
The event, which honored achievements in science, was attended by other notable figures such as Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lizzo, Kate Hudson, and Mark Zuckerberg.
The Standard has reached out to Corden’s representative for comment.
This is not the first time Corden has faced backlash for controversial jokes. In 2017, he made a crude joke about disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein at the amfAR gala, which also drew criticism. Corden made light of the situation, saying, “It’s been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it’s weird,” which caused discomfort among the audience.
He continued with further jokes about Weinstein’s alleged actions, including, “Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight, although he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”
After the event, Corden issued an apology on social media, clarifying that he did not intend to make light of sexual assault. He wrote, “To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.”
