James Corden set to host US late night chat show

James Corden has acted as host of the Brit Awards

Actor and presenter James Corden is to become the presenter of The Late Late Show on US TV, according to reports.

The star is being lined up as the replacement for Scottish-born host Craig Ferguson and will be officially announced shortly, The Wrap says.

The Gavin and Stacey star's previous hosting duties have included four stints at the Brit Awards.

The Wrap's Jeff Sneider said Corden would be capable of competing in the crowded US late night chat show market.

The US reporter, who revealed the news, told BBC Radio 5 live that the choice makes "a lot of sense" for broadcaster CBS.

"He's got a really good personality, a comedy background, can write his own material, is a song and dance man and he's got a lot of heat right now with [the movie] Into The Woods."

Corden is set to star alongside Meryl Streep in the Disney film, which opens in the US on Christmas Day and will go towards making him well known on the other side of the Atlantic.

His strong social media presence, which includes 4.3 million Twitter followers, is also seen a factor working in his favour.

The 35-year-old has already had success on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for One Man, Two Guv'nors - a role he originated on the London stage.

Craig Ferguson took over the Late Late Show hot seat in 2004

Corden's representatives have declined to confirm the news, while CBS have yet to make an official announcement.

Ferguson announced in April this year that he would step down from his role in December.

Corden, whose screen credits include The History Boys and a poorly-received BBC comedy show alongside friend and actor Matthew Horne, is no stranger to chat show hosting.

Fourteen episodes of James Corden's World Cup Live were shown on ITV during the 2010 tournament and attracted a wide range of guests including Russell Brand and Chris Evans.

Sporting stars including tennis player Andy Murray and former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton also featured on the show.

Corden is also the presenter of Sky 1's Bafta-winning sport-based gameshow A League of Their Own, which is due to return for a new series later this month.