James Corden is being considered to replace Ellen DeGeneres on her eponymous talk show following accusations of bullying against the host, according to numerous reports, per The Independent.
After a Buzzfeed report referenced a number of erstwhile employees who alleged that they had experienced racism, bullying and sexual harassment, the Ellen DeGeneres Show is now undergoing an internal investigation.
According to a source at the series' network NBC, Corden, of The Late Late Show, is the favorite to replace DeGeneres, who detailed that the British star has always been seen as her "long term successor", even prior to the bullying scandal.
"This issue has fast tracked everything and made everyone look at the future today," an insider told The Sun. "James Corden was being eyed for Ellen’s job in the long term before any of this came to light. Now this shocking new development places a spotlight on the next step."
This comes after reports emerged last week that the 62-year-old is considering quitting her show.
Last month, she sent an emotional plea to her employees promising changes to the series, which has been in production since 2013.
"On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ would be a place of happiness - no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” she wrote in an email to staff on Thursday (30th July).
"Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. We all have to be more mindful about the way our words and actions affect others."
She added that she was glad her production team was “finally having conversations about fairness and justice”.
The statement continued that while "not all of the allegations were corroborated", WarnerBros was "disappointed that the primary findings of the investigation indicated some deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management".
