All 4 Late Late Show hosts, ranked from worst to best

The Late Late Show occupies an interesting place in talk show history. It had a lengthy run, from 1995 to 2023, but it's no longer on CBS. It featured some very notable guests, and some viral pop culture moments, but it always seem to get lost in the shuffle when compared to The Tonight Show or its time slot predecessor, The Late Show.

The mixed bag that is the show's legacy extends to its hosts. The Late Late Show had four hosts over the course of its four decade history. Some of them are considered the best to ever do it, while some are among the most reviled talk show hosts in recent memory. This disparity is what made the list so much fun to put together.

Let's dive into the tenured Late Late Show hosts, starting with the very bottom.

4. James Corden (2015-23)

Let's be fair, here. James Corden did concoct some very fun segments like Carpool Karaoke during his tenure on The Late Late Show. It's probably the most famous segment to come out of the show, and it still holds up (the Paul McCartney episode is sublime).

But Corden's more irritating traits became apparent as the years went on. He was willing to make his guests uncomfortable during interviews if it meant getting a laugh, and he infamously failed to name any of the people working the cameras during a crossover interview with Jimmy Kimmel. Corden just rubbed people the wrong way by 2023, and for that very simple reason, he takes the fourth spot.

3. Craig Kilborn (1999-2004)

Craig Kilborn is the rare TV personality to show up on two of these talk show lists. He was the first host of The Daily Show in 1996, but he left that gig to take over The Late Late Show in 1999. Kilborne held down the fort for five, pretty nondescript years.

Nondescript is the best word we can use for him. Kilborn isn't a bad comedian by any means, but he failed to bring the assuredness of the man who proceeded him, and the effortless charisma of the man who succeeded him. As a result, he takes home the bronze medal.

Read More: Every Daily Show host, ranked from worst to best

2. Tom Snyder (1995-99)

Tom Snyder is not a household name the way Johnny Carson or David Letterman is, but he was one of the best late night interviewers around. Snyder is best remembered for his show Tomorrow in the 1970s and 80s, but he proved he still had it when The Late Late Show launched in 1995.

He had a very stoic, old school manner, which will likely make his Late Late Show episodes feel very archaic, but the man knew how to hold down a desk and his audience's attention. Plus, he was a huge influence on the host who eventually took his spot at number one.

1. Craig Ferguson (2005-14)

Craig Ferguson is the most underrated talk show host. Period. The ratings may have not reflected it, but industry legends like Letterman and Larry King regularly gave the Scottish comedian his flowers. Ferguson established rapport with every single one of his guests, and found odd yet hilarious ways to honor talk show formats like the sidekick (which, in his case, was a skeleton robot).

Ferguson had the longest tenure on The Late Late Show, and the countless YouTube accounts and compilations dedicated to his decade long run really speaks to the quality of his shows. He's the gold medalist of this bunch, hands down.