Singer and actress Lily Allen has once again addressed her history with TV host James Corden in a savage two-word put down. The 39-year-old Alright, Still singer described the Gavin and Stacey actor as a “beg friend”, which refers to someone who begs for attention in an effort to become friends.
Speaking on the Miss Me? podcast she hosts with her BFF Miquita Oliver, Lily said she met James on her chat show – Lily Allen and Friends – back in 2008 and he was “very flirtatious” with her.
“Yeah, James Corden was a bit of a beg friend for me,” she shared. “James Corden came on my chat show and was like very flirtatious with me and we sort of made friends and I introduced him to a group of my friends.” She said she didn’t remember all the details as that period of time “was a bit hazy” for her.
James appeared on Lily’s BBC Three show to plug the latest series of Gavin and Stacey, which is returning for a special episode at Christmas, back in 2008 and the pair sparked romance rumours after exchanging some flirty banter.
However Lily later said on Twitter (now X) that “he came on to me in front a studio audience”, continuing, “if I’d have shut him down, I would have been labelled cold or up myself or snobbish”.
Later, James wrote in his 2012 autobiography May I Have Your Attention Please? that he once made it his aim to “make Lily mine”.
Recalling the occasion he thought his wish might come true after he and Lily enjoyed a night out together with other friends in London. Describing the moment it dawned on him that there “was no me and Lily”, he wrote: “At the landing there was a bedroom on our right and Lily pushed open the door. My heart was pounding. Lily looked deep into my eyes. ‘You can sleep in there’, she said, pointing to the room opposite, then pecked me on the cheek. ‘Night, night’.
“Never have I felt such a douchebag. Who was I trying to kid?”
Elaborating further on her own memories of how it all went down, mum-of-two Lily told Miquita she “couldn’t believe” James had included her in his book.
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“I think in his mind, maybe it went on a bit longer,” she said. “But yeah, I’d say if I ever had a famous beggy friend, it was James Corden back in the day.”
Lily, who has gone on to have a successful acting career after making a name for herself as a singer, then went on to acknowledge James’s success over the last 15 years. The star has spent the last few years in the States hosting the The Late Late Show, but left that job in 2022 after seven years and is now back in the UK.
Speaking about his successes, Lily said: “He’s not begging me anymore. I’m not begging him either. I can’t do anything for him now, he’s good.” OK! has reached out to James’s representatives for comment.