Why Beyoncé Was the ‘Carpool Karaoke’ Guest That Got Away

With The Late Late Show with James Corden coming to an end on Thursday night (April 27), producers revealed Beyoncé is the one artist they regret not getting on “Carpool Karaoke” during the show’s eight-year run.

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Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday (April 27), showrunner Rob Crabbe admitted that “it would’ve been nice to have Beyoncé in the car.” The exec’s producing partner Ben Winston went on to explain that Beyoncé operates differently from most artists, making it understandable why she never got into the passenger seat. “She doesn’t do promo, really. She doesn’t need to. Think about her last album [2022’s Renaissance], that monster hit album, name one promo. She didn’t even do a music video,” he said.

But, Winston added that there were no hard feelings about missing out on a Beyoncé exclusive. “We always knew it was gonna be hard to get her singing in a car, but we would’ve loved it,” he said. “It’s all good though. I know she’s a fan of the show and she’s always been really lovely and responsive and we’d been close a couple of times, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Over the years, host James Corden has convinced everyone from Lady Gaga and One Direction to Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder and Bad Bunny help him drive to work as they sang along to some of their biggest hits and fan favorites. While Mariah Carey was the first superstar to agree to the segment back in 2015, the final episode of “Carpool Karaoke” aired earlier this week with Adele surprising her pal by driving him to work and reflecting on his eight years hosting the popular late-night show.

The final episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden is set to air this Friday (April 28) on CBS. Read the producers’ full chat with THR here.

Glenn Rowley

Billboard