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The Most Ridiculous Questions And Requests People Have Faced In Job Interviews

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You’re reading Life-Work Balance, a series aiming to redirect our total devotion to work into prioritising our personal lives.

“How would you fit a giraffe into a fridge?” An asinine question in most settings, but especially peculiar during a job interview.

And yet, these kinds of ‘quirky’ and arbitrary lines of questioning seem to be commonplace during the interview process.

In an attempt to make people think ‘outside the box’ or on their feet, hiring managers are coming up with increasingly difficult (and frustrating) tasks and questions for interviewees.

And to make matters worse, many are leaving the applicants hanging once it comes to feedback or finding out the results of the conversation.

So, what does it say about their work culture when recruiting staff act like this when imbued with such powers?

For starters, if you’re being put in a difficult and tricky situation at the earliest stage of the job, then it might not be the best indication of the company’s treatment of employees. And it also means they have no regard to the preparation that applicants may have completed in anticipation of a more traditional interview.

After all, how does anyone answer how they’d put a giraffe in the fridge, or what words they’d have on their tombstone, or how they’d fare if locked in a room and asked to complete a challenge (all real requests)?

Here are some of the most ridiculous requests people have received:

It’s understandable that companies would try get creative with their asks, and indeed some are known for tough brainteasers that showcase the best of people, but most of us can agree that some questions are just a bit bizarre and show nothing about the person.

That’s what Hannah Langford, 31, from the North West, felt when she went for a job in law in Manchester.

She tells HuffPost: “I had a training contract interview at a law firm about 10 years ago and was asked two bizarre questions: ‘Why don’t polar bears eat penguins?’ and ‘How much water does it take to fill St Paul’s Cathedral?’.

“These questions made me doubt myself and I felt confused as to what answer was expected (i.e., was I expected to give an actual answer to the water question or was my thought process what they were interested in?).”

Langford ended up pivoting to a different sector altogether, deciding to work in charity.

Ramla*, 26, from London, can relate to navigating random questions that don’t relate to the job. “A charity that had many interview stages (and didn’t even give feedback after despite saying it would) had some interesting questions,” she recalls.

“One was about who’s your most problematic friend and why you are still friends with them. Another was about the last time you lost your temper.

“I’m not sure how far these questions really test someone’s values. No matter what you say, they’d have to take it with a pinch of salt because it’s an interview, not a chat with your best friend.

“These questions felt a bit like an interrogation. Surely what I’ve achieved and the places in which I’ve created transformative change should speak for itself – or at the very least, they could ask me directly about that?”

Unfortunately, eccentric questioning seems to be commonplace in the job interview space, when that time could be far better utilised talking about the things that bring us joy, what we’re passionate about, what we look forward to.

Because, truly, no one knows how to fit a giraffe into a fridge. And nor should they.

Life-Work Balance questions the status quo of work culture, its mental and physical impacts, and radically reimagines how we can change it to work for us.

HuffPost UK/ Isabella Carapella

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‘I Was Regularly Touched Up By Senior MPs,’ Says Labour’s Chris Bryant

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Labour MP Chris Bryant has told how he was “regularly touched up” by older colleagues in parliament.

The senior MP said he felt he could not report it because he did not want to “end up being part of the story”.

The Commons Standards Committee chair said he was targeted by “older, senior” men.

His comments come after MPs’ conduct was called into question amid a number of sexual misconduct allegations.

Bryant told LBC Radio: “I remember when I came in, in 2001, I was regularly touched up by older, senior gay – well, they weren’t out but – MPs.

“I never felt I was able to report it because you end up being part of the story, and that’s the last thing you want.

“And I think a lot of women have been through that.”

Bryant said he could think of four MPs but he did not name them, adding: “I was shocked at the time…none of them are out of course. I think that now if anybody would do that I would be absolutely robust.

“I would a call the person out immediately and I would make a complaint.”

Calls are growing for a shake-up of Westminster’s culture in the wake of sexual misconduct claims.

Tory MP Neil Parish stood down over the weekend after he was allegedly seen by two female MPs watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber.

Separately, there are reports that 56 MPs are currently facing sexual misconduct investigations, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers.

The Sunday Times has also outlined a number of claims against MPs today, including a senior MP accused of repeatedly licking the faces of male researchers in parliamentary bars.

Other allegations include a female Tory MP who was sent an explicit photograph, known as a “dick pic”, by a male colleague and another MP repeatedly warned about his use of prostitutes, according to sources.

Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday outlined fresh claims that a senior Conservative MP pestered a female staff member for “sexual favours”.

The allegations were so serious that party bosses were advised to take them “straight to the police”, according to the paper.

The Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle is calling for a review of current working practices in Parliament.

He said a review is “needed urgently” to examine the current structure whereby MPs employ their staff directly.

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Speaker Calls For Review Of Parliament’s Work Practices After Sexual Misconduct Claims

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The Speaker of the House of Commons is calling for a review of current working practices in Parliament.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle said a review is “needed urgently” to examine the current structure whereby MPs employ their staff directly.

It follows a spate of allegations by MPs and staff of bullying and sexual misconduct across the parliamentary estate.

Hoyle’s office said he was working with political parties and house authorities to establish a “Speaker’s Conference” as soon as possible to consider the problems.

Made up of MPs, the committee would review current working practices and conditions, take expert advice and consider if there is a case for change.

Sir Lindsay said: “I take recent allegations of bullying and sexual impropriety, comments and advances very seriously, which is why it is time we reviewed our working practices, particularly whether it is right that individual MPs are the employers of their staff.

“The question is: should someone else – or an outside body – employ the staff, as long as the MP has the right to choose them?”

The mechanism was last used in 2008 to provide advice on parliamentary representation and requires both the government and house to approve it.

Hoyle hopes the conference will reach cross-party agreement and make recommendations to the house on a case for change.

Meanwhile, Dame Andrea Leadsom, the former leader of the House of Commons, has called for the creation of a human resources service.

It comes after Tory MP Neil Parish stood down after he was allegedly seen by two female MPs watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber.

It prompted senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes to say her party is institutionally sexist and that there was a culture of “male entitlement” in the party.

Separately, there are reports that 56 MPs are currently facing sexual misconduct investigations, including three cabinet ministers and two shadow cabinet ministers.

The Sunday Times has also outlined a number of claims against MPs today, including a senior MP accused of repeatedly licking the faces of male researchers in parliamentary bars.

Other allegations include a female Tory MP who was sent an explicit photograph, known as a “dick pic”, by a male colleague and another MP repeatedly warned about his use of prostitutes, according to sources.

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What To Do If You Don’t Like Your Kid’s Friend

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It’s an issue many parents will run into at one point or another: Your kid is hanging out with someone you’re not crazy about.

You might think this friend is a bad influence because of the language they use, the way they treat other kids or speak to adults, or their attitude toward school. Maybe this friend has been mean, controlling or otherwise inconsiderate toward your child.

Whatever the reason, it can be a tricky issue to navigate. Below, parenting experts offer advice on how to handle the situation.

Do some self-reflection.

First, take a little time to consider what exactly is rubbing you the wrong way about this friendship. Are your feelings warranted – or is it possible you’re bringing your own baggage to the table?

“Do you dislike the child because of your personal values, prejudice or opinion?” Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and author of The Me, Me, Me Epidemic, told HuffPost. “Your child may be benefitting from this friendship or have more in common with the child than you may realise — even if you wouldn’t choose this friend for yourself.”

Or perhaps your feelings toward this friend are misplaced. You think you don’t like the kid when really, it’s the parents you have an issue with.

“In today’s charged political and social climate, parents can be faced with interacting with families that don’t align with their views,” clinical psychologist Cindy T. Graham — founder of Brighter Hope Wellness Center — told HuffPost.

Ask your kid about the friendship

Put aside your preconceived notions for a moment and have a conversation with your kid about this friend. Ask why they like hanging out with them and what they enjoy doing together. Be curious and listen to what they have to say. This requires an open heart and mind, Graham said.

“Aside from being a great opportunity to connect with your child, it gives you the chance to learn about aspects of the friend’s personality, demeanour or circumstances that you may not have previously been aware of,” she said.

“For example, sometimes kids can present as immature or standoffish when under stressful situations,” Graham continued. “Moments that trigger anxiety ― such as meeting unfamiliar adults ― can lead to behaviours that may be perceived as disrespectful.”

Try also putting yourself in the kid’s shoes. Think about the struggles they — or their family — might be facing that could be affecting their behaviour.

“Take into consideration what they may be going through or have gone through,” McCready said. “Your own kid or family may be just what this child needs!”

Get to know the friend and their parents better

Spend some time with the friend and their family — it might show you a different side of them. Go into the experience hoping to see what your child sees in them.

“It’s also helpful for the parent to be willing to get to know the family on a few different occasions,” Graham said. “This will give everyone a greater chance of getting past the initial anxieties of making a good first impression to instead get to know one another.”

Judge the behaviour, not the person

If the friend in question does something you don’t like, it’s OK to tell your child that their behaviour concerned you. But resist making accusations or assumptions about the friend’s character because of it.

“You can comment on a friend’s behaviour that you disapprove of and help your child problem-solve why that behaviour may be something they shouldn’t mimic,” McCready said. “The bottom line: Judge the behaviour, not the person.”

“Friendships that are less-than-ideal aren’t necessarily a recipe for disaster or a path to trouble.”

– Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions

If you think the friendship is a danger to your child, step in

There’s a difference between not being particularly fond of your kid’s friend and feeling like this person could be a true threat to your child’s safety or well-being. If it’s the latter case, you should intervene immediately, McCready said.

“If you’re concerned, set limits – without prohibiting the friendship,” she said. “Keep a close eye on behaviours and offer your home as a hang-out spot to keep your eye on the kids, or set an earlier curfew when your child is hanging out with that friend.”

Look out for negative changes in your child’s behaviour that could indicate the friendship is an unhealthy one. For your child, that might mean a worsening mood, a sudden change in their grades or withdrawing from activities they once enjoyed.

If you notice any of these signs, “then parents would want to look into the social dynamics with the friend more closely,” Graham said.

Talk about what it means to be a good friend.

Use this situation as an opportunity to have conversations about what healthy friendships look and feel like. Discuss important qualities like trust, respect and standing up for one another.

“Highlight the differences in how you feel in a healthy friendship – inspired, accepted, safe, encouraged, hopeful, versus the emotions that come from unhealthy, toxic relationships – feeling anxious, disrespected, put out, pressured to do things you don’t want to do, or like you’re constantly in competition with your friend,” McCready said.

Try to remember what it was like to be a kid yourself

It’s normal for kids and teens to go through different phases as they try to figure out who they are.

“Many kids who may have seemingly off-putting personalities are going through a phase that many of us go through,” Graham said.

Consider this: When you were younger, perhaps you weren’t always the kind of kid your friends’ parents were thrilled about, either. Keeping that in mind “could help you to be more kind towards your kids’ friends,” Graham said.

Also, remember that your kids are growing up in a different time than you did.

“Often what was once considered unacceptable can change over time,” Graham added.

Keep things in perspective

Friends come in and out of our kids’ lives. Just because these two are buddy-buddy right now doesn’t mean they’re going to be inseparable forever (even if it feels that way).

“Understand that these may not be your child’s friends for life and statistically, they probably won’t be,” McCready said. “According to a study, only one percent of friendships formed in middle school are still going strong by the 12th grade.”

Agree to disagree

It’s a fact of life: you’re not going to like everyone your kid is friends with, and that’s OK. Sometimes an “agree to disagree” approach is the best thing for the health of your relationship with your child. (As McCready pointed out, trying to forbid the friendship could create a power struggle between you and your child — one that could push them away from you and closer to this friend.)

“There is a lot to be said for social relationships that allow a child to thrive and feel supported,” Graham said. “As long as the friend isn’t having a detrimental effect on your child, it may be best to accept that you may not always like your child’s choices, including their friendships.”

And remember: Even not-great friendships can turn out to be positive learning experiences for your kid. For example, it may help them figure out which qualities they value in a friend or teach them how to set and hold boundaries.

“Friendships that are less-than-ideal aren’t necessarily a recipe for disaster or a path to trouble,” McCready said. “With your open mind and willingness to offer counsel, your kids will navigate friendships with the proper support.”

This is part of a HuffPost Parents series called Enjoy the Ride. Read more here.

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The Pandemic Warped Our Sense Of Time. Here’s How To Gain It Back.

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At this point of the pandemic, it still feels like we’re stuck in a bit of a time warp.

Yes, offices are opening back up and many people are carrying on with their events and travel plans. But there’s still a layer of uncertainty about what might happen next with Covid and when the pandemic will truly end — especially as more variants pop up.

Life doesn’t exactly feel normal yet, and as a result, time drags by. Here’s why, and how you can “gain” some of it back:

1. We lost our routines.

According to Ruth Ogden, an experimental psychologist at Liverpool John Moores University who studies how humans process time, this sensation that time is warped has been a global phenomenon. Through her research, she’s found that people across the globe have experienced distorted time during the pandemic.

The biggest culprit of the time warp: the loss of our routines.

“All the things in our day that helped us know what time it was ― they were gone. That meant it became easy for time to slip and slide around,” Ogden said.

During the pandemic, time stood still for many of us. We canceled our activities and we distanced from friends. People did everything — sleep, eat, work, socialise, parent, exercise — from their homes.

“We’re all heavily routinised creatures, but this routine is important because it keeps us in time,” Ogden said.

Our day-to-day activities help us perceive time — if we are commuting, we know it’s morning, if we’re running out for lunch, it’s midday, and so on and so forth. Without daily routines, which act as markers of time, it becomes easy to get lost in time. The things that made your Saturday a Saturday, or your Tuesday a Tuesday, may no longer be there.

Research also suggests that emotions significantly impact our perception of time. When we’re happy and physiologically aroused, time feels like it’s flying by; conversely, depression can make time feel sluggish.

Furthermore, our expectations of how things will occur (i.e., the pandemic is over!) versus the reality of how things play out (there’s a new variant coming for us) can make time feel faster or slower, depending on if the actual outcome was better or worse than our predictions.

2. Memories help us process time, and our memories are different from the last few years.

Think back to the beginning of the pandemic, when news of Covid spreading around China first leaked. How long ago does that feel to you? Months? Years? It’s probably hard to tell.

Ogden and her research team have been studying how people feel about the length of the pandemic and have discovered that the brain processes length of time through memories.

“If we’ve got loads of memories, then it says, ‘Oh, it must have been a long time,’ but if it has very few memories, then we think it must have been a short period of time,” Ogden said.

In theory, most of us should remember the pandemic as being short — because we didn’t do a lot, Ogden said. But she’s found the opposite: most people feel like we’ve been stuck in the pandemic for much longer than we have been.

The reason, it seems, is that while we didn’t necessarily form a ton of fun, new memories for a period of time, we still formed memories. We learned how to bake bread, we got into puzzles and crafts and packed our days with Zoom meetings. We navigated life through restrictions, masking and distancing; we developed new skills and fell into new routines. Time moved forward.

A loss of routine is the main reason why time seems to drag by.

Delmaine Donson via Getty Images

A loss of routine is the main reason why time seems to drag by.

3. People process time differently.

Just how distorted time feels varies from person to person. It ultimately depends each person’s personal experience with Covid and how much the pandemic has influenced or changed their daily activities, said Nicole Dudukovic, the director of the neuroscience major at the University of Oregon.

Ogden’s research, for example, has found that social satisfaction is one of the biggest factors behind how people process time.

“The more socially satisfied you were, the ‘quicker’ the pandemic went,” Ogden said, noting that this didn’t just involve being around people, like family in your household, but seeking out and enjoying social connections.

People who have engaged in “normal life” again, and are traveling and commuting to the office and engaged in activities, are probably going to have a more normal sense of time right now. People who are at-risk and are hunkering down, along with those who are stressed about returning to pre-pandemic activities, may continue to feel disoriented about time.

“For some people, this experience will continue for a long time and that will continue to cause distortion to their experience of time,” Ogden said.

4. We’re more aware of time now.

Ultimately, the pandemic has made people much more aware of time. We’ve had more time on our hands, which has caused us to become hyper aware of time and how it’s passing, Ogden said.

At the same time, we often don’t remember time accurately. It’s very hard for people to remember how we felt about things, like time, in the past — it’s largely influenced by how we feel about things now. Memories of how time once passed can be very inaccurate, according to Dudukovic. While it may feel like time is passing differently now, it’s totally plausible that we’re just misremembering how time felt pre-pandemic.

“It’s possible that if you’d asked me in 2019 about how fast time was going that maybe it would be not that different from how I’m feeling about it now,” Dudukovic said.

Here’s how to overcome the time warp.

Ogden said it’s important to recognise that we are not going to return to life before the pandemic.

“So much in the world has changed as a result of the pandemic,” she said. We’ve carried on and adapted to new ways of work and socialising.

One of the best ways to mitigate the feeling that we’re stuck in a time warp is to create new routines.

“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that your routine, and also the number of activities that you’re engaged in, that that’s going to influence how you’re perceiving time,” Dudukovic said.

Changing your environments — stepping out of the house, going on walks, or even switching up the room you work in — can trick your brain into thinking more is happening, so that time passes more regularly.

If your days blend together, save certain activities and routines for specific days of the week.

“Make your Tuesday a Tuesday because of the things you do in it,” Ogden said.

Finally, try to keep busy. The busier we are, the less we tend to focus on how time is passing.

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Keir Starmer Under Pressure To Capitalise on Tory Woes As Voters Go To The Polls

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The received Westminster wisdom is that the local elections are do-or-die for Boris Johnson.

After months of awful headlines about partygate, and with the mood among Tory MPs once again turning fractious, a bad night for the Conservatives next Thursday may well be the trigger for a move to unseat the prime minister.

What is less discussed, however, is how the elections are also a key test for Keir Starmer and whether he has what it takes to lead Labour to victory at the general election in two years’ time.

With a new poll yesterday giving Labour a nine-point lead over the Conservatives, expectations are high that the party is set to make sweeping gains on Thursday.

But Starmer’s internal detractors are looking for any signs that the party is stalling to confirm their suspicions that he is failing to seal the deal with voters.

Here, HuffPost UK assesses where the main parties are ahead of a crucial night on May 5.

The State Of The Parties

A total of 6,812 council seats in England, Wales and Scotland are up for grabs on Thursday.

In addition, there are also mayoral elections in South Yorkshire, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Watford and Croydon, as well as the Northern Ireland Assembly election.

In England, the Tories are defending 1,404 seats, Labour 2,222 and the Lib Dems 517. The rest are held by independents.

In Wales, Labour hold 462 council seats, with Plaid Cymru on 208, the Conservatives on 197 and the Lib Dems on 59. More than 300 seats are held by independents.

And in Scotland, the SNP have 432 seats, with the Tories second on 277, Labour on 262 and the Lib Dems on 67. Nearly 200 of Scottish councillors are independents.

What’s At Stake?

An awful lot more than which parties will be responsible for your bin collections for the next four years.

With a general election expected in 2024, this is likely to be the last big electoral test that Labour and the Tories will face before then.

As such, it will act as an important barometer of the national mood and indicate which parties, if any, are starting to build up momentum as the general election draws nearer.

Johnson needs to prove to his restive MPs that he is still the election winning-machine who delivered an 80-seat majority in 2019, and that the damage done to his reputation by partygate is not terminal.

The stakes are arguably even higher for Starmer who, two years after becoming Labour leader, has still to convince the public that he has what it takes to lead the country.

Is Starmer’s Labour Working?

While Labour has established a consistent poll lead in recent months, there remains a strong suspicion that it owes more to the public’s dissatisfaction with the Conservatives than any great enthusiasm for the Starmer project.

HuffPost UK revealed this week that the Labour leader is facing internal pressure to show voters how the party would tackle the cost of living crisis rather than focusing on the partygate scandal.

At a shadow cabinet meeting, communities spokesperson Lisa Nandy said Labour risked looking “out of touch” at a time when families across the country are struggling to make ends meet.

One senior frontbencher said: “Lisa’s not alone on this. There was strong agreement in the room to focus on the cost of living.”

It’s clear, therefore, that Starmer’s critics will be scrutinising Thursday’s results to try and assess whether the public support the leader’s strategy or are yet to be convinced.

Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer's strategy
Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer’s strategy

Christopher Furlong via Getty Images

What Does Success Look Like?

The main problem facing Labour is that the last time these council seats were up for grabs four years ago, the party did very well, making it harder for them to make sweeping gains this time around.

That said, a failure to pick up a significant number of council seats, and at least show progress in the Red Wall areas the party needs to win back if it’s to stand any chance of winning in 2024, will constitute a disappointing evening for Starmer.

“It’s a strange set of elections,” said one Starmer ally. “2018 was a bad night for the Tories and a very, very good one for Labour.

“So another bad night for the Tories and a good night for us isn’t going to result in a lot of exciting change.”

As polling gurus Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher summed up the situation in a recent article: ”[Labour] will do well to avoid making standing still rather than picking up gains seem rather underwhelming when the post-mortem takes place.

“For the Conservatives, by contrast, the less dramatic the results, the more they can claim not to be suffering traditional ‘mid-term blues’.”

Labour sources are attempting to play down the prospect of the party seizing totemic Tory councils like Westminster and Wandsworth, but they admit that winning back Barnet is a distinct possibility.

Beating the Tories into second place behind the SNP is also essential if the party is to have any hope of re-establishing an electoral foothold in its former Scottish heartland.

Just as important as winning more council seats, insiders say, are signs of progress in seats currently held by the Tories in England and the SNP north of the border.

“We are also tracking where we are in about about 50-70 constituencies that would put us in government at a general election, so we will be keeping an eye on them on Thursday,” said a Labour source. “Places like Stevenage, Wakefield, Bury and Glasgow.

“We need to beat the Tories and SNP in them.”

The Tory View

Unsurprisingly, the Conservatives are keen to raise the bar as high as possible for what would constitute a good night for Labour in the hope they will come nowhere near clearing it.

One Tory source told HuffPost UK: “Labour are obviously saying how difficult it’s going to be to improve on 2018, but the reality is they are ahead in the polls and so should be doing well.

“It’s going to be very difficult for us in certain places, especially central London and in places like Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, where the demographics are turning against us.

“Outer London is a bit better, but things are also going to be difficult in the affluent south – places like Surrey and West Oxfordshire, where Labour are doing well.”

Significantly, however, the Tories are more confident of holding off Labour in the Red Wall, where partygate is not the major political issue many at Westminster believe it is.

“The question for Labour is whether they can make adequate progress in the places they lost in 2019 and need to win back next time,” the source said.

“While those voters are bothered about partygate, they’re more concerned with bread and butter issues such as the cost of living. They’re pissed off with the PM about partygate, but they also like what we did on vaccines and furlough.”

Winning Here?

Like Labour, the Lib Dems performed well in 2018, making further progress more difficult this time around.

“What we’re really looking to is consolidate the gains we made in places like South Cambridgeshire, Richmond and Kingston,” a source told HuffPost UK. “If we hold our ground and edge forward a little in other areas, it should spook a few Tory MPs.”

These include Stephen Hammond in Wimbledon, where the Lib Dems launched their local election campaign. The party also wants to make progress in Wokingham, where the local MP is one Dominic Raab.

The source added: “The big picture is we’re going after the Conservatives and laying the groundwork for the next election.”

The Pestminster Factor

In the past week alone, unnamed Tory MPs have smeared Angela Rayner by accusing her of using her legs to distract Boris Johnson, while another has been suspended by the party for allegedly watching porn in the Commons.

The timing could hardly have been worse for the Conservatives. Will voters use their ballots to register their disgust at the latest examples of Tory sleaze? Keir Starmer and Labour certainly hope so.

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James Corden Says There Will Be ‘So Many Tears’ As He Announces He’s Leaving The Late Late Show

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James Corden has promised to “go out with a bang” after announcing he will depart The Late Late Show next year.

The British star revealed he his quitting the US talk show during Thursday night’s episode, saying the programme had “changed my life” and promised there would be “lots of tears” when his tenure came to an end.

The presenter and actor has extended his contract with CBS to present the show for one more year before finishing in the summer of 2023.

“Seven and half years ago I started hosting this show and there’s no other way to put it, it has changed my life,” he said.

“I love it, I love all the people that work here, I am so proud of what we’ve achieved, it’s been beyond my wildest, wildest dreams.

“When I started this journey it was always going to be just that, a journey, an adventure.

“I never saw as it as my final destination, and I never want this show to overstay its welcome, I love making it and I really think in a year from now that will be a good time to move on and see what’s out there.”

Despite his status as a British host of a US late night show, James has enjoyed immense success with the programme which features scores of celebrity guests and special segments.

His popular Carpool Karaoke series, in which he drives to work with different musicians, singing their back catalogue over the radio and discussing their careers, has included Adele, Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

He promised viewers that his final 12 months would be full of fan favourites and “other surprises” which would be “a blast”.

“We are all determined to make this the best year we have ever had … we are going to go out with a bang,” he said.

“There’s going to be carpools and crosswalks and sketches and other surprises and there will be tears, there will be so many tears.”

He added: “This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. I’ve never taken this job for granted. Ever. Not once.

“The fact that you watch this … all over the world … is an absolute privilege for me and every single person who makes this show.

“Here’s to the next twelve months and it’s going to be a blast, I promise you that.”

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James took over as presenter of The Late Late Show in 2015 from Scottish-born comedian Craig Ferguson, who spent 10 years as host.

His first episode, which aired in March of that year, featured Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks as a special guest.

George Cheeks, president and Chief Executive of CBS, told Variety: “In my two years at CBS, I’ve had the privilege to see James’ creative genius up close and experience his valuable partnership with CBS, both as a performer and a producer.

“We wish he could stay longer, but we are very proud he made CBS his American home and that this partnership will extend one more season on The Late Late Show.”

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