James Corden steals a march on Oprah by airing his antics with Harry days before interview

James Corden has stolen a march on Oprah by airing his antics with Prince Harry days before the prime-time interview that enraged Buckingham Palace. 

In a wide-ranging chat mostly carried out on an open-top bus, the Duke of Sussex – or ‘Haz,’ as Corden calls him – reveals he went from ‘zero to sixty’ with Meghan and how the pressures of living in London were ‘destroying my mental health.’

With Oprah’s Sussexes interview airing next weekend, Corden’s exclusive with Harry is the latest coup in his career that has seen a meteoric rise to Hollywood A-lister after first finding fame as Essex lad Smithy in British sitcom Gavin and Stacey.

Like Oprah, Corden was a guest at the Sussexes wedding in 2018 and even compered at the reception, but with his latest interview he’s stolen the thunder of the biggest name in the business.

Amid anticipation for what Meghan might tell Oprah, Corden elicited some bombshells of his own from the Duke, including the insistence that he ‘never walked away’ from the royal family and he did ‘what any husband or father would do’ by emigrating to Los Angeles.

James Corden video-calling Meghan Markle during his antics with Harry filmed in Los Angeles

Corden served him afternoon tea while pointing out celebrity homes, including what he claimed were those of Friends star David Schwimmer and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis

Corden served him afternoon tea while pointing out celebrity homes, including what he claimed were those of Friends star David Schwimmer and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis

They video called Meghan, who in response to Corden's suggestion they buy the house, quipped 'I think we've done enough moving'

They video called Meghan, who in response to Corden’s suggestion they buy the house, quipped ‘I think we’ve done enough moving’

The 36-year-old said the move to California last year was about ‘stepping back rather than stepping down’ as he appeared on Corden’s Late Late Show. 

An off the leash Harry also revealed that he has had Zoom calls with the Queen, who sent Archie a waffle maker for Christmas, and describes his son as ‘hysterical.’

He also says he knew Meghan was ‘the one’ after two dates.

But critics have questioned the timing of his TV appearance, released last night as the Queen gave a rare public statement encouraging all Britons to have the Covid-19 jab, with the Sussexes having another incendiary interview with Oprah in the can and due for broadcast on Sunday March 7. 

Describing the couple’s decision to quit royal life, Harry said: ‘It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down.

‘It was a really difficult environment, which I think a lot of people saw. So I did what any father or husband would do and thought: “How do I get my family out of here”. 

‘But we never walked away and as far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away’.

Oprah, the biggest in the business, is set to interview Meghan and Harry on March 7

Oprah, the biggest in the business, is set to interview Meghan and Harry on March 7

And while the interview was carried out before the Queen stripped the Sussexes of their royal patronages, Harry appears to know what was coming and says: ‘My life is public service so wherever I am in the world it’s going to be the same thing’.

The 17-minute film begins with Corden pulling up outside Harry’s mansion in an open -top bus, which Harry admits he’s never been on. 

After Corden told him to pay the fare before jumping on the bus, Harry quipped ‘you know us royals, we don’t carry cash’ and said it was his first time on an open-top bus because ‘we’re not really allowed to’.

Once settled in on the top deck, the Duke speaks about family life, revealing that son Archie’s first word was ‘crocodile’ and the Queen gave the one-year-old a waffle maker for Christmas.

Corden served him afternoon tea while pointing out celebrity homes, including what he claimed were those of Friends star David Schwimmer and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis.

But moments later the bus braked heavily and the dinner wagon holding the tea jolted into Prince Harry – who swore in shock – before he spat his drink out while laughing. 

During a visit to the house that featured on 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Harry rapped the famous theme song, which was originally performed by Will Smith.

James Corden and his wife Julia Carey arrive at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018

James Corden and his wife Julia Carey arrive at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in May 2018

Corden and his TV producer wife arrive at the wedding in Windsor in May 2018

Corden and his TV producer wife arrive at the wedding in Windsor in May 2018

Corden jokingly tried to convince him to buy the sprawling mansion before Harry went inside to use the bathroom.

They then video called Meghan, who in response to Corden’s suggestion they buy the house, quipped ‘I think we’ve done enough moving’.

She then asked ‘Haz’ how his tour of Los Angeles was going but he called Corden ‘the worst tour guide in LA’. 

Back on board the buss Harry addressed the controversy over The Crown’s portrayal of his family’s history and defended the Netflix regal drama, saying it does not ‘pretend to be news’.

He said both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh can use Zoom and have seen Archie ‘running around’ in California.

In a segment for The Late Late Show, filmed before he and the Duchess of Sussex confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the royal family, Harry joined TV host Corden for a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles.

Asked by Corden how he sees his life after lockdown, Harry, 36, said: ‘My life is always going to be about public service and Meghan signed up to that.’

On the decision to walk away from the royal family, he said it ‘was never walking away, it was stepping back rather than stepping down’.

He added that it was a ‘really difficult environment’ and criticised the press, saying it was ‘destroying my mental health’.

Harry said he needed to move his family away but insisted: ‘I will never walk away, I will always be contributing. My life is public service.’

The duke also spoke about his early relationship with Meghan, 39.

He said dating for him or any member of the royal family is ‘flipped upside down’, telling Corden that early dates take place at home and only when they are a couple do they venture out in public.

‘We got to spend an enormous amount of time just the two of us,’ he said of his early relationship with Meghan. ‘There were no distractions, and that was great, it was an amazing thing. We went from zero to 60 in the first two months.’

In a segment filmed before he and wife Meghan confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the royal family, Harry joined the TV host for a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles

In a segment filmed before he and wife Meghan confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the royal family, Harry joined the TV host for a double-decker bus tour of Los Angeles

After Corden told him to pay the fare before jumping on the bus, Harry quipped 'you know us royals, we don't carry cash'

After Corden told him to pay the fare before jumping on the bus, Harry quipped ‘you know us royals, we don’t carry cash’

Asked what a ‘regular night in’ for the couple is like, Harry said they may make Archie’s tea, give him a bath and read him a book before he and Meghan spend time together.

He said they may watch game show Jeopardy! or something on Netflix.

Asked what he thinks about The Crown, Harry replied: ‘They don’t pretend to be news, it’s fictional but it’s loosely based on the truth.

‘Of course it’s not strictly accurate, but, loosely, it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that.

‘I am way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself.’

He said The Crown is ‘obviously fiction’ whereas he has a ‘real issue’ with some of the stories written about him.

Harry joked that he would want Homeland star Damian Lewis to play him.

The segment opened with Corden telling the duke to pay the fare before jumping on the bus. Harry quipped: ‘You know us royals – we don’t carry cash.’

Corden served him afternoon tea while pointing out celebrity homes, including what he claimed were those of Friends star David Schwimmer and Die Hard actor Bruce Willis.

During a visit to the house that featured in 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, Harry rapped the famous theme song, which was originally performed by Will Smith.

Corden tried to convince him to buy the sprawling mansion before the duke went inside to use the bathroom.

The pair then video-called Meghan, who, in response to Corden’s suggestion they buy the house, joked: ‘I think we’ve done enough moving.’

She then asked ‘Haz’ how his tour of Los Angeles was going, and he said Corden was ‘the worst tour guide in LA’.

Harry and a reluctant Corden also tackled an assault course, with the TV host complaining about getting dirty. 

Oprah’s interview with Meghan and Harry has been described as a ‘make or break’ for the Sussexes if they hope to become famous names in America.

And while a bidding war in Britain has erupted over rights to the show, many in the States are unaware of the royal couple and what they represent.

A producer who has worked with Oprah in the past told the Mail on Sunday: ‘This is make or break for them.

‘People in Britain assume they are famous here but the reality is they are not A-list stars in the same way Beyonce or even the Kardashians are.

‘Most Americans have no idea what they stand for and what they actually do.

‘Of course, we know Harry is Princess Diana’s son but ask your average guy in the street and they likely have no clue about them beyond that.’