You’re not alone #2: James Corden

Today I am talking in my ‘You’re Not Alone’ series is about James Corden, best known for his role as Gavin in Gavin and Stacey, and as the former host of The Late Show in the USA.

James is interesting for two reasons – first as a man he has spoken out about his lifelong emotional eating. More recently he has spoken out about trying, then stopping, Ozempic – because it had no effect on his emotional triggers for eating.

I hope you find it helpful.

Appetite suppression isn’t enough

James Corden has charmed audiences with humour, but behind the jokes he has wrestled with emotional eating for decades. In 2024, he shared openly on his SiriusXM podcast This Life of Mine about trying Ozempic, and why it failed him.

The early struggle

Corden has said food was never about hunger. From childhood, eating was tied to comfort, distraction, and self-soothing. Public life brought body scrutiny and yo-yo dieting, reinforcing the cycle of shame and over-eating.

“I tried Ozempic…”

In 2024, he trialled Ozempic and quickly realised the problem:

“All this does is make you feel not hungry. But I am very rarely eating [just because I’m hungry].”

Corden described eating a king-size Dairy Milk in a carwash—not out of hunger, but “because it’s something else. Ozempic couldn’t touch that ‘something else’.”

Naming it: emotional eating

Richard Osman, a podcast guest, reinforced the point – emotional and addictive eating is real, not weakness. Osman himself has struggled with ‘lifelong food addiction’. Both Corden’s and Osman’s honesty reframed the Ozempic-not-working narrative not as failure, but as proof that appetite suppression alone doesn’t treat emotional distress or triggers.

How James’ story can help you

It’s not always about hunger. James said: “I’m rarely eating because I’m hungry.” If that resonates, try pausing and rating your hunger from 1–10 before eating. If it’s low, ask: “What else am I actually needing?” Often eating is a replacement for connection. Can you reach out and connect with someone instead?
Eating can mask feelings. A Dairy Milk in a carwash wasn’t about food, it was about feelings. If you’re eating in secret, ask: “What would I say if I told someone how I feel instead?”
Quick fixes aren’t cures. Ozempic didn’t solve emotional eating. If a new diet, drug, or plan isn’t working, remind yourself it’s not because you’re weak, it’s because the root problem isn’t being treated.
Addiction is real. Richard Osman called food addiction genuine, not weakness. Try shifting your language from “I’m weak” to “I’m struggling.” That tiny reframe builds compassion.
Being open reduces shame. James’s honesty opened conversation. If you’re hiding your eating, sharing one detail with a trusted person could lighten the load.

I hope this is helpful for you to read, as the whole goal of this series is to reduce shame and fear about speaking out, sharing your struggle and/or asking for help.

Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you!

Warmly,

Emma

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