Taylor Swift Can't Shake Off Her New Backup Dancer James Corden

Watch The Late Late Show host mingle with stars backstage at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert

By Zach Johnson Dec 08, 2017 1:35 PMTags

James Corden decided to give the general manager of The Forum a break last week when he filled in for him at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert. Corden, who shared the footage on CBS' The Late Late Show Thursday, made the rounds backstage, hobnobbing with a handful of performers; he acted as Ed Sheeran's security guard, gave Niall Horan a massage, created a special handshake with Demi Lovato, put Sam Smith on vocal rest and fixed Liam Payne's TV.

Proud of himself, Corden waved at other personnel in the hallway. "General manager. I mean, it's a breeze," he said. "You basically just go around speaking to famous people. How hard is it?"

Just then, he got a dire phone call. "Hello. This is the general manager. What? Taylor Swift? One of the dancers is down? I can fix this," he said. "I will fix this right now. I'll be right there!"

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Before he found Swift and her backup dancers, Corden changed into a "Look What You Made Me Do"-inspired outfit, complete with a netted top. "Taylor, I heard the news. I heard what's going down," Corden told the pop singer. "I'm ready! Use me! I'll slot right in. Problem solved." As they were rehearsing the choreography, Corden realized he'd be holding a microphone and offered to sing, too. Swift politely declined and continued to show him some new dance moves.

After a while, Swift said, "I think that maybe we should all take, like, a stretch break."

"That's a good point," the late-night host said in agreement. "No one wants to pull a hammy!"

After Corden learned his part, he had Swift and her dancers put their hands together and led them in a chant. "When I say Taylor," he said, "you say—?" In unison, the group yelled, "Swift!"

"When I say James," Corden said, "you say—?"

"Franco!" Swift shouted. "Is that wrong? I thought we were naming our favorite James."

Realizing it was a mistake to hire Corden, Swift devised an exit strategy when he went to the restroom. "Save yourself. Go now, go now, go now," she told her dancers. "Run! Do not walk!"

To see more of Corden's backstage shenanigans, watch the video now.