Watch a teenage James Corden interview Meat Loaf as a competition winner

A young James Corden with Meat Loaf — (Image credit: BBC (via Youtube))

Whatever you happen to think of him, you almost certainly have an opinion on James Corden. One of the minds behind and stars of beloved BBC comedy Gavin And Stacey, Corden unexpectedly managed to reinvent himself as one of the most high profile late night TV hosts in the world after taking over as the face of CBS's The Late Late Show in 2015.

As it happens, Corden's experience with interviewing major celebrities actually goes back beyond even his Gavin And Stacey days - way beyond, in fact. When he was an innocent 15-year-old, Corden won a BBC competition to interview none other than rock 'n' roll icon Meat Loaf.

"When I was 15, I won a competition back in the UK to be a showbiz reporter for a day on a morning show that airs in Britain, and my prize was that I got to interview a big celebrity," Corden explained on The Late Late Show following Meat Loaf's death last year. "So I went to London, I went to this fancy hotel, like an actual, really fancy hotel...I got to interview Meat Loaf!"

The interview itself makes for wholesome - if occasionally odd - viewing all these years later, as a fresh-faced Corden sits down with Mr Loaf for a spot of English breakfast to ask him about his career. At one point early on, after Corden asks Meat Loaf whether he prefers performing shows or doing press, Loaf responds by passing Corden a glass of water and banging his head on the table.

"Doing a promotion tour, this is exactly what you wanna do," Loaf explains. "Beat your head against a table!"

To his credit, Corden shows his ability to hang with big personalities by looking totally unflapped by the whole thing, going on to chat with the rock superstar about his acting days, advice that Loaf would give to Corden for working in his own band and more.

Watch the interview for yourself below.

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.