James Corden to replace Craig Ferguson on Late Late Show?

US entertainment website The Wrap is reporting that James Corden, who played one- (or, rather, two-off) companion Craig Owens during the Matt Smith era, is being eyed to replace Craig Ferguson as host of CBS late-night chat show The Late, Late Show after Ferguson departs this December, just shy of his 10th anniversary as host. CBS has yet to officially announce anyone as Ferguson's replacement.

In the US, Corden is best known for his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in the play One Man, Two Guvnors while UK fans best know him from the sitcom Gavin & Stacey. He appeared on Doctor Who as Craig in 2010's "The Lodger," 2011's "Closing Time" and he also played Craig in the made-for-DVD prequel to "Closing Time" called "Up All Night."

Ferguson, who announced his intention to step down as host of The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson earlier this year, is a well-known Doctor Who fan, who keeps a toy TARDIS on his desk, often brings the show up in conversation with guests, hosted the Doctor Who panel at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, and over the past few years has interviewed Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston, Jenna Coleman and Billie Piper (Smith and Gillan several times). His lyrical version of the "Doctor Who Theme" (in which he praised the show and "the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism") went viral.

Ferguson is also a longtime friend of Peter Capaldi, who appeared on Late, Late Show in 2009 to promote the film In the Loop, having performed in a band with Ferguson in the early 1980s. It remains to be seen if Capaldi will be able to make an appearance before Ferguson departs.

CBS has so far refused to confirm or comment on the situation.