James Corden hits out at TV host who called for fat-shaming to ‘make a comeback’
The Gavin & Stacey star said he has struggled with his weight all his life.
James Corden has hit out at a fellow US late night host who called for fat-shaming to “make a comeback”.
Speaking on his Real Talk programme, Bill Maher criticised efforts to de-stigmatise being overweight and said “we have gone to this weird place where fat is good”.
Maher, a prominent TV personality in the US, said being fat “isn’t a birth defect, no-one comes out of the womb needing two seats on the airplane”.
He added: “Fat-shaming doesn’t need to end, it needs to make a comeback.”
Appearing on his The Late Late Show on Thursday, Corden said Maher was encouraging bullying.
The Gavin & Stacey star, who said he has struggled with his weight all his life, argued fat-shaming “hasn’t gone anywhere” and that “we are reminded of it all the time”.
Discussing his own efforts to keep the pounds off, Corden said “we’re not all as lucky as Bill Maher, we don”t all have a sense of superiority that burns 35,000 calories a day”.
The 41-year-old added: “It’s proven that fat-shaming only does one thing – it makes people feel ashamed. And shame leads to depression, anxiety and self-destructive behaviour. Self-destructive behaviour like over-eating.
“Fat-shaming is just bullying and bullying only makes the problem worse.”
Corden was supported by British actress Jameel Jamil, who has been open about her own struggles with her weight.
She said Corden’s monologue was “brilliant”, adding: “I recommend it to you all.
“I whole heartedly agree with everything he is saying here and I hope @billmaher takes a second to listen, because this is so important.”
Maher is yet to publicly respond.
