English comedian and late-night talk show host James Corden made headlines recently after he made a seemingly inappropriate joke about veteran British actress, Dame Judi Dench.

Corden, 46, took the stage at the 11th Breakthrough Prize gala in Los Angeles on April 5, 2025, where he shared:

“Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than of course that one magical evening where Dr. [Anthony] Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench.”

Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci, 84, is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022. He is also the former White House chief medical advisor and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

James Corden’s joke about Dame Judi Dench, 90, on Saturday, raised eyebrows at the event with the audience appearing visibly stunned, according to the Daily Mail. American actress and director Olivia Wilde appeared to be shocked as the camera cut to her, the outlet reported. The audience didn’t laugh at the joke either and there was an awkward silence, the publication claimed.

Neither Dame Judi Dench nor Dr. Anthony Fauci was in attendance at the event. They have also not addressed James Corden’s remark at the time of writing.

James Corden has previously faced controversy for joking about Harvey Weinstein

In 2017, James Corden hosted the amfAR Gala in Los Angeles where he joked about the s*xual assault allegations against American film producer and now-convicted s*x offender, Harvey Weinstein.

“It’s a beautiful night here in LA. So beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage. It has been weird this week though, watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath,” Corden stated back then.

He added that Harvey Weinstein “wanted to come tonight,” but “sadly he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”

Actor-producer Tom Hanks, actress-singer Kate Hudson, and singer-songwriter Fergie who attended the event reportedly reacted in disbelief, Daily Mail reported at the time. Other members of the audience reacted with a groan. In response, James Corden stated:

“I don’t know if that groan was because you liked that joke or don’t like that joke. If you don’t like that joke, you should probably leave now.”

The Gavin and Stacey star was criticized by social media users as well as Rose McGowan, one of the accusers of Weinstein. In the wake of this, James apologized via X and wrote,

“S*xual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not the victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.”

Over the weekend, the 2025 Breakthrough Prize gala was a star-studded affair and was hosted by Corden. Attendees included Hollywood A-listers Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Lizzo, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Gal Gadot, Gayle King, and Katy Perry.

Tech magnates Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, also made appearances. The ceremony recognizes contributions in the scientific field with “leading futures from the entertainment, sports, technology, and business,” as per Daily Mail. It was held in a space aircraft hangar called Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California.

Notably, James Corden and Dame Judi Dench appeared together in the 2019 musical, Cats. She also attended his CBS talk show, The Late Late Show with James Corden.