Ratings were solid for James Corden's debut hosting CBS' The Late Late Show on Monday night.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Corden brought ratings up by 17% since Craig Furguson's exit from the gig back in December.

One of Corden's greatest assets seemed to be the fact that hes aware of being relatively unknown in America. Though popular for the comedy Gavin & Stacey in the UK, Corden hasn't had too much exposure in the United States until now. 

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"However shocked you are that I'm doing this job," he told the audience during the opening of his debut, "You will never be as shocked as I am."

Of course, it probably helped that there were plenty of guest star's to draw viewers in even if they weren't familiar with Corden right away. The pre-taped opening alone included Simon Cowell, Joel McCale, George Lopez, Lena Dunham, Billy Crystal, Chelsea Handler, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Rock, and Katie Couric as part of a Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory bit. The stars all searched candy bars for the golden ticket, which was ultimately found by Corden after picking a chocolate bar up off the ground.

Additional guest stars throughout the night included Tom Hanks, Mila Kunis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jay Leno.

Oh, and Corden might have even gotten Kunis to admit that she is secretly married to Ashton Kutcher (it's debatable). Not bad for opening night.

Now that he's got the ball rolling, perhaps Corden can build up a solid following before he has to complete in the late night world with Stephen Colbert this fall.

Tags: the late late show James Corden television