Name: Craig Ferguson on Getting The Late Late Show
Uploaded: 2025-05-16T19:00:02.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Craig Ferguson on Getting The Late Late Show' from Are You Garbage Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-05-16. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Craig Ferguson on Getting The Late Late Show' from Are You Garbage Clips on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-05-16. Transcript available.

Now, this is before the Late Late Show?
Yeah.
Okay.
What year is the Late Late Show?
2005.
2005, I started.
You started.
Yeah.
2004, they had that kind of, like, competition.
Like, you know, are you smarter than a fifth grader or whatever it was to try
and win the job?
Now, from that one divorce, did that kind of set you back to, not 27 cents, but
did it set you back to somewhat?
Close.
Close to 27 cents.
Oh, shit.
They're back like, we need a job quick stack.
Now, I have a little kid, too.
Yeah.
So, and now I need a job, but I also need a job that keeps me in town because I
don't want to disappear on this kid.
Of course.
So, you know, so now I got to raise my kid.
I got to find a job.
And this time, I'm working in independent film.
And, you know, you have to leave town six weeks at a time, eight weeks at a
time.
And, you know, and I'm looking for a job that's in town.
And then I'm doing an independent movie in Winnipeg, Canada.
And I get a call and somebody says to me, hey, it was my rep at the time, said,
hey, you've been on the Craig Kilbourne show a few times, haven't you?
I went, yeah.
Do you want me to do it again?
He said, no, he just quit.
They're like, I was like, what?
He quit.
So they're having a kind of runoff and they want you to try out for it.
I'm like, get the fuck out.
Yeah, all right.
Fuck it.
I never even thought about it.
Jesus.
But it's a job that's in town.
That's like, that's a cushy job in showbiz.
Yes, it is.
And it's hard work.
It's day in, day out.
It's hard work.
I'm just saying.
It's not, you know.
But, yeah, I mean, that's like, you're in town.
Yep.
Set hours.
Yep.
Great check.
Yep.
Same place.
And I had this little kid at the time.
So, like, it's funny how the perception people have of your life, like, they're
like, oh,
you're living this big, fancy showbiz.
Right.
I had a, Sylvia the nanny looking after my toddler while I'm on stage.
And I got off.
I changed his diaper, put him in the baby seat, drive home to daddy's bachelor
pad where, you
know, me and him are.
That's what we were doing.
Man, that is fucking something else.
It's crazy, isn't it?
It's unbelievable.
But, you know, then the show starts to be a hit, and then, you know, things
change a
little bit.
Yeah.
You know.
Yeah.
That's all right.
Pretty good.
But what did happen at that time is right down when I was broke and I was just
starting
in the show, I meet a girl.
And we get married.
Did you?
I did.
Third time?
Third time.
But here's what happens.
We're still married.
Yay!
We're still married.
So, I've got this little kid, and I meet this girl, and she's like, she's like,
beautiful, and she takes care of him.
She takes care of us, and she comes into our lives, and everything gets
different.
Everything gets different.
Holy shit.
And we're still married.
Got another place in L.A. while you're doing the Late Late Show?
Yeah, we got another place.
You're doing all right.
Yeah.
I didn't buy another place in Paris, though.
There you go.
What was the, at what year of that, you know, you start in 2005, do you get,
like, a one-year
contract?
Like, when are you like, all right, I'm set now as moving forward.
I don't know that I ever felt.
As the host.
I don't, I mean, well, I got the, I got the, what they did was, at the time,
the contract,
you had to sign the contract before you even tried out for it.
So, the first year, they just did that.
Oh, that's right.
So, you're going, I'll take, give me $1,500.
I'll work for scale.
Give it to me.
Exactly.
So, you take nothing for the first year, but then, if the show does well, like,
even
although you're only meant to get a certain amount for the second year, now, at
this point,
everyone's like, well, it's doing pretty well.
And the good thing, as well, is that, you know, I'm working for World Wide Pants,
who
are actually a great company.
Of course.
That's Letterman.
Of course.
And Rob Burnett was working then, and he was running the company, and it really
worked
out, and it just, it kind of, like, came together a little more.
And that, and because of, I worked for World Wide Pants, I was very protected
from the
corporate world of.
Because of Letterman.
Because Dave, Dave's fucking massive cajones.
I was just hiding behind Dave, you know, like going, Dave, they're trying to
get me to
do something.
He's like, well, we got some music for that, Paul.
Holy shit.
That's crazy.
Talk about a rise.
That is something else.
you