When news broke that Craig Ferguson would be stepping down from Late Late Show at the end of the year, many hoped that the empty hosting gig would lead to a more diverse late night choice; Ferguson himself even said he thought his replacement should “unquestionably be a female.” Not long after CBS officially announced that Ferguson will be replaced with British performer James Corden, Kathy Griffin – who was interested in the job herself – has spoken out about the behind-the-scenes hiring process over at CBS.
According to The Wrap, Griffin reached out to CBS to be considered for Late Late Show but was told by an exec that “they’re not considering females at this time.” Griffin says she pointed out that that was “somewhat illegal” to say, and then “at least another executive” admitted to her that CBS’s lack of interest in female late night hosts is “embarrassing.” “I walk into the (meeting) room thinking, ‘I’ll give it a shot.’ I leave the room thinking, ‘I never had a chance,’” Griffin told AP. Considering the recently deceased Joan Rivers remains the last female to host a major network late night show and there have been a handful of late night hosting gigs up for grabs over the past few years that have all gone to white men, Griffin’s claim is sadly pretty believable.
