James Corden says he had eye surgery after ‘hitting himself in the head with a trash can lid’

Presenter incurred injury while performing One Man, Two Guvnors eight years ago

James Corden recently took a break from filming The Late Late Show due to eye surgery, and he has now revealed the bizarre reason behind his injury.

The presenter explained that when he starred in the National Theatre’s One Man, Two Guvnors, he had to bang a bin lid into his face repeatedly in one of the scenes.

Corden, who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of an out-of-work skiffle player in the production, said he incurred the eye injury after the play transferred from London to New York in 2012.

“I used to do this bit where I’d hit myself in the head with a trash can lid and one night I injured my eye,” he told The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Corden said a doctor gave him ”some things” and told him it would heal, adding: “About a year ago it flared up again. This sort of little scratch on my eyeball.”

Corden himself described the physically demanding role as “a killer”. “It hurts all the time,” he said.

The damage to Corden’s eye meant he has not always been able to drive the car in Carpool Karaoke, with him and his celebrity guests sometimes towed along by a truck.