Oh, what could have been!
Rihanna, 27, was forced to back out of her 2016 Grammys performance Monday, hours before she was scheduled to take the stage. Her rep issued a statement to E! News, saying, "Based on Rihanna's examination, after Grammy rehearsal today, Rihanna's doctor put her on vocal rest for 48-hours because she was at risk of hemorrhaging her vocal chords. The antibiotics she has been on for 3-days did not kill the infection adequately therefore she cannot perform safely." The singer also tweeted about her absence, telling her 56.1 million Twitter followers, "#NAVY so sorry I couldn't be there ..... Thanks Grammys and CBS for your support tonight."
James Corden was meant to be part of Rihanna's set and revealed a few details about what she had in store on CBS' The Late Late Show Monday. "A couple of weeks ago, I got asked if I would introduce Rihanna on the show," he revealed to his studio audience. "I get this phone call saying Rihanna has got this big thing planned for her song 'Kiss It Better' and she's doing like a whole '80s talk show thing and it's going to be really cool. What she wants you to do is be like an '80s talk show host and I'd have funny glasses and sit on a thing, maybe have a cigarette, and I'd introduce Rihanna, and she'd come out and do a song and then at the end she'd come and sit with me, like it was it's own talk show which they called As It Lays. So, I go on Saturday morning and I rehearse it there. She's a bit under the weather but it's all going to be OK."
Corden was excited to share the stage with Rihanna. "This morning a guy came and measured me for an '80s suit and stuff," he said. "I drive down there, get there, do the red carpet, say, 'Oh, I'm introducing Rihanna. She's asked me personally to be part of it. It's amazing.' And then I get to the end of the red carpet and they say, 'Rihanna's had to pull out of the show. She's pulled out. She's been told by a doctor she's not allowed to sing. It could really damage her voice.'"
The TV host was ready and willing to take her place so as not to leave producers scrambling. "I immediately go, 'I hear what you're saying. Yes, I'll fill the spot. I'll do it.' Luckily I just had a wax so I just got it off, I've got the hot pants on, I'm like running in my head, 'Bitch, better have my money!' I'm like, 'Shine bright like a diamond!' I'm doing the whole thing. I sent someone out to get loads of umbrellas for the thing. I'm absolutely buzzing on it. I'm like, 'Yes, this is it this is the big moment,'" Corden joked. "And they go, 'No, James. We've just got it. It's just gone.'"
Though he was sad to see Rihanna miss the show due to illness, Corden still got to make his Grammys debut. "This is what a cool guy LL Cool J is: He goes, James, don't worry. Come on with me and introduce John Legend and all these other big stars for a Lionel Richie tribute.'"