James Corden was reportedly a voice of reason and a friendly distraction to his fellow passengers after a scary flight incident.
The former Late Late Show host was aboard a British Airways flight from Faro, Portugal, to London, when a mechanical issue reportedly forced the flight to make an emergency landing in Lisbon this past weekend, several outlets report.
One passenger named Vanessa told the U.K. outlet Metro, passengers were instructed to “gather your possessions as best you can, take off your shoes, and when you’re told to by the airplane staff, please adopt the brake [sic] position and when we land if you’re able, please find your nearest emergency exit and vacate the plane,”
The plane landed safely and then reportedly sat on the tarmac for an extended period before passengers were finally allowed to disembark.
British Airways did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Terence Patrick/CBS
During the delay, some of his fellow flyers report that Corden took it upon himself to keep the shaken up bunch in good spirits. “He walked up and down the aisles talking to people, and let everybody take a selfie with him,’ the same passenger told Metro. She also noted he fist-bumped and thanked their pilot as he exited the plane later.
Another unnamed eyewitness told ET Online, Corden “took selfies with people and chatted with them to kill the time. It was chaotic and a traumatic experience for many but the crew and flight crew were helpful in this distressing time.”
A passenger named Chloe Boemen told the Daily Mail, “James was such a top guy and really lovely man, he was reassuring people and was even handing out leftover croissants from the meal service.”
Photos taken in the airport that surfaced later (like the one at top), initially seemed to paint a different picture.
They show Corden in what appeared to be a heated exchange with British Airways employees. He’s seen gesturing animatedly to a crew member who wears a serious expression.
However, his fellow passengers have since come out to defend him, saying that Corden kept his cool during the stressful situation and his queries to staff reflected their own frustrations.
“James was not the only person who was upset about the flight. He was nothing but a true gentlemen to other passengers,” another passenger told ET.
The passenger named Vanessa claimed that Corden even came to their aid when the airline allegedly said it would only provide hotel vouchers to passengers with a certain status.
“James was a club flyer and he stood there, and was like ‘What about all these people who’ve got all these kids with them?’ like saying that’s not acceptable. It’s not right,” she told Metro.
The incident comes about a year and a half after Corden made headlines for a reported outburst in the New York restaurant Balthazar, leading many to condemn his alleged tantrum.
The restaurant’s owner Keith McNally, 71 slammed the star at the time, saying, “James Corden is a hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man. And the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.”
McNally added, “I don’t often 86 a customer, to today I 86’d Corden. It did not make me laugh.”
Corden was briefly banned from the business, but he later apologized and the owner “immediately rescind” the ban.
