He stirred much controversy and was forced to apologise after making a poorly timed joke about Harvey Weinstein in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against him in 2017.

And James Corden stunned audiences at the Breakthrough Prize in Los Angeles by making a lurid sexual gag concerning Dame Judi Dench, 90, and a leading US medical adviser.

The Gavin and Stacey creator, 46, said: ‘Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than of course, that one magical evening where Dr. Fauci had a one night stand with Dame Judi Dench.’

Cameras panned to Olivia Wilde, who once dated Harry Styles, and she raised her eyebrows while the joke was not met warmly by the rest of the audience with many not laughing.

The crowd was made up of figures from science, mathematics, and fundamental physics, along with Hollywood A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Lizzo, and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.

Dame Judi was not present at the awards on Saturday night which are held in a space aircraft hanger and recognises winners for their scientific achievements with leading futures from the entertainment, sports, technology and business.

It comes less than seven years after Corden made a controversial joke about the disgraced movie magnate, Harvey Weinstein, in the same month multiple allegations of sexual assault from women in Hollywood came out against him.

Addressing an audience at amfAR, the former chat show host said: ‘It’s been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it’s weird.’

The comment was met with audible groans from the audience which included the likes of Tom Hanks, Kate Hudson and Fergie.

Corden continued: ‘I don’t know if that groan was because you liked that joke or don’t like that joke.

‘If you don’t like that joke, you should probably leave now.’

The father-of-three, who moved back to the UK from the US last year, ended the series of jokes by saying: ‘Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight, although he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.’

Shortly after the clip was published several Twitter users vented their anger at the fact James Corden had made the remarks.

Actor Rose McGowan, one of the women who claims Harvey Weinstein raped her, was one of the first to react.

After mounting pressure, Corden was forced to apologise for his offensive joke.

Gwyneth Paltrow was seen cozying up to Chamath Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist known for being a Trump donor, at the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on Saturday.

While making her red carpet arrival, she was joined by Salma Hayek and Lauren Sanchez as they led the youth-defying stars in their 50s at the glamorous gala.

At the prestigious event held at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, Paltrow, 52, showcased her radiant beauty in a strapless, white gown with a floor-sweeping skirt.

The Goop founder strutted onto the star-studded red carpet and was followed by fellow actress Hayek, 58, and former journalist Sanchez, 55, in fashionable display.

Paltrow was seen in a selfie Palihapitiya shared on X, formerly Twitter, immediately after snapping the photo with the star. 

The entrepreneur, who also previously served as an early senior executive at Facebook, captioned the photo with three heart-surrounded, smiling emojis. 

Paltrow, while often encouraging her fans to vote, is not vocally political. However, she also got backlash a few years ago for saying she was ‘open-minded’ about controversial politician RFK Jr.

In contrast to Paltrow’s look, the From Dusk Till Dawn star modeled a sultry, black look featuring a high-neck, sheer top layered over a low-cut slip dress.

Sanchez put on a glamorous display in a striking red dress as she arrived on the arm of her husband-to-be, billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos, 61.

The annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, popularly known as the Oscars of Science, is a gathering of stars in Hollywood and in science to honor laureates in the fields of life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics.

Leading the glamorous arrivals on the red carpet, Paltrow turned heads in an ethereal, white dress with a tight-fitting, mermaid silhouette.