It’s no secret that James Corden and Harry Styles are good friends, but they have another guy from One Direction to thank for making that connection possible.

The 44-year-old host of the Late Late Show, James Corden, disclosed on Sunday during his appearance at the New Yorker Festival that Louis Tomlinson’s late mother played a role in introducing him to the British boy band back in 2010.

When Johannah Deakin’s son, Louis Tomlinson, was filming The X Factor, she asked Corden if he could look after the then-18-year-old because she had previously worked as a chaperone on one of his TV shows. According to Corden’s statement to staff writer Rachel Syme, he and Johannah Deakin knew each other because she had previously worked as a chaperone on one of his TV shows. Deakin passed away from leukemia in 2016.

My son is currently residing in London; she informed me in an email that she sent to me one evening. Do you have any recollection of me? You first came into contact with him many years ago. We are somewhat at ease with the fact that he traveled to London by himself. Can you communicate with him? Corden remembered at the time. And I said, Sure.

The comedian claimed that he complied with her request and that it was through Tomlinson that he became acquainted with Styles and the other band members, including Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik.

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My wife Julia would feel like she was babysitting when various members of that band would come to our home in North London to eat pizza and play PlayStation, as he described it. Then, from that point on, our friendship continued to develop, and now I love him intensely. Always and in every situation, I will look out for him and be very proud of him.