Craig Ferguson wouldn't stop asking an actress about her 'little outfit' — until she called him a 'pervert'
Renowned for his charm and smooth talk, Craig Ferguson carved a name for himself in the entertainment industry. As the host of 'The Late Late Show,' Ferguson wore his heart on his sleeves. While audiences enjoyed Ferguson's camaraderie with his female guests, one particular interview stood out. In a lighthearted yet memorable exchange, a guest playfully called out his flirtatious style, jokingly labeling him as "perverted," resulting in a hilarious and unforgettable late-night TV moment.
In 2008, Ferguson interviewed Evangeline Lilly for the first time on 'The Late Late Show,' and their conversation quickly turned flirtatious, as per The Things. Ferguson first complimented Lilly's dress, calling it a "lovely, lovely dress." Lilly then explained that it was her Valentine's dress, saying, "It's quite Valentiny, don't you think?" to which Ferguson replied, "It's very Valentiny, about as Valentiny as I like it. It's full of women." When Ferguson asked if she was a girly girl, Lilly responded, "I'm the farthest thing from a girly girl, although today's the excuse." The moment took a mischievous turn when Ferguson suggested a commercial break, prompting Lilly to joke, "I could sit with you... you could interview, and I could sit on your lap."
Sparks flew once again when Lilly returned in 2010, as their conversation flowed effortlessly. After discussing snakes, Ferguson steered the discussion in a different direction by asking if she enjoyed surfing. What started as a casual question quickly turned playful. Ferguson quipped, "Do you surf?" to which Lilly replied, "I attempt to surf," prompting the host to teasingly ask, "Do you wear a little outfit for surfing?" Lilly playfully responded, "I happened to be wearing it under my dress right now. Really, do you want to see it?"
Ferguson, clearly caught off guard but intrigued, responded, "I mean, yeah, I do want to see it, but no, we'd better not see it because I'd get into trouble." Lilly continued to tease him playfully, excitedly remarking, "It'd be great. It'd be fun. It'd be exciting." As Ferguson seemingly began talking himself into the idea, contemplating it aloud, Lilly abruptly switched gears and called him out, saying, "No. Now you're being perverted. Don't take it too far. No. No. No. It's not a good idea. It was a bad idea." However, she quickly circled back to her playful antics, jokingly adding, "I should. I should take my dress off, shouldn't I?"
The internet also enjoyed Fregueson and Lilly's interaction and shared their opinions under a Reddit thread. A comment read, "It's a shame that he's married because I'm pretty sure he could really clean up if he were single," while another wrote, "I can watch Ferguson interview beautiful women for hours. The man oozes charm." One fan said, "This is probably my favorite Craig Ferguson bit. I have seen it 5 or 6 times now, and I still end up laughing till I'm crying whenever I see it." Another said about Lilly, "I like that she refers to her man as "my partner." Also, I'm from Hawaii; I know the kind of man she is talking about."
While most of the time, Ferguson playfully flirted with his female guests on 'The Late Late Show,' one interview that particularly flustered him was with Kate Mara, as per The Things. Throughout their exchange, Mara took several flirtatious jabs at Ferguson, leaving him momentarily speechless and unsure of what to say next. One standout moment came when Mara teasingly called Ferguson a "dirty man" after a suggestive back-and-forth about his signature snake cup. "I want you to give me a snake cup," Mara said. Ferguson quickly responded, "I'll give you a snake cup, young lady." Without missing a beat, Mara playfully shot back, "Dirty, dirty man." Even for a host known for his confidence and charm, Mara's teasing seemed to throw him off balance.