Colin Farrell left red-faced after repeatedly swearing live on James Corden's World Cup show

Colin Farrell had an awkward but hilarious on-air moment after repeatedly swearing during a live television appearance before realising the programme was being broadcast in real time.

The Oscar-nominated actor appeared on FIFA World Cup on FOX: After Hours with James Corden to discuss football and his latest projects. Throughout the conversation, Farrell casually used several expletives, unaware that viewers were watching the show live.

The moment reached its peak when Farrell spotted a wax figure on the set and asked, "Who the f--- is that?" Host James Corden then broke the news to him, saying: "Let me tell you two things. Number one, that's the waxwork Pelé from Madame Tussauds, and number two, this is live."

A visibly embarrassed Farrell repeatedly replied, "I didn't know that," before joking, "It mightn't have been that different, but I didn't know that. I would've liked to have known that." He also quipped that the programme's title had confused him, saying, "Wait a minute, it's called 'Live' — no it's not, it's called 'After Hours!'"

Fox Sports later embraced the mishap by sharing a compilation of Farrell's bleeped comments on Instagram, with the actor's candid reaction quickly going viral across social media. Fans praised his humour, while fellow panellists and the studio audience burst into laughter after his realisation.

The incident isn't the first time Farrell has accidentally sworn during a live broadcast. In September, 2025, he dropped an F-bomb while appearing alongside Margot Robbie on NBC's Today show to promote A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. After realising what he had said, he jokingly insisted, "They misheard me," as Robbie looked on in shock.

Farrell is currently starring in Apple TV+'s Sugar and is expected to reprise his role as Oswald "Oz" Cobb, better known as the Penguin, in The Batman Part II. Despite the live television blunder, many viewers praised the Irish actor's good-natured response, turning an embarrassing mistake into one of the World Cup's funniest off-pitch moments.