WATCH: Ariana Grande & James Corden Take On a Haunted Escape Room — and Leave With a Real Injury
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Ariana Grande is famously unshakable when it comes to Halloween thrills — she has said she has completed more than 300 escape rooms — but even she was rattled during a now-iconic outing with James Corden at a Los Angeles haunted escape room experience.
The pair visited “The Orphanage,” one of 60OUT Escape Rooms’ most intense themes — and the outing quickly went from playful challenge to genuine fright.
Grande Suggested the Outing — and Still Got Surprised
Grande, who has a lifelong passion for spooky experiences, was the one who suggested the location. Corden, who had never done an escape room before, agreed to join her.
Cameras captured the entire adventure — much of it in security-cam style footage — as the two entered a dark series of rooms and puzzles.
A Horror-Movie Atmosphere
Inside, the pair encountered:
- flickering lights
- eerie sound effects
- jump-scare actors
- puzzles in dim, creaking rooms
At one point, a ghostlike figure sprang out of a bunk bed — clearly inspired by classic horror visuals — sending both stars running and yelling in shock.
Later, a tall figure emerged in a cellar hallway, forcing the duo to navigate clues while startled at every turn.
The Climax — and the Injury
The final scare arrived only after they solved the last puzzle of the game: a performer crawled through a wall space toward them.
Grande, attempting to flee quickly, tripped and fell — injuring her hand. By the time she made it back to the car afterward, she was wearing a fresh bandage.
“That was traumatic,” she joked afterwards. “I’m not gonna lie — don’t I look kind of tough now?”
A Viral Moment — and a New Standard for Escape Rooms
Grande — who insisted she has completed hundreds of puzzle rooms — said that this one went far beyond anything she had done before.
In her own dramatic summary, she described the experience as something well beyond the usual puzzle-game format.
The episode has since become a fan favorite online, in part because of how real the reactions were — and because the comedic dynamic between Grande and Corden remained intact even under high-stress conditions.
It was — as viewers quickly agreed — as entertaining as any sketch or interview segment the two have ever filmed together.
Just this time, the laughs arrived after the screams.



