Prince Harry’s interview on James Corden’s show did not disappoint. From how UK tabloids ruined his mental health to his dream casting for “The Crown,” his first TV interview since it was confirmed he and wife Meghan Markle wouldn’t return to royal duties was chock full of updates on his Highness’s life. Watch the video above to see how Prince Harry and James Corden spent an afternoon in Los Angeles.
In between spilling tea (Literally. While sitting up top, on a double-decker bus), visiting a sitcom-famous home with a royal connection, and exchanging playful banter ― as Brits love to do ― the duo enlisted themselves in an army-inspired obstacle course.
Of course, Corden was joking throughout the physically intense segment — but not before including a shout-out to several of his “Carpool Karaoke” friends, Canadian media personality Lainey Lui noted in a review.
“Army” is an affectionate term for fans of K-Pop stars BTS. Many in the fandom were thrilled to hear their faves name-dropped in the presence of the prince.
The course was a breeze for Harry, who had a decade-long military career. The 36-year-old father ran, jumped, and climbed without breaking much of a sweat.
Then came time for one of the more rigorous obstacles: A pit of mud with barbed wire hanging overhead.
“That’s too muddy ... there’s no need to go there,” Corden complained.
“James, get over it. You’ve been in LA too long,” Harry fired back, before coaxing his fellow English expat. “This is like a mud bath, like a facial.”
“James, get over it. You’ve been in LA too long. This is like a mud bath, like a facial.”
- Prince Harry
Then the prince got down on all fours and, without complaining, started crawling through the mud:
Corden, on the other hand, was far more relatable: The talk show host screamed as Harry urged him on, letting us know just how grossed out he was as he made his way across the filth, in an awkward belly-to-the-ground slither.
While they both survived the gruelling crawl, only Harry came out from the mini-swamp virtually spotless, with his white shirt pretty much looking as it did before he got into the pit.
“How have you got no mud on you?” Corden asked, in his mud-caked cargo pants and filthy black tee.
“I did it properly,” Harry replied.
How to crawl like Harry (and not like James)
Believe it or not, the prince did not achieve the impossible. Making it out of a mud crawl without messing your clothes up can be done if, like Harry, you do the “army crawl” properly.
The exercise, which is popular in boot camps and military trainings, engages your entire body. And as the CBC states, it makes for a perfect at-home calorie-burning exercise because it involves no equipment.
In the segment, the prince kept himself in an upright plank position as he scurried forward. This ensured he avoided smearing mud on his belly, while also working out his upper-body strength and core muscles.
In order not to tire your legs out when you move, an instructor on the fitness app Class Pass recommends focusing on staying low and moving your arms. A beginner-friendly modification can look like starting on your stomach and working up, bringing the opposite leg to your torso when an arm shoots out.
If you don’t want to make your way through an obstacle course, you can adapt the crawl for a stationary workout that alternates between elbows and planking.
And good news! Sans planking, this crawling exercise is something a family’s youngest members can learn to do too; babies are expected to begin crawling when they reach the six-to-10 months mark, with some dragging their bellies on the ground when they start off.
As a tot whose second birthday is fast approaching, maybe Archie gave Harry more reason to practice the army crawl than Corden had at home. No guarantees Harry could keep his shirt so clean though, as a stay-home dad with a baby in lockdown.
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