The show will go on, but will the shots? Andy Cohen — and his tequila — have been helping CNN make headlines since taking over cohosting New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper.
The Real Housewives producer replaced Kathy Griffin for the 2017–18 broadcast, joining his BFF to ring in the New Year on the lengthy show and introducing shots “at the top of every hour.” While social media users always poked fun at Cooper’s facial expressions when he attempted to down the tequila, Cohen’s drunken antics made waves way after January 1 when he threw shade at Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on the 2021-22 show.
“If you look behind me, you’ll see Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers performing. … I’m sorry but if you’re watching ABC, you’re watching nothing,” Cohen said at the time. “We were doused with confetti from fake Journey on ABC. If it’s not Steve Perry, it doesn’t count! You get it? It’s not Journey! It’s propaganda! It’s propaganda! It’s not Journey! It’s not Journey! No, that was not Journey. Steve Perry is Journey.”
Seacrest wasn’t the only one dissed by Cohen. For the second year in a row, he slammed then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“Watching Mayor de Blasio do his victory lap dance after four years of the crappiest term as the mayor of New York — the only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been,” he declared. “So sayonara sucka. 2022! It’s a new year because guess what? I have a feeling I’m gonna be standing right here next year, and you know who I’m not going to be looking at dancing as the city comes apart? You!”
While he laughed off the drunk moments the next morning, Cohen later revealed how he felt about the Seacrest dig.
“As I was going on my rant about Journey, I did wind up kind of starting to throw ABC under the bus and that is my only regret from the night because I really like Ryan Seacrest,” the Andy Cohen Diaries author said on The Howard Stern Show, adding that their mutual bestie Kelly Ripa wasn’t upset with him. “He’s a really nice guy. And I was — as they say— in my cups, and I was kind of enjoying the rant. I was like, ‘Wow, it’s really fun being on CNN just ranting like a nutty guy. This is fun.’ So I kept going and that I felt bad about and I texted Ryan the next morning.”
In the days that followed, CNN released a statement in support of Cohen. “Andy said something he shouldn’t have on live TV. We’ve addressed it with him and look forward to having him back again next year,” the network said.
As preparations for the 2022-23 show began, however, Variety reported in November that CNN chairman Chris Licht wanted to sober up New Year’s Eve Live. Amid the speculation, Cohen declared on WWHL that he was going to “party harder” than ever and subsequently confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn’t kidding.
“What [Chris Licht] said was that he didn’t want the correspondents out there drinking, but that he wanted Anderson and I to do our thing,” Cohen said. “So I’m happy to do our thing. My only directive for years on CNN has been to have fun on New Year’s Eve, and that is absolutely what I plan to do.”
Seacrest, for his part, told Entertainment Weekly in December 2022 that he doesn’t “advocate drinking when one is on the air.”
“I don’t know how that started as a tradition but it’s probably a good idea [to scale back], CNN,” he said before addressing Cohen’s diss for the first time. “[I don’t] think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking. I might send them some Casa Dragones Tequila just to tempt them while they’re on the air.”
Scroll through for more from Cohen about drinking on NYE:
The show will go on, but will the shots? Andy Cohen — and his tequila — have been helping CNN make headlines since taking over cohosting New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper. The Real Housewives producer replaced Kathy Griffin for the 2017–18 broadcast, joining his BFF to ring in the New Year on the lengthy show and introducing shots “at the top of every hour.” While social media users always poked fun at Cooper’s facial expressions when he attempted to down the tequila, Cohen’s drunken antics made waves way after January 1 when he threw shade at Ryan Seacrest and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on the 2021-22 show. “If you look behind me, you’ll see Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers performing. … I’m sorry but if you’re watching ABC, you’re watching nothing,” Cohen said at the time. “We were doused with confetti from fake Journey on ABC. If it’s not Steve Perry, it doesn’t count! You get it? It’s not Journey! It’s propaganda! It’s propaganda! It’s not Journey! It’s not Journey! No, that was not Journey. Steve Perry is Journey.” Seacrest wasn’t the only one dissed by Cohen. For the second year in a row, he slammed then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Watching Mayor de Blasio do his victory lap dance after four years of the crappiest term as the mayor of New York — the only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been,” he declared. “So sayonara sucka. 2022! It’s a new year because guess what? I have a feeling I’m gonna be standing right here next year, and you know who I’m not going to be looking at dancing as the city comes apart? You!” While he laughed off the drunk moments the next morning, Cohen later revealed how he felt about the Seacrest dig. “As I was going on my rant about Journey, I did wind up kind of starting to throw ABC under the bus and that is my only regret from the night because I really like Ryan Seacrest,” the Andy Cohen Diaries author said on The Howard Stern Show, adding that their mutual bestie Kelly Ripa wasn’t upset with him. “He’s a really nice guy. And I was — as they say— in my cups, and I was kind of enjoying the rant. I was like, ‘Wow, it’s really fun being on CNN just ranting like a nutty guy. This is fun.’ So I kept going and that I felt bad about and I texted Ryan the next morning.” [jwplayer Bum8diFO-zhNYySv2] In the days that followed, CNN released a statement in support of Cohen. “Andy said something he shouldn’t have on live TV. We’ve addressed it with him and look forward to having him back again next year,” the network said. As preparations for the 2022-23 show began, however, Variety reported in November that CNN chairman Chris Licht wanted to sober up New Year’s Eve Live. Amid the speculation, Cohen declared on WWHL that he was going to “party harder” than ever and subsequently confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn’t kidding. “What [Chris Licht] said was that he didn’t want the correspondents out there drinking, but that he wanted Anderson and I to do our thing,” Cohen said. “So I’m happy to do our thing. My only directive for years on CNN has been to have fun on New Year’s Eve, and that is absolutely what I plan to do.” Seacrest, for his part, told Entertainment Weekly in December 2022 that he doesn’t “advocate drinking when one is on the air.” “I don’t know how that started as a tradition but it’s probably a good idea [to scale back], CNN,” he said before addressing Cohen’s diss for the first time. “[I don’t] think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking. I might send them some Casa Dragones Tequila just to tempt them while they’re on the air.” Scroll through for more from Cohen about drinking on NYE:
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Anderson Is a ‘Lightweight’
While Cohen has been part of the show since December 2017, he made it his mission to get Anderson “very drunk” ahead of the 2020-21 show after the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic.
“He’s such a lightweight,” Cohen said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in December 2020. “If news breaks when we’re on the air, I’m going to be the guy that’s handling it. … It’s very authentic, it’s a very authentic experience unlike a lot of the pre-taped BS on a lot of the other networks.”
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Being ‘Overserved’ in 2021-22
Cohen returned to Twitter on January 1, 2022, and admitted he was “a bit overserved last night.” When responding to a troll who called him “irresponsible,” he responded: “I made the choice to get drunk on New Years Eve and lead a virtual audience in a night of revelry to forget a very sh–ty year. Ashamed I am not. I had fun and so did others. Happy New Year.”
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Regrets Ryan Dig
“The only thing that I regret saying, the only thing is that I slammed the ABC broadcast and I really like Ryan Seacrest and he’s a great guy,” the producer said on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live in January 2022. “And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it. … That is what I absolutely, that I really regret. I really do.”
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The Length of the Show
“It’s a four-and-a-half-hour show,” Cohen told Howard Stern in January 2022. “The booze started kicking in around 11:30. So everyone’s focusing on kind of the last 45 minutes or hour that we were on the air. I kicked into high gear with 45 minutes left. So, we had done 15 interviews before that point.”
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Doesn’t Remember ‘Sayonara, Sucka’ Diss
“I gotta tell you something. It is super fun getting smashed on CNN and just raging on a soap box. … We got in the car after and I saw on Twitter the rant I did about de Blasio. And I did not recall, though it was about 40 minutes earlier, saying ‘Sayonara, sucka’ to the outgoing mayor of New York,” Cohen said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2022. “And I go, ‘Oh my God’ and Anderson said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Sayonara, sucka.’ And he said, ‘Yes you did!'”
It wasn’t the first time Cohen had come for de Blasio. Shortly after the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2021, he declared he didn’t “need to see” the politician dancing. “Do something with this city! Honestly, get it together!” he yelled.
Credit: Brent N Clarke/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Going to ‘Party Harder’ Ahead of 2023
“[The headline] was, ‘CNN plans to sober up boozy New Year’s Eve coverage.’ The article does point out that Anderson [Cooper] and I are still allowed to drink,” Cohen clarified on WWHL in November 2022. “I just want you to know Anderson and I are going to party harder than we have ever partied before on New Year’s Eve! Do you understand me?!”
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Partying Is in the Job Description
“It’s fun for me because I’m a guest on CNN, so I’m like a visitor,” Cohen told Rolling Stone in December 2022. “I’m going to just march back to Bravo at 12:30 in the morning and be done with it. And so I can kind of torch the place while I’m there, and then head out.”
The Real Housewives producer explained that it is his “job” on the broadcast to “take Anderson out of his comfort zone” and have a good time. “My job is to be a party ringleader for everyone watching us on New Year’s Eve,” Cohen added. “And that is what I will continue to do.”
He further clarified that CNN wanted its correspondents to not be drinking, but that guideline didn’t extend to the cohosts. Cooper and I “will be the people partying on CNN,” the Radio Andy host continued. “And as a matter of fact, if the correspondents are not drinking this year, I will be partying even harder on their behalf.”
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