Andy Cohen’s intoxicated hosting appearance on CNN’s “Live From Times Square” special with Anderson Cooper dominated New Year’s Eve television news. “The only thing that the Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been, so sayonara, sucka!” Cohen said of departing New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. “2022! It’s a new year.”
Although the Bravo producer has acknowledged to being “overserved,” he recently told Howard Stern that he would not apologize for his drinking.
“Listen, I’m not going to be shamed for having a good time on New Year’s Eve,” Cohen said. “That’s why I’m there. That’s why they bring me there.”
Cohen reminded listeners that his inebriated antics were just a minor part of the “Live From Times Square” special’s four-hour-plus runtime.
“It’s a four-and-a-half-hour show. Around 11:30 [p.m.], the alcohol kicked in. So everyone’s concentrating on the last 45 minutes or hour we were on the air,” he said to Howard Stern. “With 45 minutes remaining, things went into overdrive. We’d already completed 15 interviews at that time. And I’m not going to be ashamed of it.”
“I had a great time. Anderson had a great time. ‘That was fantastic, what a fun New Year’s Eve,’ we said as we departed. I make no apologies for the amount of alcohol I consumed on New Year’s Eve. None.”
He went on to add that CNN president Jeff Zucker told him on the broadcast to “have fun.” “There you go,” Cohen remarked, “that is my job.”
“It was not just a mediocre year, but it also concluded with a COVID car accident and Betty White’s death on New Year’s Eve, whom everyone adored, so it was like, we had to get it going. We’ve got to have a good time since a lot of people are staying at home and spending their nights with us,” The host of Watch What Happens Live remarked.
Cohen remarked earlier this week that his sole regret about hosting was making fun of Ryan Seacrest on public television. Cohen observed Seacrest’s ABC broadcast station from distance during the “Live From Times Square” special and informed viewers, “There’s a bunch of smoke coming from Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers that are performing behind us. I’m sorry if you’ve been watching ABC tonight and haven’t seen anything.”
“The only thing I regret saying, the only thing I regret saying is that I slammed the ABC broadcast, and I really like Ryan Seacrest and he’s a great guy,” Cohen said on his Andy Cohen Live radio program on Monday, January 3. “And I truly regret saying that, and I was just drunk and feeling it at the time.”
Despite his outbursts, there is no animosity between the producer and his buddy Kelly Ripa, who co-hosts Live With Kelly and Ryan with Seacrest, 47.
Cohen remarked on The Howard Stern Show, “She is not upset with me.” “In the midst of my Journey rant, I found myself starting to throw ABC under the bus.” And it is the only thing I regret about the night… I was in my cups, as they say, and I was enjoying the rant. “Wow, it’s really fun being on CNN and just ranting like a nut,” I thought to myself. “So I kept going.”
To usher in the new year, CNN has already confirmed that Cohen and Anderson will return for the network’s “Live From Times Square” special at the end of 2022.
