Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper seamlessly rekindled their easy camaraderie during CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” on Tuesday. The longtime friends and hosts delighted viewers with their playful banter and liberal use of tequila. Cohen enthusiastically proposed a shot of tequila on the hour, a suggestion Cooper, a self-proclaimed light drinker, initially accepted with good grace. However, the second shot visibly affected him, eliciting a humorous gasp.
Throughout the broadcast, the hosts maintained a jovial atmosphere, sharing anecdotes about their fits of laughter during commercial breaks and their FaceTime conversations with Hoda Kotb, who was hosting NBC’s New Year’s Eve special. Comedian Roy Wood Jr., however, politely declined a shot, delivering a witty quip referencing Don Lemon’s departure from CNN in 2023. Wood Jr. tweeted, “Not gone catch me slippin in the Deuce-Five,” highlighting the delicate situation.
The festivities continued with a humorous second-hour costume contest, staged before their Madame Tussauds wax figures. A parade of 2024 pop culture icons, including pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng, viral French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati, and a melancholic Glasgow Oompa Loompa, sent Cooper into peals of laughter. The alcohol flowed freely, even among more serious guests. Surprisingly, acclaimed actor Ralph Fiennes, joined in the tequila shots and even delivered a dramatic recitation of the “Very Dumure, Very Mindful” meme.
This marked Cohen and Cooper’s eighth year hosting the lively New Year’s Eve special, a celebration that welcomed a host of celebrity friends. Amy Sedaris, Jon Hamm, and Ziwe were among the many guests who joined the pair for engaging conversations throughout the night.