The libations made a triumphant return to the televised New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring the dynamic duo of Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. After being on a forced alcohol hiatus during last year’s televised festivities, the hosting pair wasted no time indulging in some early celebratory drinking during CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” from New York City’s iconic Times Square.
For the past seven years, Cooper and Cohen have made toasting a tradition at the top of each hour during their annual broadcast. As Cohen, a seven-time host, put it, “It’s the top of the hour and we’ve been here for seven years doing this, and for most of those years at the top of the hour, we typically have a toast.” He humorously added, “I’m hearing from a lot of people asking, ‘Does Daddy get his juice?'” The duo pledged to take a shot at the top of each hour throughout the CNN broadcast.
In November 2022, then-CEO Chris Licht had announced that CNN would be scaling back on the New Year’s Eve drinking that had become a signature element of Anderson and Cohen’s annual broadcast. The compromise involved the duo sipping non-alcoholic beverages like pickle juice on air during the New Year’s Eve 2022 celebration. Cohen acknowledged the situation last year, stating, “So we should talk about the elephant in the room. We can’t drink, alright! We can’t drink. But it’s fine. It’s totally cool.”
However, the dry era has officially come to an end. In the second hour of Sunday’s broadcast, Cooper’s facial expression was notably less dramatic after his tequila shot. “I think it’s getting easier,” Cohen remarked. Cooper, seemingly perplexed by the tradition, asked, “Why do people do this?”
The evening also witnessed a resurrection of past conflicts, specifically between Cohen and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” host Ryan Seacrest. Last year, Seacrest claimed that Cohen “did not turn around and wave” back during their respective specials across Times Square. Cohen countered, asserting he never saw the wave. The playful feud resurfaced after Cohen’s second shot when he declared, “By the way, just want to point out I made a big effort. We waved at Seacrest. He saw us waving so he cannot go around saying that I dissed him.” Cooper, trying to keep the peace, warned, “Don’t start it. Don’t even mention it,” to which Cohen replied, “I’m not starting it. I’m just keeping it real clean. We have waved. Connection has been made.”
As the night unfolded, Cooper, only one shot into the evening, took a lighthearted jab at the French, claiming they have no concept of iced coffee. He shared his frustration, saying, “The thing that drives me nuts about France is they don’t know what iced coffee is.” Cooper went on to describe his attempts in Paris to order the beverage, only to be met with confusion. “Literally, I would go into every cafe and ask for iced coffee, and they would look at me like I was the first person in the world that has ever even mentioned there is such a thing as black coffee with ice.” French diplomats have not yet responded to Cooper’s iced coffee critique or his use of “literally.”
In conclusion, the return of alcohol to the New Year’s Eve celebration with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen brought back the festive spirit and banter that viewers have come to expect. As the duo continued their traditions, engaged in playful feuds, and shared amusing anecdotes, they ushered in the new year with the energy and humor that have made their broadcasts a beloved part of the annual celebration.