Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper brought back a familiar tradition to CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast for 2024, raising glasses live on air after abstaining during last year’s show.
Cohen, early in the broadcast, hinted at the return of their annual toast, playfully asking, “Can Daddy get his juice responsibly?” This led to Cooper unveiling a bottle of tequila and shot glasses, kicking off the show with a celebratory drink.
This festive spirit marked a change from the previous year, following then-CEO Chris Licht’s November 2022 announcement to limit alcohol use during the network’s New Year’s Eve coverage. Despite this, Cohen, who has been a regular host of the show, humorously declared that the rule didn’t apply to him, though he and Cooper chose non-alcoholic alternatives like buttermilk and pickle juice last year in solidarity with the CNN team.
Cohen, anticipating this year’s celebration, publicly urged the network, now led by CEO Mark Thompson, to reintroduce on-air drinking. He expressed his views to E! News in November, emphasizing the audience’s desire to see the hosts partake in the New Year’s Eve drinking tradition.
Their approach to this year’s broadcast was teased during a guest appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” with Cooper suggesting viewers would need to watch to discover their plans.
The decision to reintroduce alcohol comes after Cohen’s previous New Year’s Eve broadcast in 2022, where he made headlines for his tipsy criticism of ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” and host Ryan Seacrest. Cohen later expressed regret over his remarks, particularly about Seacrest, on his SiriusXM radio show, acknowledging that he was “stupid and drunk” during the incident.
This year’s broadcast, with its return to on-air toasts, suggests a lighter, more festive approach from CNN, catering to viewer expectations for a joyous and celebratory ringing in of the new year.