Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper Ring in the New Year with Tequila Shots

Andy Cohen again Anderson Cooper closed in 2025 and accepted 2026 in their annual year CNN New Year’s Eve Live special.

The Bravo star, 57, and journalist, 58, hosted the Times Square broadcast from New York City for the ninth year in a row on Wednesday, December 31.

“Below: This is tequila!” Cohen announced before shooting with Cooper to open the show. Afterward, participants talked about the best things for 2025, including a trip to Disneyland with their kids and sightseeing. Cher performed during the ceremony of Saturday Night Live50 years.

“Cher called me a few weeks ago,” Cooper said, to which Cohen replied, “Did she ask me?”

Cooper jokingly recalls Cher saying of Cohen, “What’s that troublemaker like?”

Participants also said Ryan Seacrestwho is in charge Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC.

“Did Ryan call you … or text you today?” Cooper asked Cohen, who replied, “He texted me, like, yesterday or the day before.

Cooper said Seacrest had texted him that morning. Years ago, she noted, Seacrest had sent her gifts.

“Like, his picture?” Cohen asked.

“No,” Cooper said, adding that Seacrest had sent him tequila earlier.

The longtime friends also discussed the hockey romance series Hot Competitionand Cohen telling Cooper, “For both of us, you’re Ilya and I’m Shane.”

“What?!” Cooper replied.

In addition to Cohen and Cooper’s signature banter, CNN New Year’s Eve Live concerts included by Robyn, Shakira, Brandy again Monica, Bryan AdamsFlorence + The Machine, Raye, Brandi Carlile, Aloe Blacc, Patti LaBelle again Michelle Williams and a special appearance by Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Rebecca Romijn again Jerry O’Connell, BJ Novak, Leanne Morgan again Sarah Sherman.

Since Cohen joined the network as Cooper’s host in 2017, the CNN New Year’s Eve special has been making headlines, perhaps most famously when the network banned the pair from drinking after Cohen shaded the New York City mayor. Bill de Blasio and Seacrest during the 2021-2022 show season.

“To watch Mayor de Blasio do his victory dance after four years of a very bad name as mayor of New York — the only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that he was a terrible mayor,” Cohen said at the time. “So sayonara, sucka. 2022! It’s a new year because guess what? I have a feeling I’ll be standing here next year, and you know who I won’t be looking to dance with as the town breaks up?

Cohen was equally critical of the Seacrest-hosted Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

“If you look behind me, you’ll see Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers singing. … I’m sorry but if you’re watching ABC, you’re not watching anything,” he laughed. “We were sprinkled with fake Journey confetti on ABC, if nothing else Steve Perryit doesn’t count! Do you get it? It’s Not a Trip! Propaganda! Propaganda! It’s Not a Trip! It’s Not a Trip! No, that wasn’t a trip. Steve Perry The Journey. “

Cohen later apologized to Seacrest, 51, and the two made amends. Cohen and Cooper were still banned from drinking during the 2022-2023 broadcast, but their tequila shot ritual returned the following year.

Ahead of the 2025-2026 show, Cooper and Cohen shared their favorite memories from their years hosting the New Year’s Eve special.

“We can’t talk about New Year’s without talking about your many giggling moments,” Cohen told Cooper in a CNN video earlier this month. “I tell people my job is to make you laugh on New Year’s because people like to hear you laugh. And I think God bless you for the work you do all year long. You stay loyal right here at CNN, and this is your time and all our time to let them go and have fun.”