If there’s one pair that viewers have come to love for New Year’s Eve shenanigans, it’s Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. And yes, the two will be reuniting to ring in 2025.
For the last six years, the duo has hosted “CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live,” most often going viral for drunken moments on air as the night goes on. In 2022, then-CNN head Chris Licht announced that on-air personnel wouldn’t be allowed to drink during the network’s programming, with the logic being that on-camera drinking damaged the credibility of reporters in the eyes of viewers.
Cooper and Cohen were technically exempt from that mandate, but opted not to drink anyway, in solidarity with their fellow on-air talent. Instead, they took mystery shots of non-alcoholic beverages throughout the night, ranging from pickle juice to buttermilk.
So, what will this year bring? We’ve got the details for you below.
What time does the special start?
“CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live” kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31.
Is it streaming?
Yes, it will be. Viewers can stream it live on CNN Max and for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps.
Who’s hosting?
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen return to host the celebration, but Sara Sidner and Cari Champion will take over at 12:30 a.m. ET to count down as the Central Time Zone rings in the New Year.
Are Anderson and Andy allowed to drink again?
It appears that way! In an interview with Variety back in October, Cohen was quick to say “You bet” when asked if the duo would be drinking on air, as fans have come to love seeing.
“After what Anderson did in that hurricane, I’m not only giving him tequila, I’m throwing it at him,” Cohen said at the time (referring to Cooper going viral for being hit by a piece of debris on air while covering Hurricane Milton in Florida for CNN).
Who’s performing during the special?
Enrique Iglesias, Maroon 5, Jonas Brothers, Flo Rida, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker and Rod Stewart will all be performing during the special. There will also be live interviews with Patti Labelle, Jeremy Renner, Neil Patrick Harris, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, and a special appearance from David Blaine.
