Andy Cohen is not sorry.
The outspoken television and radio personality is not backing down even as critics slam him for getting inebriated while hosting CNN’s New Yer’s Eve show with his good friend Anderson Cooper.
Andy called in to Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show on Tuesday, where he resolutely said:
“I will not be shamed for having fun on New Year’s Eve. That’s why I’m there. That’s why they bring me there.”
During the New Year’s Eve broadcast, Andy and Anderson sipped on cocktails and downed shots throughout the lengthy show. The drinking seemingly got Andy drunk, which led to a controversial rant against Bill de Blasio, NYC’s outgoing mayor.
For the Watch What Happens Live! host, however, those who got upset over what happened are not seeing the compete picture. He stated:
“It’s a four-and-a-half hour show. The booze started kicking in around 11:30. So everyone’s focusing on kind of the last 45 min or hour we were on the air. It kicked into high gear with 45 minutes left. We’d done 15 interviews before that point! And I won’t be shamed for it.”
And he reiterated that he is not going to be apologizing:
“I had a blast. Anderson had a blast. We left and we were like, ‘That was fun! What a fun new Year’s Eve.
There will be no apologies for drinking on New Year’s Eve. None.”
There is one thing that Andy is sorry for about that night — and that’s his on-air criticism of ABC’s competing NY show Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and host Ryan Seacrest. He said:
“The only thing that I regret saying, the only thing is that I slammed the ABC broadcast and I really like Ryan Seacrest and he’s a great guy. And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it.”
A CNN spokesperson has confirmed via statement to ET:
“I can confirm that Andy Cohen will be back to co-host NYE on CNN next year.”
