Anderson Cooper Has the Perfect Response to NYE Demands After Hurricane Milton Coverage

Anderson Cooper is already prepared to raise his glass.

Days after the CNN anchor was struck in the head with flying debris on air when Hurricane Milton made landfall in Bradenton, Fla., Oct. 9, he made it clear that he's ready to go wild during the network's New Year's Eve special with costar and close friend Andy Cohen.

"They won't let him drink on NYE," one fan wrote on their Instagram Stories, "but they'll send him out in this." Anderson reposted on his Stories and added, "Oh @bravoandy and I am definitely having shots this New Year's Eve!"

The Watch What Happens Live host backed that up, reposting another fan's Instagram Stories that said, "We need @AndersonCooper and @BravoAndy to host NYE. Please get this national treasure under cover."

Andy also reshared a post from X, formerly known as Twitter, Oct. 10 that read, "CNN had better let Anderson Cooper black out on New Year's Eve for this." In another retweet from the Bravo host, another fan wrote alongside a screenshot of his Hurricane Milton coverage, "Watching Anderson Cooper earn his NYE party."

After all, CNN’s annual NYE celebration has been a highlight for Anderson, Andy and viewers alike as the pair let loose with the help of alcoholic beverages. Although they partook in the activity to ring in 2024, the network had previously restricted alcohol consumption on the show in December 2022 after some particularly bold comments made by the cohosts.

That year, the duo got creative for their dry coverage, like taking shots of pickle juice to stay entertained, but it wasn’t cutting it.

"People want to see me make Anderson giggle, and they love to see him do shots," Andy said on The Howard Stern Show last July. "We did everything we could to get around it, but it was just a stupid move."

But Andy was hopeful that CNN would let them pop champagne bottles on air again.

"They need to let us drink," he told E! News a month before the show. "It's New Year's Eve. That didn't go well last year in terms of viewer happiness about us drinking. People really cared and I hope CNN gives the people what they want."

And the network gave fans exactly what they wanted.

At the beginning of the December broadcast, Andy turned to Anderson and asked, "I'm hearing from a lot of people—does Daddy get his juice?"

As he pulled out a bottle of tequila and shot glasses, the Anderson Cooper 360 host quipped, "Can Daddy get his juice responsibly?"