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Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are longtime friends whose relationship began when mutual friends tried to set them up on a blind date in the 1990s. They spoke by phone before meeting and called off the romantic plan; their connection became a friendship and, later, a public work partnership spanning CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live and the unscripted stage show AC2.
How did Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen meet?
A high-school friend of Cooper’s tried to arrange a blind date, Cooper recalled. Before they met, the two had a long phone conversation and decided not to go on the date. The near-miss became the start of a friendship, not a romance, according to Bravo’s December 17, 2025 account of their relationship (Bravo).
Are Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen dating?
No. Bravo’s December 2025 report says they are not dating and quotes Cohen’s earlier description of their relationship: “We’re really good friends, but there’s never been anything.” Their teasing on camera and their close friendship should not be read as evidence of a romantic relationship.
What is their friendship like away from the cameras?
Their families socialize and travel together, including vacations with their four children. Bravo reported that the children are close and that the families have spent time together in New York and at Disney.
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Their friendship also has ordinary friction. During a family trip in April, the two had what Cohen called a “flash fight” over something “stupid,” then worked it out. Cooper joked that the story sounded “very Housewife. Very Reunion.” The account shows a close friendship that can include disagreements; it does not establish private motives or describe every aspect of their personal lives.
In interview remarks relayed by Bravo, Cooper praised Cohen as a father: “I love watching him be the dad that he is, and I think he’s amazing at it.” Cohen described Cooper as “very loyal,” “very kind,” and “incredibly sensitive in ways that people don’t understand.” These are their attributed views of one another.
How long have they hosted New Year’s Eve together?
Cooper and Cohen have co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live since 2017. CNN’s December 15, 2025 announcement called the 2025–26 broadcast their ninth consecutive year together, scheduled to air live from Times Square at 8 p.m. ET (CNN’s announcement).
For that edition, CNN said its New Year’s Eve programming would stream on CNN.com/AllAccess and through CNN mobile and connected-TV apps; pay-TV subscribers could also log in with their credentials. These distribution details were specific to the 2025–26 broadcast and do not establish access for future editions.
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What CNN reported about the 2025–26 audience
CNN’s January 5, 2026 release reported the following audience figures for the broadcast. They are network-published metrics, not an independent assessment:
- 4.487 million viewers in the P2+ demographic during the midnight 12:00–12:30 a.m. half-hour.
- 1.839 million viewers in P25–54 during that half-hour, which CNN said was up 35% year over year.
- For 11 p.m.–12:30 a.m., 4.245 million viewers in P2+ and 1.775 million in P25–54.
- Nearly 450,000 unique live-stream visitors on December 31, which CNN said was 30% more than for the prior year’s event.
CNN attributed the television figures to Nielsen. It said the 2025 comparison used Big Data + Panel, while prior years used Panel Only; the figures are average audience in thousands and include Live + Same Day and out-of-home viewing. CNN attributed digital figures for December 31, 2025–January 1, 2026 to Adobe Analytics and Mux (CNN’s audience release).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is AC2, their stage show?
AC2 is a live, unscripted conversation show that began in 2015. Bravo describes it as an interactive show built around conversation and a behind-the-scenes view of the two hosts. Cooper has described the format as “all unscripted and unplanned”—like spending a little time hanging out with them.
Unlike CNN’s scheduled televised holiday broadcast, AC2 is a ticketed stage conversation with audience interaction. Bravo’s December 2025 report announced New York performances at the Beacon Theatre for January 23 and 24, 2026; those dates have passed, and the report does not establish a later tour schedule or ticket availability (Bravo’s AC2 report).
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