Bravo announced Wednesday that the network has renewed late-night talk show “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” through 2023. Cohen, who is the face of Bravo, has been the “Watch What Happens Live” host and executive producer since the show premiered in 2009.
“What Watch Happens Live” has proven to be adaptable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Cohen at first taping the show from his apartment with virtual guests. In fall 2020, Cohen returned to the studio — called “the clubhouse” — solo, but his guests remained virtual. In June of last year, Bravo announced that guests would once again appear from the clubhouse, along with a socially distanced, smaller audience. During the recent omicron surge — when Cohen himself got COVID for a second time — the show’s guests have been a mixture of remote and in-studio, and it has continued to be filmed in front of an audience. The talk show’s flexible format has been rewarded with ratings growth year-over-year in the key demographics of adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54. According to Bravo’s announcement, 17 million total viewers tuned in to “What Watch Happens Live” last year.
“My WWHL team rose to every challenge of the pandemic, and getting to do WWHL for two more years is the ultimate reward. We’re still having a ball making our show — whether our guests are virtual or in studio!” said Cohen in a statement.
“Watch What Happens Live” functions as both a typical talk show and an aftershow for Bravolebrities to hash out an episode that aired that night. Guests in 2021 included a raft of “Real Housewives,” “Below Deck” cast members and other Bravo stars, as well as celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Chastain and many more.