Ryan Seacrest told Entertainment Weekly that it’s “probably a good idea” that CNN is having its New Year’s Eve anchors cut back on drinking during the upcoming 2022-2023 celebration. CNN hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen went viral during last year’s telecast for their drunken antics, which included Cohen dissing Seacrest and ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Seacrest has hosted ABC’s annual celebration since 2006.
Cohen addressed “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” as “Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers that are performing behind us” while on air, adding, “I mean, with all due [respect], if you’ve been watching ABC tonight, you’ve seen nothing. I’m sorry.”
Nearly a year later, Seacrest told EW that he doesn’t “advocate drinking when one is on the air.” He added, “I don’t know how that started as a tradition, but it’s probably a good idea [to cut back], CNN.” The news network announced in November that it would be scaling back the drinking on its New Year’s Eve telecast.
“There’s some pretty respectable people, or at least one, right? I think there’s a serious journalist and then a friend of mine who has a lot of fun, but it’s probably a good idea,” Seacrest said. “Although the viewers probably wish they would drink more. But I think they had something to say about my show at one point, which was I’m sure from the alcohol because I don’t think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking.”
Seacrest concluded, “I think our show’s a bigger, broader show and we will not drink until 1:05 in the morning. Although, I might send them some Casa Dragones Tequila just to tempt them while they’re on the air.”
Cohen later admitted that his on-air Seacrest diss was a huge mistake. “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,” Cohen said on his SiriusXM radio show. “And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it.”
Visit Variety’s full New Year’s Eve guide to see all of this year’s television celebrations.