Not long after Anderson Cooper began hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage from Times Square in 2002, the news program often broke the news.
in 2007, Kathy Griffin joined him as the journalist’s official companion. While the adorable pair got some laughs, Griffin made headlines every year for her dirty jokes and curses. Still, the network stood by her — until May 2017 when Griffin came under fire for posing with a then-fake severed head.President Donald Trump.
After Cooper tweeted that he was “appalled by the photo shoot,” calling it “plainly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” the network cut ties with Griffin.
Cooper continued to hold the cover light by joining the friend Andy Cohen as its official host for the 2017-18 broadcast — and the pair started their tradition of taking pictures to celebrate the show.
A few years later, Cohen made headlines during the 2021-22 broadcast when he threw shade at the Mayor Bill de Blasio AND Ryan Seacrest. The outburst resulted in a one-year alcohol ban for Cooper and Cohen.
Scroll through for the most talked about moments from the broadcast over the years:
