Andy Cohen got real about his friendship with Anderson Cooper.
On the Dec. 27 episode of host Bruce Bozzi's podcast "Table for Two," Cohen, 54, spoke about how he's bonded with Cooper over their careers on camera and becoming parents later in life.
“We've known each other for years. But I would say in the last 15 years, we’ve gotten much closer because he’s been able to kind of guide me as I’ve been in front of the camera, and guide me navigating what that is,” Cohen said.
Cohen says Anderson's guidance is especially relegated to the world of talk shows. Cohen has hosted the late night Bravo show "Watch What Happens Live" since 2009; Cooper has hosted the CNN show "Anderson Cooper 360" since 2003.
"There are a lot of things about navigating that world of doing a show every night that he can relate to and that he’s given me really good advice about,” Cohen said, like "saying the wrong thing and getting it printed in the paper."
Cooper and Cohen have also frequently co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve. Normally "solo acts," Cohen said, New Year's Eve is a change of pace for both hosts. "We've been able to develop our friendship as a public duo which has been fun for me and for him," Cohen said."
The TV personalities also bond over parenthood, Cohen said. Cohen joked that he and Cooper are both “geriatric parents” who are “hobbling around” and chasing their children.
The Bravo host is a dad of two to kids, Ben, 3, and Lucy, 7 months. Cooper has a 2-year-old son, Wyatt, and Sebastian, 7 months. Cohen said Ben and Wyatt have play dates together and predicted that one day, they might bond over their upbringing.
“As it develops ... as our kids start realizing, ‘I have gay dads,’ I’m so glad that Ben will grow up with Wyatt and will grow up to see Anderson raising Wyatt and Sebastian,’” he said.
Cooper sometimes shares snippets of his adventures in fatherhood alongside Cohen, like this post from October, in which the sounds of kids nearly drown out Cohen's voice. Back in February, Cohen shared the moment he met Cooper's second son.
Cohen said Wyatt and Ben are are close. One day at dinner, Cohen said indulged in a "stupid question game" along the lines of "would you rather."
First, Cohen started with questions like "yellow or blue." But soon, his questions escalated toward more personal questions.
“I started saying, because I am so shady, and I’m even doing it with my kid, ‘Would you rather go to Wyatt Cooper’s house and play or would you rather have a playdate with like, X friend of his from school?’ And he’s like, ‘I’d rather go to Wyatt Cooper’s.' I was like, ' Ah, thank God!’”
"Then, I was like, 'You know what, Andy? You don't need to be pitting Ben's friends against each other.'"