Courtesy CNN
CNN has announced that Kathy Griffin will return to co-host the network’s New Years Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper. The network released a brief press release announcing the news and promised more details later. This will be the 8th consecutive year that Griffin and Cooper will co-host together.
Griffin, who is known for her sometimes raunchy style, has had an interesting relationship with CNN. In 2009, Griffin cursed on-air, discussed a lesbian three-way, and self-pleasure. There were reports following thereafter that Griffin would not be allowed back. However, she was back in 2010 and has been every year since. Cooper and Griffin have poked fun at the incident, with Cooper often making reference to his “No Cursing” sign.
When Jeff Zucker joined CNN as CNN Worldwide President last year, there were reports that Griffin and Cooper had taped a pilot for a show that included comedy and a live studio audience. Zucker was reportedly in the audience as well. When Griffin’s show on Bravo ended the next month, it added fuel to the fire.
The annual show garners strong ratings and regularly beats Fox News’s coverage in the demo and total viewers.
We will update this as we get more details from CNN.