Anderson Cooper is now a staple of New Year’s Eve, but he actually spent years hating the holiday.
During the Tuesday, December 31, broadcast New Year’s Eve live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on CNN, Cooper, 57, revealed the personal reason behind his previous feelings about celebrating the New Year.
Before the in memoriam show, the journalist said that New Year’s Eve is “always difficult” for him.
Are you ready to welcome 2025? Here are all the New Year’s offers, including places to watch
“There’s a lot of people watching tonight who might not be out at a party… maybe you’re alone or just with someone you love in your room or just alone,” he began.
Cooper continued: “I just want to say that New Year’s Eve is a night that’s always been hard for me. My dad died five days after New Year’s, he died on January 5th, 1978. And I remember being 10 years old and watching the New Year’s Eve party that New Year, five days before he died, filled with fear and feeling very alone.”
From left: Wyatt Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt Cooper, Carter Cooper and Anderson Cooper in 1972.
Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty
Cooper’s father died of surgical complications. In a 2023 essay for CNN, Cooper said that despite multiple significant losses throughout his life, he “never really grieved” until he dedicated an entire season to his Everything that exists podcast unfortunately.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The 60 minutes the correspondent went on to say that he first started working on the holiday “because I hated New Year’s Eve for that and wanted to work only on that.”
Cooper was the host New Year live since 2002, and has grown to “enjoy” the annual event.
Andy Cohen reveals the most annoying part of co-hosting CNN New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper (exclusive)
“I’ve come to enjoy with Andy. I’ve come to enjoy with all of you who may be watching alone or who may be grieving and not looking forward to the new year or haven’t had a good year,” he said.
“And I just want you to know that in all this joy and all this rain… you’re not alone tonight,” Anderson concluded. “I am with you, we are with you. We see you and we welcome you and we are glad that you will spend the night with us.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education