Andy Cohen
American radio and television talk show host (born 1968)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew Joseph Cohen (born June 2, 1968)[1] is an American radio and television talk show host, producer, and writer. He is the host and executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise[2][3] and Bravo's late night talk show, Watch What Happens Live![4][5] He also hosts a two-hour show with co-host John Hill twice a week on Sirius XM.[6]
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- Talk show host
- radio host
- author
- producer
Andy Cohen | |
|---|---|
Cohen in 2025 | |
| Born | Andrew Joseph Cohen June 2, 1968 |
| Education | Boston University (BS) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Children | 2 |
Cohen served as Bravo's executive vice president of Development and Talent until 2013.[7] He was responsible for creating original content, developing innovative formats, and identifying new talent. Cohen also served as executive producer on the James Beard award–winning reality cooking competition television show, Top Chef.[5] He also hosted the revival of the television dating show Love Connection. He has been awarded a Primetime Emmy Award, and five Peabody Awards.
Early life
Andy was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Evelyn and Lou Cohen.[8] He has a sister, Emily Rosenfeld. He is Jewish, with roots in Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.[9][10][11] Cohen graduated from Clayton High School in 1986.[12] He is a graduate of Boston University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism.[13] Cohen wrote for the Boston University student newspaper, The Daily Free Press.[14] He later interned at CBS News alongside Julie Chen,[15][16] who was also working as an intern.[17]
Career
Cohen began his career in television as an intern at CBS News.[18] He spent 10 years at the network, eventually serving as senior producer of The Early Show, a producer for 48 Hours, and a producer for CBS This Morning.[19] He joined the television network Trio in 2000,[20] later becoming vice president of original programming at Bravo in 2004,[21] when the network purchased Trio.[22]
Cohen was a regular guest on Today and Morning Joe, and has co-hosted Live! with Kelly, and The View. He has made various guest appearances on other talk shows. He has made several guest appearances on television shows playing himself, such as The Comeback and Saturday Night Live.[23] In summer 2009, Cohen began hosting a weekly midnight television talk show, Watch What Happens Live.[24] The show was later expanded into a weeknight series.[25]
Cohen's autobiographical memoir Most Talkative (Henry Holt and Company), released in May 2012,[8][26] became a New York Times Best Seller in the hardcover, paperback, and combined non-fiction categories.[27][28][29]
On August 15, 2013, he declined to co-host the Miss Universe pageant in Russia, due to the country's recent adoption of anti-gay laws.[30] Before that, he hosted Miss USA 2011 and Miss USA 2012.[31] On March 22, 2014, he portrayed Zeus in Lady Gaga's music video for "G.U.Y.".[32]
In November 2014, Cohen published his second memoir, The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year,[33] inspired by the similarly titled The Andy Warhol Diaries. The book spans a year of journal entries beginning in September 2013.[34] The Andy Cohen Diaries became a Times Best Seller in the Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction category.[35]
On September 14, 2015, SiriusXM launched a new radio channel curated by Cohen, known as Radio Andy.[36] The channel features shows hosted by Cohen (Andy Cohen Live, and Andy Cohen's Deep & Shallow). Cohen also hosts a series of special broadcasts for his station known as Town Halls in front of a live studio audience.[37][38] The channel also features shows hosted by Sandra Bernhard, Bevy Smith, Dan Rather, Michelle Collins, Jim Parsons, Jeff Lewis, Amy Phillips, Jonathan Alter (together with his family), John Hill, the producers of Watch What Happens Live, and the producers at World of Wonder. The channel has also produced specials, including: Radio Andy Theater, a parody of the Real Housewives franchise;[39] AC2 Live: Andy and Anderson on the Road (a behind-the-scenes show following Cohen and Anderson Cooper on their live tour); and the Love Connection Diaries (also a backstage docu-series featuring Cohen and Love Connection producer (and Radio Andy host) John Hill).
Cohen and close friend Anderson Cooper announced that they would be going on a national tour to perform their conversational stage show AC2 beginning in March 2015.[40][41] The tour opened in Boston, followed by Miami Beach, Chicago, and Atlanta.[41] The idea for the show came about after Cooper interviewed Cohen about his then-latest book, The Andy Cohen Diaries, at an event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.[42][43] Since then, the two-man show has reached over 50 cities; the next set of tour stops are scheduled for early 2026.[44]
On December 31, 2015, Cohen hosted a one-off live edition of Hollywood Game Night (New Year's Eve Game Night), and co-hosted New Year's Eve with Carson Daly for NBC.[45]
In 2016, the publisher Henry Holt and Company announced it was launching the imprint Andy Cohen Books.[46] Cohen's third memoir Superficial: More Adventures From the Andy Cohen Diaries was published in November 2016.[47] A sequel to The Andy Cohen Diaries,[48] the book covers diary entries for the subsequent two years.[49] Superficial became a Times Best Seller among books written by celebrities.[50]
In January 2017, Fox ordered a revival of Love Connection hosted by Cohen.[51] The hour-long game show premiered on May 25.[52] The same month, Cohen played himself on the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.[53] In August 2017, Fox announced that it would renew Love Connection for a second season.[54] Later that year, Cohen succeeded Kathy Griffin as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage alongside Cooper.[55][56]
In 2018, Cohen played himself on the show Riverdale as a friend of the Lodge family.[57] He made a March 2018 appearance as a guest judge in an episode of the VH1 reality-television series RuPaul's Drag Race.[58]
Since December 2018, Cohen has co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve coverage with Anderson Cooper.[59][60]
On April 16, 2022, The Real Housewives star Nene Leakes filed a federal lawsuit against NBCUniversal, Bravo, production companies True Entertainment and Truly Original, and series producer Cohen for violating federal employment and anti-discrimination laws.[61] She dismissed the action and claims on August 19, 2022.[62]
Early in 2024, former Real Housewives stars Brandi Glanville and Leah McSweeney made headlines when they accused Cohen of sexual harassment and inappropriate and abusive behavior, specifically alleging that he pressured his cast to drink and to do drugs, and made sexually inappropriate comments (the latter of which Cohen reportedly characterized as a joke and apologized).[63] In March 2024, an internal investigation by Bravo reportedly found that claims of harassment and misconduct made against Cohen by co-stars and cast on his shows were "unsubstantiated".[64]
In November 2024, U.S. district judge Lewis J. Liman heard a case brought by McSweeney against Cohen, other producers, Bravo, and NBCUniversal.[65] In March 2025, Liman dismissed the portion of the case brought against Cohen and three other producers while allowing three civil counts against the network to proceed.[66] McSweeney filed an amended lawsuit against Cohen in May 2025, accusing him of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to discredit her.[67]
Cohen did public service announcements on MTA's New York City Transit's subway system in December 2025.[68]
Personal life
Cohen is the first openly gay host of an American late-night talk show.[69] In December 2018, he announced he would become a father in 2019 with the help of a surrogate.[70] His son, Ben, was born February 4, 2019.[71] His daughter, Lucy, was born April 29, 2022.[72]
Andy is an avid fan of the Grateful Dead and has been spotted dancing among fans at their concerts. He is also friends with Dead & Company guitar player John Mayer.[73]
Cohen supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.[74]
Cohen declared himself a "proud American Jew" and participated in a two-day summit for Jewish influencers in 2024.[75]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sex and the City | Shoe salesman | Episode: "Let There Be Light" [76] |
| 2006–present | The Real Housewives | Executive producer | Also reunion host |
| 2009–present | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Host, executive producer | [77] |
| 2014 | Alpha House | Himself | Episode: "There Will Be Water"[78] |
| 2014 | The Comeback | Himself | Episode: "Valerie Makes a Pilot"[79] |
| 2014 | Sesame Street | Himself | [80] |
| 2015 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "Willie Geist vs. Andy Cohen"[81] |
| 2016 | Inside Amy Schumer | Himself | Episode: "Rubbing Our Clips"[82] |
| 2016 | Nightcap | Himself | Series premiere[83] |
| 2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Himself | Episode: "Kimmy and the Trolley Problem"[84] |
| 2017–2018 | Love Connection | Host | |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Himself | Episode: "The Silkwood"[85] |
| 2017–present | New Year's Eve Live | Co-host | |
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race (season 10, 2nd episode) | Special guest | Episode: "PharmaRusical" |
| 2018 | Riverdale | Himself | Episode: "Primary Colors"[86] |
| 2019 | The Other Two | Himself | Episode: "Chase Shoots a Music Video" |
| 2020 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Himself | Episode: "In the Hot Seat: Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen" |
| 2020 | The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo | Himself | Episode: "Andy Cohen/Josh Groban" |
| 2021 | For Real: The Story of Reality TV | Host | |
| 2023 | The Traitors | Himself | Episode: "The Reunion" |
| 2023 | Gossip Girl | Himself | Episode: "I Am Gossip" |
| 2023 | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Isaac Calderon (voice) | Recurring |
| 2023 | American Horror Story: Delicate | Himself | Episode: "Multiply Thy Pain" |
| 2025 | And Just Like That... | Daniel | Episode: "Present Tense" |
Bibliography
- Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture. Henry Holt and Company. 2012. ISBN 978-0-8050-9583-8.
- The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year. Henry Holt and Company. 2014. ISBN 978-1-627-79228-8.
- Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries. Henry Holt and Company. 2016. ISBN 978-1250116482.
- The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up. Henry Holt and Company. 2023. ISBN 978-1250890924.
Awards and nominations
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GLAAD Media Awards
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Vito Russo Award | Himself | Honored | [87] |
| 2021 | Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: "Andy Cohen Calls for Change So He Can Donate His Plasma" | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: "Jackie Goldschneider & Danny Pellegrino" | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: "Cynthia Nixon and Kim Petras" | Nominated | ||
| 2026 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen: "Max Salvador and Victoria SanJuan" | Nominated | [88] | |
Peabody Awards
| Year | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The N-Word | Won | [89][90] |
| 2008 | Project Runway | Won | [91] |
| 2010 | Wonders of the Solar System | Won | [92] |
| 2016 | Hooligan Sparrow | Won | [93] |
| 2024 | To Kill a Tiger | Won | [94] |
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Outstanding Reality Program | Queer Eye for the Straight Guy | Nominated | [95] |
| Project Greenlight | Nominated | |||
| 2006 | Outstanding Reality-Competition Program | Project Runway | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Nominated | |||
| Top Chef | Nominated | |||
| 2008 | Nominated | |||
| Project Runway | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | Outstanding Reality - Competition Program | Nominated | ||
| Top Chef | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special | Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Reality Program | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Reality - Competition Program | Top Chef | Won | ||
| 2011 | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Reality Program | Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Outstanding Variety Special | Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Reality - Competition Program | Top Chef | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within an Unscripted Program | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Nominated | |
Miscellaneous honors
| Year | Organization | Award | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | NewNowNext Awards | Most Addictive Reality Star | Himself | Nominated |
| 2018 | Webby Awards | Podcasts & Digital Audio, Interview/Talk Show | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Won |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Talk Show | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Awards | The Nighttime Talk Show of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Short Form Series | The Andy Cohen Diaries | Nominated |
| MTV Movie + TV Awards | Best Talk/Topical Show | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Himself | Inducted | |
| People's Choice Awards | The Nighttime Talk Show of the Year | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | Best Talk Show | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Nominated | |||
| St. Louis Walk of Fame | Himself | Inducted | ||
| 2024 | Septimius Awards | Best Feature Documentary | To Kill a Tiger | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | The Nighttime Talk Show of the Year | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Nominated | |
| 2026 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Talk Show | Pending | |
- 2007, Multichannel News' "40 Under 40" broadcasting executives.[96]
- 2010, appeared on the TV Guide "Power List" of talked-about individuals.[97][98]
- 2012, GQ's "25 Best Dressed Men of the Year",[99]
- 2012, chosen as one of Broadcasting & Cable's "Digital All-Stars".[100]
- 2012 to 2016, listed in Out magazine's list of Most Powerful Gay People.[101][102][103][104][105]