kk.“LIVE TV HAS NEVER RECOVERED FROM THIS” — Anderson Cooper Goes Bright Red, Cracks Mid-Sentence, and Descends Into Full-Blown Hysterics Reading Taylor Swift on New Year’s Eve as Andy Cohen Sits Back, Smiles, and Enjoys Every Second! What began as a playful New Year’s Eve gag detonated into one of the most jaw-dropping live-TV breakdowns audiences have ever witnessed. Anderson Cooper didn’t just stumble — he collapsed. Seconds into reading Taylor Swift’s “Wood,” his voice cracked, his face ignited bright red, and the fight was over. The giggles came fast, then the gasping laughter, then the full surrender as millions watched him completely lose the war against the lyrics. Every pause made it worse. Every attempt to continue only deepened the humiliation. Cooper wasn’t hosting anymore — he was spiraling, trapped in a loop of laughter, embarrassment, and pure disbelief that this was happening live. And Andy Cohen? Absolute menace. Reclined. Drink in hand. Smiling like a mastermind. Not one ounce of mercy as he calmly observed his co-host disintegrate on national television. One man fighting for survival. The other savoring every second of the destruction. By the end, there was no recovery — just breathless laughter, head in hands, and total surrender. No acting. No editing. No escape. This wasn’t a blooper… it was a live meltdown destined to be replayed forever.
Cooper read out the innuendo-laced lyrics live on the air as his pal Andy Cohen watched
The 58-year-old CNN journalist had some holiday fun live on the air with his pal Andy Cohen while co-hosting their annual CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live special.
As Cohen, 57, sipped his drink and grinned at the camera, Cooper read out the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s innuendo-heavy song “Wood,” which was released on her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, in October.
“You’re probably familiar with this song, I was not,” Cooper said between giggles.
Cohen looked at his friend, teasing, “Sweetie, yeah.”
The Anderson Cooper 360 host burst out laughing multiple times while reading out the lyrics which include “Redwood tree his love was the key that opened my thighs” and “New Heights of manhood.”
As Cooper continued to giggle uncontrollably on air, Cohen teased him leaning in close and declaring, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, knock on wood, baby!”
The song features obvious nods to Swift’s now-fiancé, Travis Kelce, who has spoken about its viral lyrics on his own New Heights podcast.
“It’s a great song,” Travis said in the October episode when his older brother, Jason Kelce, specifically asked him for his thoughts on “Wood.”
And when Jason tried to get Travis to elaborate, he played dumb, saying, “I love that girl, so what do you mean? Any song that she would reference me in that way…” later continuing the bit, saying, “I think you’re not understanding the song.”
The song caused such a stir when it was released that it was officially dubbed the most Googled song of 2025. And the lyric “he ah-matized me and opened my eyes” was one of Genius’ most viewed lyrics.
In addition to the Swift lyrics, Cooper and Cohen also had fun taking multiple shots on air, playing with handmade puppets in their likeness and FaceTiming Stephen Colbert to share another on-camera drink
