Andy Cohen Opens Up About Learning from Past Mistakes & ‘Getting Burned’

NBCUniversal Andy Cohen

Andy Cohen is a well-known figure in the Bravo world and his role as a reunion host and “Watch What Happens Live” host has come with some hiccups in the past.

While speaking with TODAY, Cohen addressed some of the comments he made in the past that were not well-received by the audience. “I think that sometimes when you do or say something that gets picked up everywhere, it’s initially very jarring,” he explained. “It’s scary. So I think I’ve gotten way better at knowing what the line is. And I think it’s from sometimes getting burned.”

As an example, Cohen brought up the criticism he received on congratulating Dolores Catania‘s weight loss and asking if it was due to a weight loss drug. Fans called out the Bravo host for seemingly praising weight loss in women.

“What I have been careful to say (since then), especially with [“The Real Housewives of Orange County” star] Emily Simpson, who lost a ton of weight, is, ‘I thought you looked great before. You still look great,'” he explained. “The note (to self) is: Don’t pat someone on the back for being thin, because what you’re then doing is perpetuating a false narrative about beauty, and that’s not right.”

“I’ve asked incredibly personal, incredibly direct questions of Real Housewives for years,” Cohen continued. “If I go too far, believe me — my audience calls me out, and so does the talent. I’ve had guests turn on me during the show. That is authentic and interesting TV, and I think it’s why people like the show. I’ve had guests really get mad at me, but I’ve also had many a Kardashian say, ‘I’m so glad we talked about that.’”

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Andy Cohen Said He’s Gotten More Verbal With His Opinion Over the Years But Tries to Stay Neutral

Cohen said his approach to hosting has changed over the years and his comfort level with being in the seat has increased. “I think I’ve gotten more comfortable and more verbal in the last few years, frankly, expressing myself and little bits of opinions,” he explained to the publication.

However, he said he’s tried to maintain impartiality as the host of the Bravo reunions. He also said if he were ever to be replaced, it would be hard to find someone else to be neutral. “There are a couple [of] people that I’ve thought would be really good, but some of them are super opinionated,” he shared.

“And if the Housewives are still going, you have to figure out a way to be somewhat of an island if you’re going to be sitting down with Housewives that you’ve been super vocal that you don’t like,” he added. Cohen didn’t mention any of the names that he’d thought of.

Andy Cohen Has Been Slammed by a Few Bravo Stars

Cohen has been called out by several Bravo stars over some of his interview questions and some have even feuded with him publicly. After BravoCon 2022, Cohen shared with Entertainment Tonight that his biggest live confrontation was with Jill Zarin after she was fired from “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

Zarin, who appeared in the first four seasons of RHONY before her exit, joined Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” in October 2012 several months after not being asked back. Zarin told Cohen that she felt like he’d picked “favorites” amid her feud with Bethenny Frankel.

During a later RHONY reunion, in 2018, Cohen was slammed by Carole Radziwill as she told him he was “full of s***.” In 2022, RHOBH star Dorit Kemsley called out Cohen during the season 12 reunion as he yawned while she opened up about her home invasion. “Am I boring you?” she asked him point blank. Cohen apologized right away but Kemsley persisted, “Are you kidding me? Again? Two years in a row, Andy?” The episode then showed a flashback of Cohen biting back a yawn during the season 11 reunion.

More recently, in 2023, RHOC star Tamra Judge told Cohen to “f*** off” as he questioned one of her responses during the season 17 reunion. Judge asked him why he was detracting from the issue at hand and then told him to “be quiet.”

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