May 10, 2012 9:15 am NYDailyNews…
Lord of the Housewives: Miss Andy Cohen…
A source close to Andy Cohen and the Real Housewives franchise tells us the Bravo executive and “Watch What Happens Live” anchor “has been trying to distance himself from ‘Housewives’ because he wants to be taken seriously as a talk-show host” and because the catfight-causing ladies are too declassé for the high-powered social scene in which he now moves.
“He wants to have his fancy celebrity friends, and the girls don’t fit,” says the insider.
As evidence the source notes that with the exception of Cohen’s BFF, former “Real” housewife of NYC Bethenny Frankel, none of the franchise’s other cast members were invited to the swanky party CNN’s Anderson Cooper threw for the publication of Cohen’s memoir, “Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture,” on Saturday night.
Padma Lakshmi HATES the Housewives… maybe Padma gave Andy an ultimatum re party guests??!!
The tony crowd at Cooper’s converted West Village firehouse was heavy on established TV personalities, including Jimmy Fallon, Kelly Ripa CBS “This Morning” co-host Gayle King and Cooper himself. NOTE: What? No mention of Wendy Williams???
Media mogul Barry Diller and superagents Bryan Lord and Kevin Huvane, of CAA (which reps Cohen), were also there.
Although Cohen tackles the “Real Housewives” franchise in his book, the insider says one aim of the heavily hyped autobiography is to help make Cohen the on-air personality/celebrity he wants to be.
“Andy ultimately wants to compete with Chelsea Handler and Jimmy Fallon,” says the source, who notes that for ratings, Cohen still depends on “Housewives.”
Nielsen data for April and the start of May shows that “Watch What Happens Live” tends to do better when its preceded, or sometimes followed by “Housewives.”
On May 1, for instance, Cohen’s show had 966,000 viewers when it was preceded and followed by “Real Housewives of Orange County.” The next two nights, “Watch What Happens” had 810,000 and 691,000 viewers, respectively, without the benefit of “Housewives.”
On Wednesday, former “Real Housewives of NYC” cast member Simon Van Kempen tweeted, “Move Over @KellyRipa & @Anderson Cooper,” noting that New Jersey Housewife Melissa Gorga and her husband Joe ’s appearance on “Watch What Happens” Sunday drew 1.7 million viewers while Cooper and Ripa had only 873,000 on Cohen’s show the next night.
A Bravo rep said the idea that Cohen wants separation from the Housewives is “untrue,” and that Bravo “had nothing to do with the private party that Anderson threw for Andy.”
She added that on Monday, “Bravo is throwing a party for Andy in L.A. and every Bravolebrity is invited.” “Bravo is very happy with the success of “Watch What Happens Live,” she said. “It is outperforming our expectations five nights a week.”
NOTE: Interesting that the NY Housewives and the NJ crew were not invited to Miss Andy’s NY party… they are all within walking and driving distance of Andy Cooper’s place. Just another sign that Andy is running away from the Housewives…
Would YOU watch the “Andy Cohen Talk Show”????
Da Manzoids got all dressed up, but the invite to Miss Andy’s party never came…
As mentioned several times, WWHL has jumped the shark… and Miss Andy knows it!
NOTE: Miss Andy is totally delusional. Miss Andy is all cutesy on his tanking WWHL talk show, but that does not translate to his dream of his own talk show competing with Handler or Fallon. Proof of that is that fact that the only GOOD ratings for WWHL are produced when any of the Housewives are guests…
As for other NON-Housewives guests who visit in Miss Andy’s clubhouse… Ken said it best!
SH, Wendy Williams was there. She talked about it yesterday on her show.
Found: Yes, aware that WW was a guest… the “note” was in reference to WW NOT being mentioned in the NYNews article. The Wendy Show is still not considered a top-tier talk show… as evidenced by the original article totally omitting Wendy! Wendy is not in the same category or SENTENCE as Handler/Fallon. Miss Andy is using any and all who have a talk show to hone his crap skills… Andy is a guest on Wendy today… TFC!! SH
Wow lmao. The “Queen” of daytime is no more than a jest I see
Anderson Cooper commented on Wendy being there on WWHL and it almost seemed as though he took her being at his house as some big joke. Maybe I’m reading into his body language too much. I think I’d be miserable being stuck in a room with Anderson, Andy, Kelly Rippa and Bethenny – I’d rather laugh it up with Wendy.
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster(s).
Ms. SH — I totally agree that the absence of any NY/NJ HWs speaks volumes. A most astute point!
The housewives are the only reason we know who Andy Cohen is and the reason people watch his show. Even with the HW franchises supporting his show his numbers aren’t all that.
I assumed that the reason Bravo wants to get into scripted shows is to be a credible network. From what I have seen from the upcoming line up of shows that isn’t happening anytime soon.
Andy will always be associated with The HW’s Shows and be the butt of many a joke even if it Bravo’s cash cow.
It is a small taste of what the housewives have to live with once they signed up for public humiliation for a buck.
Ain’t that the truth Cyn.. nobody knew or cared who the hell ms andy was before and sadly now BECAUSE of the HW’s we do “know ” him and still don’t care as he is a douche supreme! LOL !
Although it would be nice since he is so “above” and over the “stigma of associating” with the HW’s to dream that if these HW shows continue that someone else with some balls and objectivity would “host” the reunion fiascos..yeah I know , never gonna happen.
Andy biting the hand that feeds him..how classy…well there’s no class at Andy’s Bravo anyway..
Really?! I wonder what my dear friend WHO thinks about this? He rarely comments on Andy Cohen; so I’m interested.
hahaha! Who, where are you?
i expected anderson cooper to invite nene. i think i recall him talking about her a good bit a couple of years ago.
You would think they would at least have included Alexis, since she is a fellow host/new anchor!
Lol!!
BSL: Anderson recently said on WWHL… that Nene is not the same Nene as the Nene he first fawned over. Thinkin’ that Anderson is done with Nene! TFC!! SH
thanks Ms. SH & Romo! i had no idea. i don’t watch wwhl much, but i wish that i had seen that evening. good for anderson to come out and say that.
He said something about her when he was on wwhl. I’m not sure if MsSH has that. Something about being over her bc she’s not funny anymore.
I know I got that wrong. or That he hates her! Lol
oOopsie! Stay tuned for Nene’s rebuttal. I image it will go sumpin like this.
Nuttin zaps the funny outa Needne faster than getting her feelings hurt.
MP: LOL!!! PERFECT!! Thanks!! TFC!! SH
Snaps, I may be 5′ nothin and she’s 6′ moose, but I still say bring it!
Yeah, but can you YELL louder than nene? Save your energy, Romo.
Let’s watch nene blast herself into that world she created: Haterville.
No, I can’t. She Trumps me on that one!
I’m going to take the high road… thanks!
Andy is a MeanGirl. He debases his guests with games they have to play.
He always highlights (“the things I’m obsessed with this week) the weirdest & undignified cast members (Mama Elsa, the joodice girls in their sufferings, etc.)
He must actually believe his tweets & twitterers.
How has WWHL jumped the shark? My hubby even finds Miss Andy entertaining and fun (and he HATES the housewives). I do agree that I tend to watch it more on Bethenny or HWs nights.
Have you checked your husbands underwear draw lately? I kid! I kid!
LOL
Andy is on Howard Stern this morning and to listen to him, he is responsible, (partly) for the President’s decision to support gay marriage He went on and on about how he has built up the networks (while admitting that bringing on housewives was not his idea, but he ran with it! I have listened to Howard Stern for over 20 years. He was completely unable to have a diologue with this guy. This guy was acting like he invented cinema. Howard could not get a word in edgewise. for twenty min. at a time. It was so boring, and Andy is so wildly ego-centric. I’m tongue tied.
Worst interview ever.
Miss Andy definitely has delusions of grandeur. He would be nowhere without The Housewives brand. Let’s see how his book sales go….. I am not thinking #1 on the NYT best seller list. LOL!
I have only one friend that watches Bravo. None of my other friends or associates have even heard of Andy Cohen. I’ve have to sheepishly admit I watch some of the HW franchises and they are my guilty pleasure. lol
Omg I freaking LOVE the way you write these goodies. I almost spit my drink on the ipad
I hope I’m not stepping on too many toes here but I don’t blame Miss Andy for distancing himself from the housewives. All the regular TV stars love the housewife shows and enjoy talking about them. Nobody wants to talk about anything but the housewives with Miss Andy and that can get a little boring no matter how interested you are in a subject. Bethenny is the only HW that broke out of the yoke of being a housewife and lets face it, HW’s egos make inviting one without the other a horrible nightmare. Bravo played it well so that hosting an event for him where they all are invited. IMO, Miss Andy will never be good at hosting a real interview show….he is too controlling which works for housewives but I don’t think he can interview people very well that he doesn’t have financial control over. The ladies have to talk to get a paycheck.
Andy doesn’t have poo on Chelsea Handler.
Truthier words were never spoken. I love my Chelsea.
And my most favorite Chelsea interview of all time.
Doubtful Andy would have an interesting tv show unless the guests & audience are drunk. Alcohol is what he’s pushin on late night.
Like Vicki and her woo-hoos, when we’re drunk, we think we are wonderful. Example being the great country song “Let’s Get Drunk and Be Somebody” (after being a nobody all week)
Ok, so Andy is totally delusional if he thinks his whiny, giggly egotistical self could make a talk show run without the HWs. Just saying. He is just silly and a perfect example of the depths to which tv has fallen.