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Andy Cohen Reveals the Moment He Knew He Was Famous — And It's Not What You Think
The #WWHL host has been loving the perks ever since.
Andy Cohen is a household name these days, but it took some time for the man who established his career behind the scenes at places like CBS News and Bravo to step into the spotlight. Now Andy is a superstar with his own late-night talk show, SiriusXM radio channel, and book imprint all under his belt.
However, the moment Andy realized he was actually famous doesn't have anything to do with those accomplishments or his impressive roster of famous friends. No, it has to do with none other than a Real Housewife. "You know when I became famous? For real, when I figured out, 'Oh my God, I'm actually famous' was when Teresa [Giudice] pushed me," Andy revealed to his longtime pal, Sarah Jessica Parker, during their conversation at the 92nd Street Y Thursday night.
Andy recalled that he was on vacation in the Hamptons when The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 2 reunion aired featuring the now-iconic moment when Teresa shoved the host out of the way while confronting then-castmate Danielle Staub. Suddenly, he started getting calls about interviews to talk about the buzzy moment. "When I came back into the city, I was famous," he said.
The Watch What Happens Live host agreed with Sarah Jessica that his time in the public eye came later in life. "Anderson Cooper always says to me, 'You enjoy your celebrity more than anybody,' and I figured out why that is maybe," Andy said. "And part of the reason is because I'm tickled by it and I've always been fascinated by the notion of celebrity and what does that mean and what are the machinations behind it."
The perks of being famous aren't too shabby, either. "But also when you've lived in New York City for 20 years and suddenly, you can get a reservation and get into parties that otherwise you couldn't have, yeah, it's fun," Andy said, which was followed by rapturous applause at the event.
Andy's friendship with Teresa has been filled with ups and downs since that memorable RHONJ moment. The WWHL host talks about the evolution of their relationship, below.
