Andy Cohen on Carole Radziwil Reaching Out, Dorit vs. Kyle and More

From Dorit Kemsley vs. Kyle Richards to Bravo’s latest reunion tapes, Us Weekly catch up with Andy Cohen to chat Housewives hot topics, New Year’s Eve and more.

Speaking to Us ahead of his Fresca Mixed holiday happy hour at Magic Hour Elephant Lounge on Monday, December 16, Cohen started with tips for his perfect NYE party (if you’re not hosting a live broadcast on CNN, of course).

“I would say (arrive at) 9 o’clock. We’ll invite more people than you think you can fit in your apartment because it’s New Year’s Eve and it’s crazy. And people are party hopping!” Cohen said Us. “You also want a flow going through your apartment all night. So people can leave and be like, ‘Hey, I’m going to Rod’s house.’ ‘Oh, right. See you guys later. ‘And then other people show up and they’re like, ‘Oh, we came from this place.’ And it’s fun! I wouldn’t tell everyone who’s coming – leave a few names off the list, so it feels like they’re unexpected guests. I threw a party the other night and I didn’t tell people that three different old friends were coming and they were really surprised and it felt festive!”

Cohen was also passionate about lighting – “You want everyone to look beautiful. Super dim is great” – before circling back in time.

“The reason I say after 8:30 or 9 is you don’t really have to serve food. You can have snacks and, like, cookies and sugary things. You really need to focus on getting enough spirits for everyone. And one of the reasons I love Fresca Mixed is not only because I’ve been drinking Fresca with tequila for many years, famously—I think I gave them the idea, but that’s okay —I also love it because it’s easy and they have tons of flavors,” she said. “Your guests feel completely taken care of and they’re like, ‘Wow, you’ve got citrus mango, you’ve got Paloma tequila.’ And he’s like, yeah, I’ve got whatever you want!’” (For the record, Cohen’s BFF Anderson Cooper is a fan of Paloma tequila, while Cohen is currently into mango citrus.)

Keep reading to see Cohen spill the tea – or Fresca Mixed – on Bravo’s latest news:

‘RHONJ’
When asked when it will be status update from the Garden State, Cohen made it clear he had nothing new to share. “You’re not going to get it for, like, a year, so everybody stops asking,” he told sight360 Us. “And I keep saying you won’t get anything, so stop asking!”

‘WHAT’
Over in Beverly Hills, Cohen acknowledged that fans are seeing another side to Dorit as she navigates her split from her husband PK – cigarette and everything. “She’s at a fork in her life and she’s redefining her own life. And I think that process is not a clean process,” he said. “You see that as she lives through it.”

OG Kyle also documents her separation from her husband Mauritius on the show, but as viewers know the respective cuts aren’t bringing the two former BFFs back together – yet. “Kyle is in a similar place in her life. So I think you’re dealing with two people who really, I think, I think it’s sad because they could (support each other),” Cohen said. “You’ll see them, at times , this season is a great support for each other. They actually need each other more than they probably have.”

When asked his No. 1 question to the group when he shoots the 90210 reunion, Cohen remained mum. “I don’t want to ruin the season!”

‘RHONY’
Cohen said Us that the late RHONY reunion taping went “very well” – and promised the pranks won’t be the focus. “We talked about the pranks for about three minutes,” he confirmed before teasing more to come on the show despite fan criticism. “This trip of this trip to Puerto Rico is explosive all the way through. And it definitely ignites the reunion.”

Speaking of NYC, Cohen recently revealed that he and a former star Carole Radzwill make amends “He sent me a text message. We were talking a little in public, and she texted me privatelyand then we started texting,” she said. “Then we ran into each other. Strangely, I haven’t seen her since she left the show – I haven’t seen her or run into her since (2018). I (ran) into her, like, 10 days later at the Polo Bar, which was crazy. I’ve known her since the early 2000s, I think, or the late 90s. So we have a long history together that predates the Housewives.”

When asked if Carole could be part of the new cast of RHONYCohen said, “Funnily enough, she says she knows or has seen most of the new girls. I know she is known Jennaprobably, for a long time.” That said, he made it clear he wasn’t implying anything: “I’m not saying that. I’m saying she knows these women.”

‘Southern Charm’
Cohen does not produce Bravo programs outside of the Housewives franchise, but it hosts reunions for shows like Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck and has the cast members on WWHL often. Most recently, he hosted Craig Conover to chat about the latest season of Southern Charm – and pressed the longtime Bravo star to admit he’s lied on camera in the past decade after he claimed he hadn’t.

“I can’t wait for the reunion. We’re going to watch it with him – we’re going to play the montage. ” Cohen said, before explaining that he “made that up.”

“I can’t imagine we’re not! …We’ll see what he says,” he continued. “He always has an answer for everything.” What is left if is unclear JT Thomas He will appear after claiming in November that he had quit the show. “JT is a wild ride,” he added “I don’t know (what’s going on with him) … but I’m a fan.”

‘VPR’
“Many of us have DMed or texted,” Cohen said Us about the network plans to overhaul Vanderpump Rules with a new cast. “I don’t think anyone was surprised, but it was certainly the end of an era. I was like, ‘Let me look at the oldest pictures I have of these guys. And I went back and I posted pictures of it Jax, Sandoval, Stassi a Scheana. All four of them came on WWHL at first. It was so sweet to see – they looked so young and not innocent. ” When asked if Cohen had been in touch James Kennedywhich was recently arrest for a domestic violence misdemeanor earlier this month, Cohen replied, “No.”

‘ROCK’
“(It was) one of the most beloved seasons in Housewives of Orange County never And that’s 18 seasons and the highest rating for many years, over 3 million viewers,” said Cohen when Us bringing up the original franchise, which ended with Judge Tamra a Shannon Beador trying to turn over a new leaf in their friendship. When asked if they could actually turn the page, Cohen admitted, “I would never try to guess.”

About “friend” Alexis Bellino‘ status with the group, Cohen offered: “Here’s the thing about the Housewives—and especially the Housewives of Orange County — that’s a group of people who are always very strange in each other’s lives in some dotty way, or run into each other in Javier’s, The Quiet Woman. She will always exist in the universe.”

‘RHOSLC’
Calling Angie K.viral comment about high body count hair “unbelievable,” Cohen noted that he loves “seeing Housewife in full bloom.” He continued: “The thing about the Housewives of Salt Lake Citythey are all in bloom. And here we are five seasons in! And this is two seasons after the speculation was, ‘Can they survive without Jen Shah?’ And a season after the speculation was, ‘Can they survive without them Monica?’ So it’s very exciting to see.”

Us also have to ask for a newcomer Brittany Bateman and choose to have her as a “friend” instead of a snowflake catcher. “I think at this point, especially if you look at Miami HousewivesI think the lines between ‘friend’ and, you know, Housewife, have become a little blurred. I think it means, we use you at our discretion a little differently, maybe, but I’m not sure it matters as long as they’re part of the ensemble.”

‘RHOP’
Cohen “completely agreed” with Us that it has been interesting to see Gizelle Bryant without a BFF Robyn Dixon forward RHOPadding, “I think Gizelle is having a great season.”