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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN New Year's Eve Live. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 01, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS (in unison): Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
(MUSIC)
[00:08:45]
ANDY COHEN, TV SHOW HOST: Wow!
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Happy New Year! Twenty -- it is already 2025, that's crazy!
COHEN: Wow!
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Project 2025 has begun.
COOPER: We should do a toast. We should do a toast.
COHEN: Yes, so can we do a toast?
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: I mean, we did one off camera. But it doesn't count if it's off camera.
COOPER: Yes, nothing happens.
COHEN: No --
COOPER: Not on camera.
COHEN: -- if it doesn't happen on camera. It doesn't happen.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: I have to say that was really beautiful.
COOPER: It was nice.
COHEN: And I kept my phone down the whole time and experienced it. And basically, what happens is, they do the countdown. And then they flip it right into New York, New York which --
COOPER: Yes, which I love.
COHEN: -- let me tell you something --
COOPER: Nothing better.
COHEN: It's just the greatest.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Here we go.
COOPER: All right, I mean as if this is necessary.
COHEN: Oh. It is.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Cheers. Hey, everybody, thanks for hanging out with us.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Thanks for all the love. And I hope 2025 is everything you wanted it to be --
COOPER: I really hope we don't get fired.
COHEN: Well, sweetie I think -- I don't think you're going to get fired.
COOPER: No.
COHEN: I think you're good.
COOPER: I got a contract.
COHEN: I'm going back to Bravo.
COOPER: Maybe you'll get fired.
COHEN: I'm going back to Bravo. It's cool. Bravo, here I come.
New season of "The Housewives of Atlanta" coming up.
[00:10:01]
COOPER: Oh please.
COHEN: Amazing stuff coming up. All right.
COOPER: Like we haven't plugged you in yet.
COHEN: Whatever. I mean, the mayor's still running around.
COOPER: Oh enough. No -- COHEN: I really --
COOPER: -- kindness in 2025. Kindness.
COHEN: He's indicted.
COOPER: Be kind because everybody you meet is fighting a great battle.
COHEN: Yes. I know the battle he's fighting, because every (INAUDIBLE) a bunch of indictments. That's what he's fighting.
COOPER: Dial it down, bring it into the new year right. All right.
COHEN: OK. Well, let's toast.
COOPER: We don't want to wake up in the morning with I should (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: With (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE) I should I'm checking --
COHEN: I'm going to wake up with (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: -- extra Twitter or whatever this (INAUDIBLE) --
COHEN: Because my son is going to wake us -- wake me up --
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: -- very early.
COOPER: My son's going to wake up (INAUDIBLE). You know what, I'm going to do? I'm going to go home. And I'm going to go into my son -- to Wyatt's room and I'm going to go to sleep in Wyatt's room tonight.
COHEN: Well guess what? Before that we're going to go crash Patti LuPone's New Year's Eve party.
COOPER: Oh (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: That's what we're --
COOPER: All right. Fine.
COHEN: Cheers everybody.
COOPER: Cheers. Oh gosh. This will be -- I just want to say this is the last drink I'm going to have of 2025.
COHEN: Look at Richard Glass (ph).
COOPER: Until 2026.
COHEN: Look at this.
COOPER: New year (ph).
COHEN: We break (INAUDIBLE) --
COOPER: Oh, Richard Quest please --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: I mean (INAUDIBLE) even get this outfit.
COOPER: I mean Richard you have committed -- the truth is. I mean, I got to give you a microphone. There's a lot going on here.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: It's just amazing.
COOPER: Bring your husband here. I think (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: This is the husband? You're gay?
COOPER: Please come up (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: You're gay?
QUEST: He's refused to --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: What?
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: I'm scared to stand next to you.
COOPER: Is the pain of -- of the gay experience.
QUEST: I know, but look at this. I know (INAUDIBLE). What a great night. You guys were amazing.
COOPER: It was a great night. It was a great night.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Before midnight -- I mean --
COOPER: How long did it take you and where do you see?
COHEN: Not that long? Well, his dress (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: Well, I mean.
QUEST: I know.
COHEN: And did you change?
QUEST: Wait, I just sort of wander around.
COOPER: Yes. QUEST: Sort of (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: Wow.
COOPER: Yes. Yes.
QUEST: There's magic happened (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: How long have you been at CNN?
QUEST: This will be my 23rd year.
COOPER: That's amazing.
QUEST: Because I was doing Times Square for another place. It's about my 30th year in Times Square.
COHEN: What was the other place?
QUEST: I never say it.
COOPER: Oh, OK. That's fine.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: By the way, I just want to -- I just want to point out I just want to say Aaron Brown died yesterday, I don't know it's (INAUDIBLE). And he made a huge mark at CNN.
QUEST: He did.
COOPER: And was an extraordinary broadcaster.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I work with him at ABC.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: And I just I admired him so much and I just want to give a shout-out.
COHEN: No, I'm glad you did. And he used to have me on many --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: He did.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Yes, by the way, his producer David Borman (ph) who produced World News Now at ABC and created the show with Aaron was a show that saved me at ABC.
COHEN: Really. COOPER: I was the first anchoring experience I had at ABC was that World News Now in the middle of the night. No one else would have me at ABC basically. They saved me and Aaron -- I carried the tradition of Aaron Brown who created that show with David Borman (ph) and (INAUDIBLE) and I missed them.
COHEN: He's a very good guy.
COOPER: Anyway.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: What?
COHEN: OK. He's in (INAUDIBLE) --
COOPER: Yes. All right.
COHEN: Coming up next, two special guests join us on the riser.
Plus, as we go to break, a surprise performance --
COOPER: Oh.
COHEN: -- from Ellie Goulding.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: It's a surprise.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:19:30]
COHEN: All right. Welcome back --
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: -- to the New Year's celebration here in Times Square.
COOPER: Times Square.
COHEN: Joining us now are our two lookalikes that we met earlier.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: Here's the Andy lookalike.
COOPER: Of course, yes.
COHEN: And here is the Anderson lookalike.
COOPER: Wait a minute. OK.
COHEN: No, Anderson.
COOPER: Oh.
COHEN: You stand there.
COOPER: All right, welcome.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Yes, I know. First of all --
COHEN: Where's the Anderson (INAUDIBLE) --
COOPER: So, Stanley (ph), introduce yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stanley (ph) (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: This is from --
COOPER: And where are you originally from?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ukraine.
COOPER: I love Ukraine.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: And your name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Steve Hauck (ph). I'm from Austin, Texas.
[00:20:01]
COOPER: OK. Now by the way, I had no -- I did not attend any production meetings. So, I didn't know that Andy was arranging this. Andy picked Stanley (ph) --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COOPER: -- as his doppelganger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
COOPER: And, you as my doppelganger, which I got to say, if I could look like you, I would be --
COHEN: Not bad! He's very handsome.
COOPER: I would be looking --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please.
COOPER: I would feel honored.
COHEN: This more importantly, this is my doppelganger right here. And we sprayed your hair gray -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You spray (INAUDIBLE) yes.
COHEN: -- which I like.
COOPER: By the way, Stanley (ph) is Andy's trainer.
COHEN: OK. And what I want to say, and we all celebrated --
COOPER: A complete gem.
COHEN: OK, hold on. What I want to say -- OK. What I want to say is, as we all celebrated New Year's together on the platform, I was looking at you, Stanley (ph), and Stanley (ph) has been my trainer for some time, and he's from the Ukraine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Ukraine. Yes.
COHEN: And he moved here 14 years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
COHEN: And he did not speak a lick of English.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
COHEN: And he was a house painter. And he worked at McDonald's.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did.
COHEN: And he came here pursuing the American dream. And he did not -- he learned English. He became a U.S. citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
COHEN: He built an incredible training business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
COHEN: And here you are, you're a U.S. citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you.
COHEN: And tell me what it felt like to be in Times Square, where I know you've never been, on New Year's Eve. What did that feel like?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It feels incredible. Amazing, powerful, strong, beautiful. I love it.
COHEN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
COHEN: I'm so proud of you for everything you've become.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, thank you.
COHEN: Honestly, you are -- you are the embodiment -- embodiment of the American dream.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: He is the embodiment of the American dream. He is. Sorry. OK. All right. OK. We (INAUDIBLE).
COOPER: I have no story like that.
COHEN: OK, very good. All right. OK. Thank you, lookalikes. You can move on.
Anderson, let's wrap out the show.
COOPER: Yes. Let's wrap the show.
COHEN: OK.
COOPER: Wow.
COHEN: We want to thank you for being with us tonight.
COOPER: Oh, my Lord.
COHEN: Anything else? I mean we have.
COOPER: Yes. What? Anything else?
COHEN: We had like nine shots tonight.
COOPER: It was a long night.
COHEN: Here's the thing.
COOPER: It's a long night.
COHEN: The hurricane happened. Everybody said to me, you have to show this guy a knife.
COOPER: (INAUDIBLE).
COHEN: I'm not even anything. This one, I don't know.
COOPER: OK.
COHEN: OK, are we going to crash Patti LuPone's party? Maybe. We'll see. OK.
You all, thank you for having me on CNN. That does it for us and our lookalikes. Do you want to do this or should I do this? Let me do this.
Happy New Year everyone. Sarah, Carrie and Harry are going to continue our coverage next from Austin, Texas. We are going to leave you with Meghan Trainor performing one of her hit songs at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater.
COOPER: Thank you so much for joining us on this night. And we wish you a very happy new year in 2025.
COHEN: Happy New Year.
COOPER: Let's go forward.
COHEN: Wow.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: We got to get out of here.
COOPER: Yes. Wow (INAUDIBLE).
MEGHAN TRAINOR, SINGER: Sing it nice and loud for me.
(MUSIC)
[00:26:13]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Akwaaba, Andy, and Anderson. That means hello in Fante, which is the native language of Ghana. It's appropriate because I'm standing right here in the capital, Accra, to celebrate New Year's Eve.
This is a historic night. This is the first time that Ghana's New Year's Eve celebration is done globally.
OK, so the clock is winding down to 2025. So, everyone is going to help me.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS (in unison): Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year! With a New Edition! We're so excited to be performing for you all tonight from the home of our exclusive residency at Encore Theatre right here at the Wynn Las Vegas, y'all.
[00:30:11]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, Emmy for life (ph), and we can't wait to see 2025, more great performances in our house. What up, Rick?
RICKY BELL, MEMBER OF NEW EDITION: And we'd like to wish everyone watching a very happy New Year!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to CNN's New Year's Eve Live with performances and appearances by 50 Cent, New Edition, Sting, Shania Twain, Adam DeVine, and Third Eye Blind. And now your hosts, live from Austin, Texas, Sara Sidner, Cari Champion, and Harry Enten.
CARI CHAMPION, JOURNALIST/TELEVISION PERSONALITY: We are live! Yay!
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We are, baby. Welcome, welcome.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER AND ANALYST: Yippee-ai-oh-ai- ay.
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: What you're hearing behind us, by the way, is Third Eye Blind. They are rocking it out. The party obviously continuing here in Austin, Texas.
And we are here to make sure that we help keep the city slogan going, which is "Keep Austin weird."
CHAMPION: "Keep Austin weird?"
SIDNER: And I think that we three are able --
CHAMPION: OK, OK, but you're not weird.
SIDNER: Oh, no, I'm really weird.
CHAMPION: No.
SIDNER: I'm weird.
CHAMPION: She can't be weird.
ENTEN: She's definitely weird.
CHAMPION: I'm the only weird one without a hat. What? But Harry's hat -- Harry's hat, is he suggesting the Buffalo Bills are winning the Super Bowl?
ENTEN: We are absolutely going the entire way, baby. We're finally going to do it. Four Super Bowl losses. We're finally going to get a Super Bowl win behind MVP Josh Allen. You heard it here first.
CHAMPION: What's the data on that, sir? What's the data? Talk to Sara and I.
ENTEN: Look, there are some times for data. Those are for election nights. But for New Year's Eve, we're throwing the data out the window.
CHAMPION: OK. ENTEN: It's all about the gut.
CHAMPION: OK.
ENTEN: And I'm telling you this. The Buffalo Bills are going all the way. Because where would you rather be than right here, right now?
CHAMPION: OK, so we'll roll the tape back on Super Bowl --
ENTEN: Yes.
CHAMPION: -- to hold him accountable.
SIDNER: Right. When the Rams win the Super Bowl.
CHAMPION: Yes. OK, yes.
SIDNER: I'm just saying.
CHAMPION: And by the way --
ENTEN: The Bills and Rams can both be in the Super Bowl.
CHAMPION: OK, OK. I'm in agreement. I'm in agreement with Sara right now. OK. So --
SIDNER: I would like to thank Harry.
CHAMPION: We're keeping it weird.
SIDNER: We're keeping it weird; we promise. We've got so much going on here today.
CHAMPION: Yes.
SIDNER: We've brought you a whole entire gospel band made up of family members.
CHAMPION: Which I love.
SIDNER: Which is amazing.
CHAMPION: I love.
SIDNER: So, five sisters, four brothers and papa, who's also the bishop. They are here. The Jones Family Singers.
We've got some dancing that we are going to take part in.
CHAMPION: OK. So, it's a little bit of --
SIDNER: Yes.
CHAMPION: -- and it's a little more.
SIDNER: And then hip, hip. CHAMPION: And then it's a little. What are you doing here?
ENTEN: I don't know.
CHAMPION: What is that?
ENTEN: Doesn't it look like dancing?
CHAMPION: What are you? I don't --
SIDNER: Wow.
ENTEN: It's a Jewish New Yorker dance. OK? I'm like Elaine Benes, all right.
SIDNER: You should try out for the U.T. dancers. I mean, they --
ENTEN: We're going to -- You're going to see my try-out a little bit later on.
SIDNER: I can't wait.
CHAMPION: In the hip. OK?
SIDNER: It's all in the hip. But Harry's got it down. He's got it down.
But we've got a lot of things. Oh!
CHAMPION: We've got New Edition.
SIDNER: We've got New Edition.
CHAMPION: I'm so excited.
SIDNER: I mean, come on.
ENTEN: We've got New Edition.
CHAMPION: Take me back to my childhood.
SIDNER: Let's go.
CHAMPION: Do you want to start together?
SIDNER: Yes.
CHAMPION (singing): Can you stand the rain?
SIDNER (singing): Can you stand the rain?
ENTEN: I'm going to let you two do that. Thank you.
SIDNER: But that's a sad one.
CHAMPION: OK. SIDNER: We want to do Poison or --
CHAMPION: Bell --
SIDNER: Don't make me --
CHAMPION: -- Biv DeVoe. OK. They're still a part of New Year's.
SIDNER: Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike, I love you.
CHAMPION: I love a girl. Who cares who you like? OK.
ENTEN: Ooh. Very nice, very nice.
CHAMPION: You got it.
SIDNER: And Sting, by the way.
ENTEN: Yes, we've got Sting. We've got -- We've got Sting. We've got New Edition and Sting. And, you know, he's my favorite member of the Police, so I'm very much looking forward to that.
SIDNER: He is the ultimate performer. His music is, like, iconic. You can't -- you can't not like Sting.
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: He's got so many songs. Plus, the Police. I was -- I'm a big fan.
ENTEN: I think I look like him a little bit.
CHAMPION: And --
SIDNER: I don't know about that.
ENTEN: Maybe not.
CHAMPION: Sara, you have such an eclectic taste in music.
SIDNER: I do.
CHAMPION: You love country.
SIDNER: I do.
CHAMPION: You love -- You love pop. You love hip hop. You love it all.
SIDNER: I do.
CHAMPION: So, we're going to -- we're going to defer to her for all music tonight.
But I do want to point out to everyone who is here watching you came a day early to do what?
SIDNER: Oh, yes.
CHAMPION: To visit what?
SIDNER: So, Harry was coming, a boy from the Bronx. And I was, like, you need to see what country is like. So, we went out about an hour outside of Austin to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.
ENTEN: Oh.
SIDNER: There we are in the car. And I said, Harry, you've got to do this with me.
ENTEN: Well, what I want to point out, though, is you took us on this adventure, and the place supposedly closes at 4 p.m. We did not learn that it closed until four, until we were ten minutes out. We looked at the clock, and it was 3:50. We drive up to the gate. It's closed.
SIDNER: And what do I say?
ENTEN: Sara says, I'm going to try it. She goes around the closed gate, says, "What time is it open tomorrow?"
And they say, "Nine a.m." And the guy waits two beats and then goes, "You guys want to come in right now?"
SIDNER: "You guys want to come in."
[00:35:03]
CHAMPION: And you got a time.
ENTEN: There you go.
CHAMPION: I got to point out something really quickly --
SIDNER: That's me and Harry.
CHAMPION: -- so folks at home can see. This is a longhorn. But I said, Sara. What? What is that that we're looking at? And you said --
SIDNER: I said, that's a ram. And there was a buffalo. So, I said the rams versus the buffalo.
CHAMPION: OK, so there was a battle?
SIDNER: There was a battle.
ENTEN: It's a sign. That is the Super Bowl. The Bills versus the Rams.
CHAMPION: I don't know about that.
ENTEN: It will happen.
CHAMPION: I might -- I might have to disagree.
ENTEN: You know what? Disagree. We'll see where we are in a month. CHAMPION: But don't worry. What do I know? We'll see. What do I know?
SIDNER: All right. I'll tell you what we do know.
CHAMPION: Tell us.
SIDNER: My girl is in the Bahamas at Atlantis Paradise island. She's partying like a royal.
CHAMPION: She gets the best gigs.
SIDNER: We should be jealous.
CHAMPION: She gets the best gigs.
SIDNER: She does get the best gigs. And she looks hot sauce. Stephanie Elam is there with singer Ellie Gould -- Goulding. And. Oh! Oh, look at that hair and that outfit.
ENTEN: Oh!
SIDNER: Hot.
CHAMPION: You look beautiful.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what? I -- I'm trying to be beautiful like you guys. And I'm also -- happy New Year to you, because we are living in the future. So happy New Year from 2025.
And I want you to know that Ellie Goulding just got off stage and brought everyone into 2025, and she killed it. She was out there singing and jumping and athletic.
How do you do that? How do you hit those notes? How do you do that and stay so active while you're on stage the whole time?
ELLIE GOULDING, SINGER: Honestly, I do a lot of running on the treadmill and singing at the same time.
ELAM: Do you really?
GOULDING: I learned that from Beyonce, and I feel like whatever Beyonce does, I do. So, yes, that's how I do it, basically.
ELAM: And so, when you hear everyone start to sing your words back to you, you know, the song that you've written and you're performing, over and over again, what's that like for you?
GOULDING: Oh, it's just -- it never gets old or boring. Every single time, it's a different feeling, you know. And being here, like, the atmosphere is so beautiful, and everyone's in such a good mood.
And well, apart from the fight that happened.
ELAM: There was a -- there was a fight.
GOULDING: There was a fight for some reason. Everyone was just like feeling this height.
ELAM: Your music doesn't make me think I should fight.
GOULDING: No, I don't associate with my music with fighting. But like, since like I was saying to you earlier, like, I'm a boxer and I love to box. I love to sing. And I don't know, maybe there's some kind of weird parallel, but, like, everyone was really pumped.
ELAM: Yes, they were definitely pumped.
Now, you came here from Las Vegas, and you performed in the Sphere. Just, like, in a couple of words, what was that experience like?
GOULDING: Absolutely mind-blowing. It was like, honestly, I couldn't compute it. I couldn't compute it in my head. It's -- I don't know if you've seen -- if anyone's seen what's going on in the Sphere, but Andrea (ph) was playing there, and I have a song with him. And it was myself. Grimes was there, FKA Twigs was there.
And to see it like that and to be a part of that, my face -- my big old face on that screen, was like, hard to compute, but it was phenomenal. One of the coolest things that ever happened to me in my whole career.
ELAM: It was -- it looks really cool what you just showed me.
So, this is a New Year for the world, but it's also a new year for you because, well, now, two days ago was your birthday.
GOULDING: Birthday.
ELAM: So happy birthday, happy birthday.
GOULDING: I'm like, I'm just going to go with, like, I'm like de- aging. And like, I've been biohacking a lot lately. And like, I feel like I'm now like 35. I'm going to go with 35.
ELAM: Thirty-five?
GOULDING: From now on, I'm 35. And that's that.
ELAM: And that's where you're going to stand?
GOULDING: Exactly.
ELAM: I think as fit as you are, you can decide wherever the heck you want to be.
GOULDING: Exactly.
ELAM: So now, what is your -- what is your plan for the new year, for your personal new year? And for 2025?
GOULDING: Well, my new year consists of an album. I have my sixth album coming, and I'm going to be touring that. And I'm going to be doing a bit of acting and, like, doing a little bit of everything. ELAM: Fun.
GOULDING: Yes, keeping up with the training. Might do a fight, might do a boxing fight. So, I don't know. Who knows? A lot, a lot.
ELAM: And love it like you do.
GOULDING: Yes.
ELAM: Ellie Goulding, you were so fun to watch. Thank you. Happy New Year.
GOULDING: Happy New Year to you.
ELAM: I'm so glad to have you here.
Sara, Cari and Harry, we have had a ball here on the Bahamas. I mean, you guys are having a ball there, too. I know. But I think -- I think we still win, because we're in the Bahamas.
GOULDING: We win.
ELAM: We win.
CHAMPION: Yes. No, Stephanie. Stephanie, you have the gig. We're not even going to compete. You have it. We are jealous. But we still love you.
ELAM: She called me by all three syllables.
CHAMPION: We love you.
ELAM: I got it.
CHAMPION: We love you.
ELAM: Stephanie. I got it. Stephanie.
CHAMPION: Yes.
ELAM: I love you, too. Happy New Year, guys.
CHAMPION: Stephanie. Happy New Year.
SIDNER: Happy New Year to you and Ellie there. Tell Ellie I said, "Hey up, me doc." Happy New Year to you both. This --
CHAMPION: We can be in the Bahamas next year.
SIDNER: We could.
ENTEN: We could be warmer.
SIDNER: But you know what?
ENTEN: It would be warmer. I was expecting warmer down here. I know, you know, in the center part of the country --/
CHAMPION: Yes.
ENTEN: -- despite the latitude, the longitude plays a little bit against you. But at least it wasn't raining here. We didn't -- you know.
CHAMPION: You know, he looks as if he has a tan, though. Where are you coming from?
ENTEN: I do have -- you know, I did the George Hamilton treatment earlier today, but told them a little bit less.
SIDNER: Are you tan?
ENTEN: A little bit less. But the bottom line is, you know what? When you're on for New Year's Eve, you got to look good. So --
CHAMPION: You have to look your best.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: That's what I heard.
ENTEN: I'm competing against you, too. It's not really quite fair to me, but whatever.
SIDNER: Especially this glamazon over here. Like --
CHAMPION: Yes. No.
SIDNER: Come on.
CHAMPION: I don't have a hat. I'm going to bring my hat in. I just wanted you all to have your moment. And when I bring my hat, I'm going to set it off.
ENTEN: I have to cover up. But I also just wanted to show my Bills fandom, because that's what I always do.
[00:40:04]
CHAMPION: I will say this. The great thing about being in Austin -- and I know people talk about Austin as if it's the only place where you see South by Southwest -- but this city is so progressive. There's so much fun here.
Last year, Sara and I had such a good opportunity to interview the mayor, talk about all the great things that they wanted to do with the city. They obviously have a huge, huge fan base with Texas, and obviously, they're in the Peach Bowl. Well get to that. Because you talked about the U.T. dancers.
But the reason why I like being here, specifically, Harry, is because I can dance better than just about everyone here. And otherwise, I don't have great rhythm. But this is my time. ENTEN: No, I think this is your time. And I mean, the bottom line is
this. They put me next to you to make you look even better.
CHAMPION: Thank you.
ENTEN: Because when I dance --
CHAMPION: Thank you.
ENTEN: -- it's just. I don't even know what it is. You know, it almost looks like a dry heave in some sort of way.
But I love Austin. This is my second time being to Austin. I once gave a political talk back in Austin. But more than that, I was able to get frozen yogurt twice from TCBY, and I couldn't do that back in New York.
So, that's my new Austin thing.
SIDNER: That's his happy place: TCBY. Any frozen yogurt place in any city that Harrys in, that's where you can find him.
CHAMPION: You are best friends in some capacity.
SIDNER: We're close.
ENTEN: We're close.
SIDNER: We're close.
ENTEN: She took my mom to see a movie, and I didn't even go.
CHAMPION: Oh, OK.
SIDNER: It is true.
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: It's true. I'm in the family. I'm in the family.
CHAMPION: We're all a band here.
And speaking of bands, one of my favorites, we're going back to the childhood band for me. A performance from the legendary R&B group. You may know them as New Edition. I know them all as my boyfriends when I was a teenager. Here's a look at New Edition's residency at Wynn Las Vegas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, y'all, clap your hands.
(MUSIC: NEW EDITION, "MR. TELEPHONE MAN")
[00:45:07]
ENTEN: Thank you, thank you.
SIDNER: OK.
ENTEN: Thank you.
SIDNER: I love that song. We are jamming out, dancing to "Mr. Telephone Man," which was from 1984. Dang. I'm old.
ENTEN: I was not born yet.
SIDNER: Oh, we know, and it hurts my -- my heart. Good night. You're out of here.
Here's the funny part. On the stage, they've got the telephone booth from the streets back in the day when you had to put $0.10, $0.25 in there. And I bet you that half the people that are there --
CHAMPION: Are like, "What's that?
SIDNER: -- probably are like, "What is that?"
ENTEN: What's a telephone?
CHAMPION: Have you ever used a telephone booth?
ENTEN: No comment.
SIDNER: You've never used --
ENTEN: No, of course, I've used a telephone booth. Come on, there's a telephone --
CHAMPION: When?
ENTEN: Many a times. I used to call 1-800-COLLECT to my mom at baseball camp.
SIDNER: Oh, I thought you said for prison. You were calling her collect.
ENTEN: Look, we're not talking about my past life. It's about the future. We're turning --
SIDNER: Gotcha.
ENTEN: -- over a new leaf on New Year's. Please, let's not make --
CHAMPION: Yes.
ENTEN: -- certain references, OK?
SIDNER: I don't want to upset your mother.
ENTEN: That's right.
SIDNER: Of course. CHAMPION: New Edition is amazing. As I said, littered and narrated and
sang most of my childhood. It's great to see them. I think we're going to have them again, are we not?
SIDNER: We are, we are. We're going to hear from them again.
CHAMPION: Did you not enjoy that? It was a moment.
SIDNER: I -- I could sit here. We were dancing and singing, all of us.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: We're enjoying ourselves.
CHAMPION: He was --
SIDNER: He was moving to it. We were singing the words.
ENTEN: I was moving. I wasn't singing. I don't have your voice.
CHAMPION: No one does.
ENTEN: That's --
CHAMPION: Thank God.
ENTEN: That's true.
SIDNER: By the way, if you want to see -- And I don't know why you wouldn't want to see New Edition.
CHAMPION: Yes.
SIDNER: They are at the Wynn Las Vegas with new shows this February.
CHAMPION: Got it.
SIDNER: So, you can see, you know, Bobby, Ronnie, Ricky and Mike.
CHAMPION: Ricky and Mike.
SIDNER: See them all.
CHAMPION: I like the girl. Who cares who you like?
SIDNER: Who cares who you like?
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: Cool it now.
ENTEN: Road trip, road trip.
CHAMPION (singing): Cool it now.
SIDNER: Plus, a chat with Adam DeVine is up ahead and a lot more as we count down the New Year here in the heart of Texas, baby.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHAMPION: Hey everyone, we are about 12 minutes away from New Year's Eve on the West Coast. Thank you for joining us.
ENTEN: Central.
CHAMPION: We're so excited. Central.
ENTEN: Not the West Coast, not the West Coast. Stop trying to jump ahead.
SIDNER: It's OK.
CHAMPION: See, he's a data guy.
ENTEN: That's true.
CHAMPION: That's why you're here.
ENTEN: I can drop the numbers for the Bills, but I can't drop them overall. I've got to bring them back.
CHAMPION: That's all that matters, guys. I don't know what coast I'm in. Central. Austin, Texas. But --
SIDNER: Yes.
CHAMPION: -- before we continue to talk about what we see in front of us, which is this delicious barbecue, we're going to send it out to Stephanie Elam with Adam DeVine.
And of course, she's in the Bahamas, as she has told us one too many times.
ENTEN: Many times.
SIDNER: Hey, Steph.
[00:50:00]
CHAMPION: Hey, Steph.
ELAM: Oh, wait. I lost my dance partner. Oh!
ADAM DEVINE, ACTOR: Here I am.
ELAM: Oh, you guys probably can't hear behind us, but they're playing. "We're sexy and, you know it."
DEVINE: Sexy and you know it.
ELAM: So, we had to just, like, break it down.
DEVINE: And here we are. And here we are. We do. We know it.
ELAM: And we might know it today because, as Cari so aptly pointed out, we're in the Bahamas, and it's fun. So, what was hosting like? Getting the crowd hyped and ready to go?
DEVINE: It was easy. They were ready.
ELAM: They were ready.
DEVINE: Lil Jon really kicked it off.
ELAM: Yes.
DEVINE: Really ignited them.
ELAM: Yes.
DEVINE: Started out with "Shot, shot, shot, shots." And that inspired me. So, here I am.
ELAM: Lots of shots.
DEVINE: And then Ellie Goulding closed it down. Some fights broke out. It was a wild night here in the Bahamas.
ELAM: There were fireworks, literally. And I wore fireworks, because I love the fireworks show that's here.
DEVINE: You look great.
ELAM: Thank you, thank you.
OK, so you had lots of people in there who know you from so many different things.
DEVINE: Yes.
ELAM: Is that fun for you when they're like -- when they're like, hey, "Modern Family" guy? Or when they're like, hey, "Pitch Perfect" guy?
Because I heard some people saying that.
DEVINE: You know, I like that stuff. I -- I like it more when it's just a dad who's just, like, how dare you? I've had to watch that B.S. a thousand times.
And I have to go, like "Pitch Perfect"? And they're like, no. And I'm like, "Modern Family"? And they're like, no. And I'm like, "Workaholics"? And they're like, no, that dumb commercial you did.
And I'm like, I'm sorry.
ELAM: That commercial. That's the one.
DEVINE: I like to get paid. Sorry. ELAM: A paycheck addiction is a good thing.
DEVINE: Yes.
ELAM: It's a good -- it's a good thing.
DEVINE: You know, I've got things I have to pay for.
ELAM: But you did have a -- look at this. Look who's here.
DEVINE: Oh! Oh! Attack of the Lil Jon.
ELAM: You never know when a Lil Jon might just show up.
LIL JON, RAPPER AND RECORD PRODUCER: Happy New Year!
DEVINE: How -- I'm so bummed that Lil Jon is taller than me. I should -- I should be Miniature Adam.
ELAM: Miniature Adam.
DEVINE: Yes.
ELAM: He's Lil Jon.
LIL JON: Hey, I just want to say happy New Year.
DEVINE: Happy New Year, buddy.
LIL JON: Blessings to you both. And everybody out there.
ELAM: This was so much fun.
LIL JON: Yes.
DEVINE: Yes.
ELAM: So much fun watching you two have fun. Because I was watching you backstage. And also, just the show you guys put on together. Folks were having a ball. Having a ball?
DEVINE: Yes. If you're saying that there should be a buddy movie in our future. Yes, I think so.
ELAM: Can I make a news cameo as a reporter in it somehow?
DEVINE: Sure. All right. Yes.
ELAM: Sounds like fun. Happy New Year.
DEVINE: Happy New Year, buddy.
ELAM: Jon of the Little.
LIL JON: Boom.
DEVINE: See you, Jon.
ELAM: See? You just never know what you're going to get here when you're hanging out.
DEVINE: Yes. We're close like that. I just said, "Later, Jon."
ELAM: I just said, "Later, Little."
DEVINE: Yes.
ELAM: Can't you just say, "Later, Little"? I don't think so.
DEVINE: It worked.
ELAM: It didn't work. But no, that's the kind of fun that we have been having here.
It is so great to just see people having a good time, dancing, singing along to so many of the songs. Good time.
DEVINE: Were having a blast.
ELAM: So, I will stop talking about how much fun we're having here and send it back to you guys there in Texas.
DEVINE: Yes. Enjoy the cold, nerds.
SIDNER: All right. We are going to be back in just a bit, and we're going to be bringing you something absolutely magnificent from La Barbecue from here in Austin, Texas. From Hello Trouble Hall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:56:29]
SIDNER: We are back here in Austin, Texas. We are inside Hello Trouble Hall, the only mobile honky-tonk in the world.
CHAMPION: What is a honky-tonk, Sara?
SIDNER: Girl, it's where you learn to sing your heart out. And usually, at least in places like Nashville, it's free.
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: So, you just go in there, and you can hear Dolly. You can hear Willie. You can hear anybody that -- that -- Earl -- Merle Haggard.
CHAMPION: OK.
SIDNER: You know I love country.
CHAMPION: I was going to say, OK, so Sara's giving us her deep knowledge.
But we also have to tell people that this is a true -- country music. The one thing I do love about country music, it speaks its truth. Because look at all the signs here.
SIDNER: The stories.
CHAMPION: "Hootin' leads to hollerin'." Who doesn't know hootin' leads to hollerin'?
SIDNER: Hello.
CHAMPION: I mean, I said that to you just --
SIDNER: Harry.
CHAMPION: I said that to Harry.
ENTEN: Maybe I --
CHAMPION: Hootin' leads to hollerin'.
ENTEN: I mean, I did not know that until this evening. You know, I have to say, Kinky Friedman, who of course, passed recently, that's another name that obviously pops in my head. Ran for governor, basically did everything, right? He was a renaissance man, in a way.
SIDNER: He was a renaissance man.
CHAMPION: Yes, it's true.
ENTEN: So that, you know, I'm showing my country knowledge a little bit. Right?
SIDNER: I like it, I like it.
CHAMPION: Country music is having a renaissance.
SIDNER: It's -- totally a renaissance because of Bey all day. Beyonce.
CHAMPION: In many ways.
SIDNER: A lot of it.
CHAMPION: What doesn't need a renaissance?
SIDNER: Let me tell you what doesn't need a renaissance. Actually, you are a renaissance when it comes to barbecue. No, no, no, she's being shy.
La Barbecue. By the way, how many of you know a barbecue joint --
CHAMPION: Joint.
SIDNER: -- that is, it has a Michelin star.
CHAMPION: Not a one. Not a one.
SIDNER: She did that. Founder of this amazing barbecue joint here in Austin. ALLIE CLEM, LA BARBECUE: Thank you. Thank you.
SIDNER: What have we got here?
CLEM: So, we've got -- I've got a brisket right here I'm going to cut for you guys. Pork ribs, of course. Our chipotle coleslaw, pickled red onions, cucumber, kimchi, house-made pickles. Chipotle -- chipotle sausage.
CHAMPION: The guy from the Bronx can't help it.
SIDNER: No fork. No nothing.
ENTEN: No fork needed.
CLEM: No, no, no.
ENTEN: All about the hands. Let's go.
SIDNER: OK, OK. So, you started, as many businesses do here in Austin when it comes to food, with a truck, correct?
CLEM: Yes. We were a food truck for five years. It was a -- it was a journey, for sure.
But we grew up, thank God. And now we are in a brick-and-mortar, and we will live the rest of our life in this building.
CHAMPION: This is amazing.
CLEM: Yes.
SIDNER: I have to say, like, it's so impressive that you started with the food truck. Food trucks are good, y'all. Like we know this. Right?
ENTEN: Oh, yes.
SIDNER: Like, we know this. But the fact that you actually got -- what was it like when you got the Michelin star? Like, how does that even work? I have no idea.
CLEM: You know, it was --
CHAMPION: It's a secret, right? Like, you don't know they're coming in to do any of the things to --
CLEM: A 100 percent. I mean, I had no idea at all that we would even get it. But it's such an honor to even be a part of that crew, you know? I mean, and -- and to share it with my -- my staff. And that has gotten me here is -- it has just been an incredible journey.
ENTEN: I just want some of that.
CLEM: I know. So, I cut -- so I cut these for you guys is what we call money. We call money bites.
SIDNER: I'm taking the money bites.
CLEM: Like --
SIDNER: Oh, my God.
CHAMPION: OK, OK. I'm trying --
ENTEN: Just stuff it in there. Just put it.
SIDNER: Oh my God.
CLEM: Just do it. Just do it.
SIDNER: It's like butter. It's like, oh.
CLEM: You've got this nice fatty brisket on top here.
CHAMPION: It's amazing.
ENTEN: Smells amazing. This is the perfect way to potentially go into the New Year, right?
SIDNER: It's a little bit salty.
CHAMPION: It's a little bit salty.
SIDNER: It's like melt in your mouth.
CHAMPION: Got that pepper.
SIDNER: This guy didn't even bother taking a bite. I just stuffed that whole thing in my mouth.
CHAMPION: Perfect.
SIDNER: This is absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to taste the rest of it. Allie Clem, you've outdone yourself.
