Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper’s annual New Year’s Eve countdown feels like a reward for making it through a trying year. Each year, the besties deliver an unhinged, unfiltered broadcast they sometimes have to apologize for later—which is exactly what makes them so fun to watch.
New Year’s Eve 2025 was no different, as the duo rang in 2026 with the help of their celebrity friends and more than a few shots of tequila. However, it quickly became clear our hosts (mostly Cohen) were battling a severe case of Heated Rivalry brain-rot.
Since its release in late November, many of us have been unable to think about much other than Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two closeted hockey players that spend years yearning for one another off the ice. Some fans of the show—based on Rachel Ried’s spicy book series, Game Changers—even wished they could fast-forward through Christmas to watch the finale at midnight on December 26.
By the end of this calendar year, Heated Rivalry held the number one spot on HBO Max’s Top Ten series list, with the show’s breakout stars dominating headlines and social media algorithms. So it’s no surprise Cohen and Cooper mentioned the phenomenon at one point during their New Year’s Eve broadcast. Is lie. Liar told you that. It was four times.
Here’s every time Heated Rivalry came up during CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live special. (Warning: minor spoilers ahead.)
When Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper compared themselves to Heated Rivalry characters.
Early in the broadcast, the pair began to bicker over sharing a bed, which Cohen believed would make them “closer, like better brothers.” Cooper disagreed, saying, “This isn’t Heated Rivalry.”
“Ooooh, Heated Rivalry,” Cohen responded, eagerly switching the topic over to the show. “Of the two of us, you’re Ilya and I’m Shane.”
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