>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN -- ( APPLAUSE )
-- MY GUEST TONIGHT IS A CORRESPONDENT FOR "60
MINUTES" AND THE HOST OF "ANDERSON COOPER
360."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," ANDERSON COOPER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR, WOW.
>> Stephen: SPECIAL, SPECIAL SLOT, LAST GUEST OF 2021.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID TO DESERVE IT.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A FANTASTIC GUEST, JUST WONDERFUL COMPANY TO
BE WITH.
>> WELL, NOW YOU'VE SET THE BAR VERY HIGH.
>> Stephen: EVERY WORD FROM YOUR MOUTH IS A PEARL OF WISDOM
( LAUGHTER ) YOU'RE AN EASY GUEST BECAUSE YOU
KNOW HOW TO PROFESSIONALLY TALK ON CAMERA.
>> AND I DON'T ROLL DEEP.
I DON'T HAVE A BIG ENTOURAGE.
>> Stephen: NO, IT'S JUST YOU.
LIKE BETTY WHITE, HAS A HUGE ENTOURAGE.
>> Stephen: UNBELIEVABLE.
SHE HAS HER OWN OMELETTE CHEF.
EVERYWHERE SHE GOES.
>> REALLY?
>> Stephen: FRIDAY AT T >> Stephen: FRITATAS.
I KNEW A GUY NAMED RUDOLPH STANSH, HE WAS SO FAMOUS AS AN
OMELETTE CHEF HE HAD HIS OWN LINE OF OMELETTE FRYING PANS.
THIS WAS THE 19 UP0s.
>> Stephen: WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU WERE A VANDERBILT?
WOULD NOT HAVE GUESSED IT!
NO, THESE WERE TOP TIER!
THESE WERE TOP TIER OMELETTE CHEFS!
NOT THE GUY WORKING THE LINE AT THE BENNIGAN'S ON THE SUNDAY
BRUNCH!
( LAUGHTER ) YOU'RE OVER AT CNN AND I KNOW
THE JOURNALISTS DON'T LIKE TO BE THE STORY, OR AT LEAST THAT'S
THE THING YOU GUYS SAY, BUT CNN IS THE STORY IN MANY WAYS RIGHT
NOW, CERTAINLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I MEAN, CHRIS CUOMO WAS LET GO, I WOULDN'T SAY SUDDENLY, BUT A
LITTLE SURPRISINGLY, WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE IT COMING THAT
DAY.
WERE PEOPLE SURPRISED AT THE SHOP?
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SURPRISED OVERALL, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN,
THEN IT DID HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY.
>> Stephen: IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR A YEAR AND THEN IT WAS IT
MIGHT HAPPEN -- >> PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED THE DAY
IT HAPPENED WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU KNOW THAT NIGHT?
DID YOU KNOW BEFORE IT HAPPENED?
>> NO, I HAD NO IDEA.
>> Stephen: YOU FOUND OUT FROM WATCHING TV.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THEY DIDN'T HAVE A STAFF MEETING AND SAY, WE'RE
GOING TO TELL EVERYBODY CHRIS ISN'T HERE.
>> NO.
THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A STAFF MEETING AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO
DO THIS THING BUT DON'T TELL ANYBODY?
>> Stephen: YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD DO.
THE CORPORATION WOULD LET THE EMPLOYEES KNOW YOU MAY BE
CONTACTED BY OUTSIDE MEMBERS OF THE PROCESS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING
TO MAKE NEWS BY CANCELING OUR NUMBER ONE SHOW!
>> YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK CBS DOES THAT.
>> Stephen: I KNOW EVERYONE WHO GETS FIRED AT CBS.
>> REALLY?
100%.
>> THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A MOCKER.
>> Stephen: I KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING FIRED TONIGHT!
( LAUGHTER ) >> MAN...
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
DID YOU THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
>> LOOK, ANYTIME -- LOOK, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING PAD TO
HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY WHO IS A COLLEAGUE AND A FRIEND OF MINE,
AND I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY.
THAT BEING SAID, LOOK, JOURNALISTS HAVE STRICT ETHICS
AND STRICT RULES THAT WE ARE TO ABIDE BY AND IF YOU DON'T ABIDE
BY THEM, THERE ARE REPERCUSSIONS.
I WISH CHRIS THE BEST AND I'M SORRY FOR HOW ALL THIS PLAYED
OUT AND, YOU KNOW, I HATE THIS FOR HIS FAMILY, BUT THIS IS --
YOU KNOW, IT'S A BUSINESS WITH VERY BIG RESPONSIBILITIES AND
THERE ARE REPERCUSSIONS.
>> Stephen: HOW IS DON LEMONS, IS HE OKAY?
>> THEY SEEM CLOSE.
THEY'RE VERY GOOD FRIENDS.
>> Stephen: AND DON WEARS HIS HEART ON HIS SLEEVE.
YOU QUITE DON'T TALK?
>> YOU COULD PROBABLY INVITE DON ON THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: NOT DOING THAT.
BECAUSE IT'S THE LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR.
>> Stephen: I WOULD IF WE HAD A SHOW TOMORROW.
DON, YOU WOULD BE HERE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT ANDERSON SAID, DON'T INVITE DON, ONLY ME.
>> THE FIRST CALL I GOT AFTER CHRIS CUOMO WAS --
>> Stephen: IT WOULD BE GOOD.
HE FEELS HE IS FULLY QUALIFIED TO HOST A PRESIDENTIAL
DEBATE BECAUSE HE HOSTED THE HOUSE WIVES REUNION.
>> Stephen: I 100% AGREE.
( APPLAUSE ) WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND BE
BACK WITH MORE ANDERSON COOPER, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )