Gay CNN anchor Don Lemon rings in the New Year with his annual tradition of getting drunk on live TV
CNN anchor Don Lemon celebrated New Year’s Eve in style
CNN anchor Don Lemon has once again celebrated the New Year in style – getting drunk on live TV.
The news anchor lived up to his reputation of lively New Year’s Eve coverage for CNN, reporting with co-anchor Brook Baldwin from a bar in Nashville throughout the night.
In one particularly viral clip from the New Year’s Eve party, Lemon was captured singing and dancing along to musician Louis York’s performance of ‘Good Drinks, Dumb Jokes’ – while main anchors Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen watched helplessly down the line from New York.
Don Lemon is getting a little more hammered. Good to see! #CNNNYE #DrunkDonLemon #Donlemon #NewYearsEve #NYE2020 pic.twitter.com/xt9tcNIRBI
— Alive In Philly (@AliveInPhilly) January 1, 2020
One Twitter user wrote: “Don Lemon getting visibly drunk on the New Year’s broadcast is a beloved tradition that justifies his entire salary.”
Another joked: “Watching drunk Don Lemon is my favourite New Year’s Eve tradition.”
Don Lemon reveals ‘Lemon 2020’ tattoo.
Elsewhere in the coverage, Lemon teased the audience that he has “a big announcement and it’s somewhere on my body” – before revealing a “Lemon 2020” tattoo on his forearm.
While Brooke Baldwin questioned if the tattoo was real, Lemon said: “It really hurts. It’s not going to rub off. They told me not to really touch it because it might get infected.”
"I have a big announcement and it's somewhere on my body." – Don Lemon#CNNNYE pic.twitter.com/cBvAWE1fbu— GIF Skull – Happy New Year. (@GIFSkull) January 1, 2020
Speaking about his 2020 New Year’s resolution after midnight, he said: “I’m going to lean in harder. I’m sick of the craziness… I went hard in 2019. Watch 2020, baby. There’s more to come! I’m a soldier. I’m ready to fight.
“It’s a big year. I’m going to more grateful, spend more time with my family, but also lean into work harder. It’s an election year and we’ve got to get ready.”
It was not just Lemon getting boozy.
To ring in the New Year in Key West, Florida, CNN correspondent Randi Kaye joined a drag queen dressed as a mermaid in a bathtub full of rum.
CNN anchor is engaged.
Lemon revealed in April that he is engaged to fiance Tim Malone.
The anchor shared an on-air kiss with Malone during CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage in January 2018.
Never forget one of the greatest New Year's Eve moments in television history. Don Lemon (@donlemon) drunkenly spilling his heart out like all of us only to find love later that night. #CNNNYE pic.twitter.com/Amn0I56c9d— Josh Sánchez (@joshnsanchez) January 1, 2020
On that show, a tipsy Lemon had discussed his new relationship with co-host Brooke Baldwin, before Malone was beckoned for a kiss.
Lemon told him: “I love you baby, happy New Year!”
The kiss marked a turnaround from the year before, when Lemon took advantage of the New Year’s Eve show to speak about his unhappiness at being single.
