Longtime friends Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper entered into a funny debate about Heated Rivalry on 2025's New Year's Eve special on CNN.The staple hosts of CNN's live New Year's Eve celebration returned to host the ball drop moment and cover the live festivities for the new year. While their live event was just as funny and wild as every year, Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper could not help but address the online craze for HBO Max's steamy new hockey show, based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers book series.As Heated Rivalry fever took over, the hosts argued over which character they would play if they starred in the show. While Cohen said he would play Shane (Hudson Williams) and his longtime friend would play Ilya (Connor Storrie), Cooper was quick to correct him that he would rather play Kip (Robbie G.K.).This moment, which instantly became viral on social media, eventually caught author Rachel Reid's attention, who shared a screenshot of this hilarious exchange and happily posted it on her social media, writing:"I keep thinking nothing can surprise me at this point, but..."More on this in our story.Heated Rivalry fever took over Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper's New Year's Eve special on CNNFor the uninitiated, Heated Rivalry is HBO Max's sensational six-episode hockey romance series, which follows the years-long secret fling between Shane and Ilya, two star hockey players and arch-rivals. The small Canadian project has transformed into a global phenomenon, becoming HBO Max's top debut for an acquired, non-animated title since the platform's launch in 2019.Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper's live New Year's Eve Special, which is known for its wild and controversial moments, went all in on the Heated Rivalry fever. Cohen and Anderson's Shane and Ilya debate first started when the hosts argued about a gift Cohen gave to Cooper, which was a bed frame (without the mattress). Cooper felt uncomfortable about using Cohen's gifted bed and put it in the guest room, which offended his friend.While Cooper had his reasons to abandon Cohen's gift, the latter had a kind thought behind it, as he explained during the live:“I thought that it made us like closer. Like better brothers, or something.''To this, Cooper jokingly replied:”This isn’t Heated Rivalry.”This is the hilarious moment that kick-started their funny banter about the show's protagonists, leading to many memes and a nod from the author (Reid) herself. What started as a funny segment took control of Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper's live programme when The Late Show host Stephen Colbert joined the CNN Special with his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert.When Cohen jokingly teased that Evelyn is 'the top of their relationship,' Colbert accepted but asserted he is the 'bossy bottom.' This was the perfect opportunity for Cohen to assert another Heated Rivalry joke as he said, directly looking into the camera:“Yes! Stephen Colbert is a bossy bottom. You’re not the only one…”A confused Cooper finally addressed the elephant in the room and collectively called out everyone's obsession with the steamy HBO Max series:“Has Heated Rivalry made everybody insane?! Is this the Heated Rivalry effect?! What’s going on?!”The hockey sm*t fever continued when Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper's New Year's Eve special welcomed the lesbian singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile in a segment titled “Do! Lesbians! Give a damn?!”When the hosts asked the Grammy and Emmy-winning singer about the new HBO Max show, Carlile replied:“It’s all I can think about. I can’t even sleep at night without thinking about it.”Andy Cohen & Anderson Cooper's annual New Year's Eve special is a staple in pop culture now. While millions of fans tune in to watch the ball drop event held at New York City's Times Square, the 2025 Special is blowing up on the Internet, thanks to Heated Rivalry. For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.