CNN anchor Don Lemon delayed an audience’s celebration by botching the countdown to New Year’s while live on-air in New Orleans.
Lemon was so occupied with dancing to Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” while hosting the CNN New Year’s Eve celebration in New Orleans, that he missed the countdown. He began counting down to New Year’s only after the clock had already struck midnight.
CNN has redeemed itself by ringing in the new year in New Orleans with “Back That Azz Up” and not acknowledging the stroke of midnight in any way pic.twitter.com/tieCeHc4sA
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 1, 2023
While Americans were already celebrating the clock striking midnight, the CNN anchor appeared to tell the audience to “start the countdown.” He continued celebrating with the audience after the New Year had begun. (RELATED: CNN Reported Bans Hosts From Drinking On-Air During New Year’s Eve Special)
“That’s how we started!” Lemon said to a cheering crowd. Another voice can be heard saying, “ready for this countdown?” at 12:00 a.m.
Some have suggested that Lemon had issues hearing producers, Deadline reported.
Last year, Lemon found himself talking about “broke dick” with comedian Dulce Sloan during the New Years Eve broadcast. She told him her New Year’s resolution was to have no more “broke dick,” to which Lemon initially appeared confused before bursting out laughing.