Since Anderson Cooper’s daytime talk show was canceled last month, it appears the CNN newsman is suddenly more willing to jet off to world hot spots and leave the talk show in the hands of substitutes.
Cooper popped up in the Middle East over the weekend covering the bloody rocket war between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza for CNN.
That left the talk show yesterday to be hosted by Rosie O’Donnell and reality-show favorite NeNe Leakes.
A taped show is set to air today and Andy Cohen, the host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” is set to fill in again.
It’s the first time Cooper has used substitutes.
Contractually, he is still obligated to host the daytime show — which airs here on Ch. 5 weekdays at noon — until May 2013.
A spokesman for Cooper said there was no new arrangement that allowed him to take off for other assignments now that the show’s days are numbered.
“It was always part of the expectation that he would be away when and where events dictated,” said the spokesman.
The show is syndicated by an arm of Warner TV, which is owned by the same company that owns CNN.