Celebrities are “really scared” to appear on Andy Cohen’s Bravo show “Watch What Happens Live,” “because,” he says, “they think I’m going to ask inappropriate things.”
Which he is — as was the case when Cohen recently dug into guest Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” days, which she hasn’t spoken about in years.
But Cohen gets away with it because, he says, it’s all in good fun.
The Bravo reality star whisperer has been hunkered down in downtown Austin taping his show in the middle of all the South by Southwest madness this week — far from his usual SoHo studio. (Cohen’s staying at the W, along with, among others, Kanye West, whom he ran into in the hotel lobby — West is performing at a show with Jay Z Wednesday night.)
And even though fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers also hit SXSW to promote their shows, Cohen says there’s no real competition, just camaraderie. Kimmel, who is doing his show live from Austin all week, even appeared on “WWHL” Sunday night.
“I think what Kimmel does is a big huge mass show on ABC. And we’re playing ‘Austin T–ty Limits,’ ” Cohen says, spoofing on the music festival “Austin City Limits.” “I’m going to see if Seth Rogen can teach the whole audience how to roll a joint tonight. We’re a little bit more subversive than the mass late-night show.”
That off-centeredness includes guests who drink when they’re taping his show. Among his most intoxicated visitors over the years, he says, were Ricki Lake, Rachael Ray, Kylie Minogue and Elijah Wood.
One sober celeb he is looking forward to having on his show is Lindsay Lohan — and he hasn’t planned any backup for the notoriously flaky starlet.
“I have full confidence she’s going to show up. I’m a positive person. So when someone says they’re coming I believe they’re coming,” he says.
As for Bravo’s newest show, “Southern Charm,” which follows a gang of ridiculously good-looking and well-off boys and girls in Charleston, S.C., Cohen quips the series has taught him a lot.
“I’ve learned how to be a chauvinist. It’s incredible how the guys treat women. I’ve gotten more in touch with my preppy side because those guys are so WASPy and so preppy.”
But, for this week at least, Cohen has Texas on the mind.
And with Texas comes mechanical bull riding, which he tried last year during a SXSW visit. “I think Ramona Singer would do the best [bull riding] of any of the Housewives because she’s relentless,” says Cohen before adding, “Tamara Barney from O.C. might stay on a really long time. . .”
As for the worse?
“I’d be worried about Lisa Vanderpump,” he admits. “I feel like she might just fly off.”