Overview
- During CNN’s Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve broadcast, Anderson Cooper attempted a dramatic reading of Taylor Swift’s “Wood” and dissolved into laughter before stopping.
- Co-host Andy Cohen egged him on throughout the bit, at one point teasing, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, knock on wood, baby!”
- Clips of the moment spread widely on Instagram and X, drawing millions of views as users reposted Cooper’s reaction.
- Cooper said he was unfamiliar with the track beforehand, struggling through lines including “Redwood tree… his love was the key that opened my thighs.”
- Released in October 2025 on The Life of a Showgirl, “Wood” is broadly read as referencing fiancé Travis Kelce; Swift has said the idea began innocently, and Kelce praised it as “a great song” as it became 2025’s most Googled track.