Two of “The Five” co-hosts Bob Beckel and Kimberly Guilfoyle have news for CNN’s New Year’s Eve hosts: “We’re going after Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin,” Guilfoyle joked to TVNewser in a phone interview this afternoon previewing their just-announced New Year’s Eve special on Fox News.
“And we’re gonna get em,” Beckel added.
Guilfoyle and Beckel will host a live hour at 9pmET, ahead of the New Year’s Eve Times Square special hosted by Bill Hemmer and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, which now begins at 10pmET. It’s actually Hemmer and Hasselbeck who will be going up against Cooper and Griffin at the other end of the Times Square riser, and the other end of the cable dial.
Why did the normally disagreeable Guilfoyle and Beckel agree to this New Year’s Eve shift?
“I was reluctantly pulled into it because Kimberly’s looking for a fifth husband,” Beckel joked. (She’s actually only been married twice). Similarly, Guilfoyle says she’s making Beckel’s love life her New Year’s resolution: “What I wish for Bob…is to pick one, just one, sweet lady to spend time with.”
Their on-air chemistry will come in handy for the off-air moments in chilly Times Square. “Lots of transferring of body heat during the commercial,” Guilfoyle said. “I’m exactly for that,” Beckel agreed.
In addition to hats and gloves, Fox producers might also want to have Beckel’s swear jar handy. How will he keep his tongue in check against Times Square hecklers?
“I’ll be quite fond of them,” he said, adding he’ll simply respond: “Happy New Year and kiss my ass.”