The Fast Food Anderson Cooper Enjoys Only Once A Month

In recent years, Anderson Cooper hasn't tried to hide his affinity for the McDonald's Big Mac. It's humanizing, right? A renowned news figure and descendant of one of America's wealthiest families enjoying a fast-food burger like the rest of us (via CBS News) .

It's really not a surprise that the austere CNN anchor has a playful side that would enjoy an occasional McDonald's run. Remember his and Andy Cohen's hilarious tequila-influenced "adios" to 2020 on CNN's New Year's Eve special (via USA Today)? If you missed the silliness we needed at the end of a terrible year, there are plenty of great videos online (via YouTube).

As for burgers, speaking to David Letterman in 2014, Cooper recounted how he spent his 47th birthday: Alone with a Big Mac, which he bought on the drive home from an assignment in Boston. Surprisingly, the McDonald's employee was far from starstruck. "I said to her, 'It's my birthday,' and she looked at me like I was the loneliest, most pathetic on the planet," he told Letterman (via Yahoo News). Years later, Cooper, discussing then-President Trump's fast food buffet for the champion Clemson football team, admitted he loves McDonald's, as well. "Big Mac, fries, Coke. They call it the 'number one meal.' It's certainly my number one meal," he shared. "Best meal ever. If I was on death row, and was given one last meal, that is what I would chose, plus the chocolate chip cookies" (via CNN).

Whether it was turning 50 or becoming a father to baby Wyatt in 2020, Anderson Cooper indulges in less McDonald's these days, or at least he chooses smaller portions. In a recent "Ask Anderson Anything," segment on his "Anderson Cooper 360" show, Cooper discussed his "fast food guilty pleasures" (via CNN). A viewer submitted the question, "We know you're not a 'foody' person, but you do like the occasional Big Mac with fries and a Diet Coke. Have you introduced Wyatt to McDonald's fries yet?" Cooper's response was a definite no. "Absolutely not," he said cheerfully. (As little Wyatt's not even two yet, we'd be surprised if the answer had been "Yes.") He went on, "I still, occasionally, maybe once a month ... I haven't done a Big Mac in a while. Now I'm on a cheeseburger, that's it." 

If a monthly cheeseburger is Anderson's only indulgence, this shows some pretty strong will-power for the one-time Big Mac fan. In his answer, Cooper also revealed that he's given up soft drinks and hasn't had a soda in two years. He replaced his Cokes with a new beverage of choice, which he held up for the camera: Iced coffee, black. The question is: Will the tequila make a reappearance this New Year's Eve? That, we won't want to miss.