CNN's Anderson Cooper reveals who was eager to grab Chris Cuomo’s time slot

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CNN’s Anderson Cooper addressed this month’s firing of colleague Chris Cuomo during a late-night conversation with Stephen Colbert last week – and also revealed who was eager to claim Cuomo’s coveted 9 p.m. time slot.

Cooper, host of CNN’s "AC:360," admitted to Colbert that he didn’t learn Cuomo had been let go Dec. 4 until the news was reported on TV.

Soon after, Cooper said, he received a call from Andy Cohen, the talk show host who also co-anchors CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve broadcasts with Cooper.

"Do you think I could get that show?" Cooper recalled Cohen asking him about the post-Cuomo CNN vacancy.

"I was like, ‘Andy, you’ve got enough real estate in television,’" Cooper responded, he told Colbert. Cohen’s other media ventures include hosting "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," on the Bravo network and serving as executive producer of the "Real Housewives" shows.

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According to Cooper, Cohen "feels he is fully qualified to host a presidential debate because he hosts the ‘Housewives’ reunion," Cooper joked.

CNN has had Michael Smerconish hosting at 9 p.m. since Cuomo’s departure.

During the same conversation with Colbert, Cooper also said he felt "terrible" that Cuomo’s time at CNN had ended but expressed support for the idea of the network upholding internal rules about journalistic ethics.

"Look, any time … I don’t want anything bad to happen to somebody who's a colleague and somebody who is a friend of mine, and I feel terrible for him and his family,’ Cooper told the CBS "Late Show" host. "That being said, look, journalists have strict ethics and strict rules that we are to abide by and if you don’t abide by them, there are repercussions. And I wish Chris the best, and I’m sorry for how all of this played out. … It's a business with very big responsibilities and there are repercussions."

Andy Cohen is seen in New York City, Nov. 15, 2019. (Associated Press)

Chris Cuomo was fired by CNN on Dec. 4 following a review in into allegations "about his involvement with his brother’s defense," the network said in a statement, referring to sexual misconduct allegations that previously forced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign earlier this year.

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CNN also disclosed that while conducting the review, new information had "come to light" about Chris Cuomo, which was reportedly new allegations about sexual misconduct against him.

Both Cuomo brothers have denied any wrongdoing in their respective cases.