After Ten Years, Jenny McCarthy Steps Down from Hosting New Year’s Eve Special
It's been a decade since Jenny McCarthy lit up our screens as the host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. But in 2020, fans will notice a big change—Jenny is taking a well-deserved break. For the first time in 10 years, the blonde dynamo won’t be ringing in the New Year with her trademark charm and energy. While her fans might be feeling the absence, her husband, Donnie Wahlberg, couldn’t be happier about this unexpected gift of time together.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” Donnie, 50, shared with Closer Weekly during the 10-year celebration of Target’s annual Heroes & Helpers program in early December. “Being able to actually spend some quality time together this Christmas without worrying about heading off to Times Square for New Year’s Eve? That’s a dream come true for both of us,” he said with a grin.
Donnie’s Unique Connection to Jenny’s NYE Journey
Donnie, the beloved star of Blue Bloods, who tied the knot with Jenny in August 2014, reminisced about the special role New Year's Eve played in their relationship. “The first New Year’s Eve she hosted, I had the privilege of performing with New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys,” he recounted. “And guess what? The last one she hosted, I was back on stage again with New Kids on the Block.”
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He went on to say, “It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? Her 10-year run of hosting NYE was perfectly bookended by the first day I met her and the day I got to perform with her again. It’s kind of magical, you know? If she decides to return next year, I might just have to perform again,” he added with a playful wink.
Missing the Midnight Kiss? Not So Fast!
The singer of “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” who is also the proud father of sons Xavier, 26, and Elijah, 18, and the devoted stepdad to Jenny’s 17-year-old son, Evan, teased Closer Weekly about the couple’s famous NYE smooch. Fans will undoubtedly miss seeing this iconic couple lock lips on live TV after the ball drops at midnight.
“You know what’s funny? It’s going to be the first New Year’s since we’ve been together that we don’t have to stop kissing at midnight,” he joked. “No more interruptions from Ryan Seacrest saying, ‘Donnie, Jenny, what do you have to say?’ This year, we’ll kiss, and who knows? It might or might not be broadcast live!”
