Andy Cohen will be "forever indebted" to his surrogate.
The ‘Watch What Happens Live’ presenter became a first-time dad to son Benjamin earlier this month and he’s praised the "incredible" woman who gave him the "ultimate gift" of carrying the child for him.
He said: "[I] worked with an organisation that helps you find the egg donor and the surrogate, and you kind of package the whole process.
"I worked with an incredible surrogate. She was in California. Surrogacy is illegal in so many states, including New York. I don’t understand why. It’s a voluntary process, obviously.
"My surrogate just viewed it as, she was giving me the ultimate gift. She gave me life.
"So I’ll be forever indebted to her."
The 50-year-old presenter was by his surrogate’s side when she delivered his son and "cut the umbilical cord" himself before getting to cuddle his newborn for the first time.
Andy recalled in an interview with People magazine: "I was in the delivery room. I had been hoping that he would have a full head of hair, and he really overdelivered.
"That was the first thing you see, the head of hair coming out. And I was amazed.
"He was so alert for the first two hours. His eyes were wide open. He didn’t cry; he was just calm. I kind of have no words for it."
Andy announced that he was preparing for the arrival of his first child during an episode of his show in December, telling the audience it was something he’d been looking forward to his "entire life".
Andy – who is the first openly gay host of an American late-night talk show – shared: "Tonight, I want you to be the first to know that after many years of careful deliberation, a fair amount of prayers, and the benefit of science, if all goes according to plan, in about six weeks’ time I am going to become a father.
"Thanks to a wonderful surrogate who is carrying my future. Family means everything to me and having one of my own that I have wanted in my heart my entire life. And though it’s taken me longer than most to get there, I can’t wait for what I envision to be the most rewarding chapter yet."
Read the full interview with Andy in this week’s issue of People magazine.
Andy Cohen praises incredible surrogate
