NeNe Wants To Talk To Anderson

Attention, Anderson Cooper: Please Call NeNe!

Wed., Nov. 5, 2008 -- 4:50 PM PST by Marc Malkin

Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPress.com, Virginia Sherwood/BRAVO

It's time for Anderson Cooper to make a trip to Atlanta.

Why?

Because Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes says she wants to give him some "brown sugar!"

Here's the deal: Cooper told Ellen DeGeneres on her show yesterday that he's actually a fan of Bravo's latest installment of its Housewives franchise.

"I like to keep abreast of the Real Housewives of Atlanta," Cooper said.

When DeGeneres admitted she hadn't gotten into the show, Cooper jokingly scolded her. "Honey," the CNN newsman said, "I don't even know where to begin with NeNe."

Alluding to Leakes' ample top half, Cooper held his hands out from his chest and said, "You have to sort of watch to enjoy the fullness of NeNe."

In an exclusive interview earlier today, Leakes told me her phone didn't stop ringing and the text messages didn't stop coming from friends and family who were watching Ellen at the time. "I told my husband, 'You know Anderson Cooper? He spoke about me,' " Leakes said. "And he said, 'Anderson Cooper? The guy with the white hair? No, he didn't!' We think it's great. We love it."

So what does she have to say to Ms. DeGeneres for not being a viewer? "I need to update Ellen," Leakes said. "The girl is lost, and she needs to call me so I can let her know what Real Housewives of Atlanta is all about."

Leakes quickly forgave Cooper for mispronouncing her name (it's NeeNee, not NayNay), and now can't help imagine the fun times she thinks she could have with the silver fox. "I would just talk to him and keep it real," she said, adding, "Let's just get down and dirty and talk about whatever."

Then she laughed, "I'd wear a nice little top, since he's talking about my chest. I don't know if he's had any brown sugar."

Honey, I don't even know where to begin with that.