Where Is Jenny McCarthy for New Year's Eve 2026? Times Square Absence Explained, Including Why She Left NYE Special
If you’re wondering where Jenny McCarthy is on New Year’s Eve, chances are you haven’t been paying attention for a while because it has been years since she’s appeared in Times Square.
Since we know there are a lot of people searching for details about her presumed “absence” from Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, let’s fill you in on what happened.
The 52-year-old television personality started co-hosting the special with Ryan Seacrest back in 2010 and she appeared in Times Square every year for nearly a decade.
Jenny finally decided to end her co-hosting duties in 2020.
Head inside to find out why…
She explained the decision back in October 2020, just one week after informing Ryan of her plans to leave the special. She said on Live! with Kelly and Ryan, “We’re shooting Masked Singer 3 in December and January and my son, who is now 17, said, ‘Can we please stay home this year?’ He’s going to be 18, he’s going to want nothing to do with me.”
Jenny continued, “But I got to say, it was the most wonderful time. Working with Ryan, it’s a dream. And we can’t say that about a lot of people in this business. He’s a dream. So I thank you. And I’m going to be so excited watching you from my sofa.”
Ahead of New Year’s Eve in 2019, Jenny‘s husband Donnie Wahlberg revealed what they would be doing instead of appearing in Times Square.
Check out the full performers lineup for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special!