Nurse Blake Says Cringe Nurse Question on Andy Cohen’s Show Really Pissed Him Off
"Looking back, I wish I had pushed back. 'Dear Andy: Yes, while nurses help patients on/off bedpans, we also do so much more," says Nurse Blake.
What's tanned, pink, and looking camera-ready with a (non-alcoholic) drink in hand? It's Nurse Blake, of course, making a television debut on the 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen!' late-night show.
Nurse Blake appeared on the show as one of Cohen's guest bartenders, and in typical Nurse Blake style, he brought humor, class, and a killer scrub fit. But not everything went as smoothly as he hoped. Nurse Blake dished to Nurse.org on how he felt leading up to the show, what he wishes had gone differently, and what his future showbiz plans are.
🎥 Watch a clip of Nurse Blake on the show here!
A Star is Born
Nurse Blake explains that he was invited on Cohen's show to promote his new comedy tour, but despite the fact that Nurse Blake is no stranger to being in the spotlight—literally—his stint as a television star had him shaking in his scrubs.
"I can be on stage in front of thousands of people doing comedy, but being on TV makes me soooo nervous," Nurse Blake admits. "It’s like that feeling the morning before clinicals in nursing school, when you feel like you might vomit and have a BM at the same time."
He tells Nurse.org that even though interviews make him nervous, he still says yes to almost every request because he views them as a challenge, "good practice," and (mostly) fun experiences.
"I mean, life’s short—why not?" he notes.
He didn't have a lot of time to stay nervous, though, as he adds that the entire process was actually extremely fast-paced.
"You arrive 30 minutes before taping, then it’s lights, camera, action—no time to relax," he notes. "They literally called my name, walked me to the bar, and hit record. I’ve seen the show and viral clips online, so it's surreal to be there in person, which was my favorite part, just being there. The pace is the biggest challenge—it all happens so fast, you hardly have time to think or process anything."
Nurse Blake describes as "super nice and friendly," Cohen himself even stopped by to say hi before filming began. But Nurse Blake was perhaps most envious of the small, live audience who got to hang out at the bar and have drinks before the show began. "So while they’re drinking and having a blast, I’m over there sweating and nervous waiting to tape," he says wryly.
Nurse Blake's Official role on the show was a guest bartender, which is a bit misleading, because he explains that you don't even have to actually make drinks, and the dedicated nurse and comedian just celebrated his one-year sobriety milestone on July 1st.
"It’s more about smiling and waving," he says. "Being the bartender is actually pretty chill."
Pretty in Pink
As plenty of pictures can attest, Nurse Blake looked downright incredible on the show, rocking a pair of hot pink scrubs on the show, and his look did not go unnoticed by fans.
- "@nurse.blake, you look fab in this color 🔥" commented @diamond_dior on Nurse Blake's Instagram post.
- "Pink is your color ❤️" added @brandyroseleach.
In true Nurse Blake fashion, he downplayed how good he was looking on the show, telling us that he did get a haircut and bought a few pairs of "cute scrubs" before the show.
"I chose pink so I’d really pop against the background," he explains.
And in case you were wondering, the scrubs he was rocking were by Fabletics.
"After trying countless scrub brands over the years, my favorite is Fabletics," he says. "They’re so comfy, they fit great, and I love their color options. I was rocking the pink Gelato color."
So, You Do Bedpans?
While Nurse Blake rocked his role as a guest bartender in hot pink, what didn't rock was Cohen's questions and comments about nurses that offended many.
On the show, Cohen asked Nurse Blake if he was a nurse and then proceeded to ask him if "So, like you do bedpans?" prompting a giant "Ewwww!" response from the audience.
The fact that such a popular talk show host and star resorted to a harmful stereotype about the role of nurses in the healthcare industry (and also seemingly shamed an aspect of patient care that a large majority of people will need assistance with at some point in their lives) really disappointed Nurse Blake.
"When he said that, I was shocked and my mind went blank," Nurse Blake admits. "I was honestly a little pissed and didn’t know what to say. What really threw me off was the live audience—they all reacted with 'Ewwww!' right after, and that caught me off guard."
The comment caught Nurse Blake so off guard that he says he wants a "redo" of the show. "I didn’t love Andy’s questions or comments, so I’d like the chance to educate him about what nurses actually do and break some of the stereotypes he seems to have," Nurse Blake explains.
Nurse Blake didn't have a lot of time to have a conversation on the show or have an in-depth redirection session with Cohen or the audience, but he says he regrets not addressing the comment head-on.
"As the bartender, you don’t get much airtime, so I didn’t have the chance to address it," Nurse Blake explains. "Looking back, I wish I had pushed back. 'Dear Andy: Yes, while nurses help patients on and off bedpans, we also do so much more.'"
Nurses Do More Than Bedpans
As Nurse Blake so tactfully points out, there certainly is nothing wrong with helping patients with bedpans, but nurses certainly do much more. Take Nurse Blake, for instance, who has taken a nursing career and turned it into a full-fledged career as a live comedian.
His new special, But Did You Die? is a brand-new 90-minute show featuring all new material where he breaks down the 10 commandments he created that all patients (and their families) should follow in the hospital—like, “Thou shall not consult WebMD before me.”
"It’s going to be hilarious and high-energy," Nurse Blake says. "You're gonna want to be there!"
In addition to cracking audiences up with his nurse-themed comedy shows, Nurse Blake is also busy booking nurses on his popular NurseCon at Sea nursing conference cruises. Nurse Blake says the NurseCon at Sea 2026—his sixth annual cruise— just hit 90% sold out. "We're heading to Jamaica for four nights of parties, continuing education, game shows, meetups, and more," he notes. It’s the ultimate nursing conference—don’t miss it!"
If cruising for CE isn't your thing, you can still catch nurse Blake on his comedy tour, which begins September 12 and runs through December 9th. He'll be making stops in states across the entire country, from Ohio to Pennsylvania to Washington to California to Florida. Literally, this man is everywhere.
And although he wishes he could do a redo on schooling Andy Cohen about the importance and professionalism of nurses, he promises fans and new attendees a show they will never forget.
"While TV makes me nervous, my live shows get me hyped," Nurse Blake says. "If you’ve been before, you know the energy in the room is electric!"
🤣 Find all Nurse Blake's comedy tour dates and details at nurseblake.com.
🤔 Nurses, what do you think of Andy Cohen's question? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.
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