Fans who tuned into Howard Stern’s return broadcast instead heard a seemingly flustered Andy Cohen saying he was taking over. But not was all as it seemed.
WASHINGTON — Welcome to Andy Cohen’s “Andy 100.”
Or at least, that’s what Howard Stern wanted people to think.
The infamous radio host used a staged bit Monday morning to poke fun at rumors that his daily radio broadcast, “The Stern Show,” was going off the air at SiriusXM.
In the roughly 15-minute segment, Andy Cohen came on the show, seemingly flustered, to say he was taking over for Stern.
“I know you’re expecting a big announcement from Howard, and this is not how things were meant to go,” Cohen said. “This was supposed to be a cleaner hand off — I’m kind of winging it,” he continued, saying that it has been a “surreal morning here.”
A few minutes later, Stern came on the air and thanked Cohen for agreeing to the bit, confirming that he was back after his summer break.
Before the ruse was revealed, a few media outlets fell for the prank and ran headlines like “Howard Stern walks away from SiriusXM after two decades.”
Earlier this summer, there has been speculation about the future of the legendary radio personality’s show, fueled in part by his own social media accounts.
British tabloid The Sun reported in August that Stern’s show was set to end because there was no chance that SiriusXM and Stern would be able to come to terms on a new contract.
The Stern Show’s X account then leaned into the report and rampant speculation, posting memes about the possibility of him being canceled or renewed.
Stern’s scheduled return last Monday was abruptly delayed by a week because he was sick and had lost his voice, he explained.
While he did return Monday, Stern did not announce that he had reached a new contract with SiriusXM. His current deal expires at the end of 2025.
“Here’s the truth: SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future. They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me like they normally do, and they’re fantastic,” Stern said.
But it’s not the first time he’s pretended to suddenly be replaced. In the early 2000s, as Stern was preparing to leave traditional radio, it was announced that David Lee Roth would take over his time slot.
So, Stern had a David Lee Roth impersonator on, pretending to be the real singer, announcing he was taking over for Stern immediately.
Stern had been off the air since late July for his annual summer break, and the summer months have been filled with speculation about his future and contract negotiations.
Last year, according to Deadline, SiriusXM’s Scott Greenstein told investors on an earnings call that he saw no end for Stern’s partnership in sight.
“As for Howard, he’s a singular talent,” Greenstein said. “No one pretended when Johnny Carson or others retired that the new group would replace them. They were just simply filling in on those slots. So Howard, we hope he continues forever.”
