Howard Stern returns to SiriusXM
In a masterclass of media trolling, Howard Stern returned to his SiriusXM show with a prank that sent shockwaves through his fanbase and fooled major outlets like the Associated Press into believing he was leaving the satellite radio network. The stunt, featuring Bravo host Andy Cohen, marked Stern’s return from a summer hiatus and addressed rumors about his future with SiriusXM. He also addressed how being ill and losing his voice delayed his return, and may force him off air again for the rest of the week.
Listeners tuning into “The Howard Stern Show” on SiriusXM’s Howard 100 at 7 a.m. EDT were greeted by Andy Cohen, who announced he was taking over the channel, rebranding it as “Andy 100.” Cohen, known for hosting Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” and his own SiriusXM shows, leaned into the bit, delivering a convincing performance that suggested Stern had abruptly left the network. “Good morning, everybody. This is, I know, not the voice that you expected to hear. This is not the voice that you probably wanted to hear, but it is I, Andy Cohen, and this is our first day broadcasting on Andy 100,” Cohen said.
BREAKING: @bravoandy took over @siriusxm Ch. 100. Tune in now for more. pic.twitter.com/5352WQE6XH
— Stern Show (@sternshow) September 8, 2025
Andy continued, “I know you’re expecting a big announcement from Howard … I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say except he’s not here and I am.” He added, “This was supposed to be a cleaner hand off — I’m kind of winging it,” describing the morning as “surreal” and praising Stern’s legacy at SiriusXM while suggesting he’d land elsewhere soon.
The prank lasted around 15 minutes, and was convincing enough to fool CNBC, Variety, and the Associated Press, to publish stories reporting Stern’s departure. The AP ran a headline stating, “Howard Stern walks away from SiriusXM after two decades,” which remained live for about an hour before being corrected.
Howard Stern’s first show back opened with Andy Cohen hosting on what he called Andy 100, claiming Howard and SiriusXM had parted ways and the handoff had gotten messy. Howard came on after a break to reveal it’s a joke. They kept the bit going for ~15 minutes. Clearly it worked: pic.twitter.com/7lICqmTm9x
— Nick Riccardo (@nickriccardo) September 8, 2025
Editor's Note: This story replaces an earlier post to correct that Howard Stern is not leaving SiriusXM and an announcement of his departure was a prank.
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 8, 2025
Howard Stern wants to stay at SiriusXM
Stern returned to the airwaves shortly after Cohen’s segment, revealing the hoax and expressing frustration over media speculation about his career during his summer break.
“Lest anyone think that was real, that was all masterminded by me. I said to Andy, ‘Would you cut a bit for us?’ And he immediately said yes. I said, ‘Go as long as you want, because the longer it goes on, the more people will think it’s real.’ And Andy had no problem with that. He’s the best.”
“Everything you’ve been reading in the paper about me or about Robin [Quivers] is completely false. There’s zero truth to rumors that I was fired over being ‘too woke.’ I don’t even know what ‘woke’ means, but we’ll get to that, because that’s the reason I was fired, supposedly.”
“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. They’ve been nothing but lovely. We’ve been talking, and I’m very happy at SiriusXM.”
“What pisses me off is now I can’t leave. I’ve been thinking about retiring, now I can’t. [Screw] you and these rumors.”
The prank capitalized on months of speculation about Stern’s future at SiriusXM, fueled by reports that his five-year, $500 million contract, set to expire at the end of 2025, might not be renewed.
Stern’s Future at SiriusXM
While Stern confirmed he is “very happy” at SiriusXM and in ongoing talks with executives, he did not announce a new contract. His current deal, signed in 2020, expires at year’s end, and SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz expressed confidence last week in reaching a new agreement, calling Stern “core to our platform for over 20 years.” However, some reports, like one from Variety, initially claimed Stern had renewed his contract, but this was later clarified as inaccurate, with Stern himself noting no deal has been finalized.
Stern, 71, also addressed his health, explaining that a persistent cold delayed his return from summer break: “I went out the last week of my vacation and actually interacted with people and I got so sick … I had no voice whatsoever.” He warned listeners he might not appear for the rest of the week due to his condition.
What is next for Howard? Will he work out a deal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments on The King of All Media.
