Howard Stern pranks listeners by pretending Andy Cohen took over his SiriusXM slot

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid swirling rumors about Howard Stern’s retirement and firing, the truth finally came to light. On Monday morning, September 8, Andy Cohen kicked off the 'Howard Stern Show' with a surprise prank, announcing a fake rebranding of the channel as “Andy 100,” leaving listeners stunned.

Moments later, Stern returned to set the record straight, dismissing the false reports and explaining that he had been sick and frustrated by the rumors surrounding his absence from SiriusXM.

Howard Stern reassures fans over his surprisingly delayed return

After about 15 minutes of anxiety over the supposed end of an era, Howard Stern returned to the microphone, following an operatic version of his iconic intro music.

At around 7:16 am, he kicked off the show with his signature “hey now,” thanking Cohen for his “little bit.”

“Lest anyone think that was real, that was all masterminded by me,” Stern said, clearly satisfied with the prank that briefly fooled major media outlets into reporting the end of his radio career.

As he took calls from worried fans who feared the worst but suspected it was a joke, Stern assured, “Everything you’ve been reading in the paper about me or about Robin is completely false.”

When longtime sidekick Robin Quivers asked if contract renewal issues caused the delayed return, Stern explained, “Last week I was all set to come on and I made the mistake of going the last week of my vacation and actually interacting with people and I got so sick. I thought I had COVID.”

Stern has often spoken about his fear of illness since the pandemic and his efforts to avoid contact with others whenever possible.

Howard Stern felt 'annoyed' by rumors

Howard Stern voiced his frustration over the swirling rumors about his status. He revealed that a persistent “cold that won’t go away” had left him without a voice last week. Stern even told his wife, Beth, on Sunday night, September 7, that he thought he was dying after attending a Maren Morris charity concert at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, NY.

“I was just getting so f*****g annoyed with everyone writing me asking me if I was okay because I’d been fired. And I’m like, ‘what a d**k’ thing,’” Stern said, firmly denying the firing rumors.

He added that if he were fired, he wouldn’t want to discuss it publicly. “Am I okay? If I got fired I’m not okay, that’s a s****y way to go out,” he said, addressing the unsubstantiated claims that he had been ousted from SiriusXM and wouldn’t return to air to explain it to his devoted fans.

While battling the illness, Stern said he was inundated with texts last week from people asking if the rumors were true, following a summer filled with numerous false reports.

Stern admitted, “What pisses me off is now I can’t leave.” He shared that he had considered retiring but now feels stuck, saying, “Now I can’t because then they’ll say I got pushed out, so I’ll be back. F**k you."

Stern revealed that his team and SiriusXM have been in discussions over the summer about the show’s future, and he praised the company’s approach, saying, “They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me like they normally do, and they’re fantastic.” He added, "It only improves my situation, that means there’s more people subscribing."

Internet gushes over surprise return of Howard Stern

Within hours of the video revealing the truth behind Howard Stern’s delayed return and prank, the comments section flooded with fans expressing excitement over his comeback. 

One user wrote, "Truly the King of All Media, still got it 👑."

Another explained, "Because Howard is excellent at what he does. Continued success because he's real, hilarious and a leader in his field."

An Instagram user shared, "If anything good came out of this, it’s that Howard now “has” to stay. Best news of 2025! Love you all!" 

A fan declared, "Love you Howard! You're my reason for subscribing to Sirius!"

One more fan shared, "We love you Howard! don’t worry about the maggots!!" One fan recalled, "Long live the Stern Show! Y’all are like family - gotten me through many hard times by making me laugh ❤️‍🩹." 

A person quipped, "Tuned in right as Howard congratulated Andy and had a pit in stomach. Thank God it was a bit--of course you matter!! 👑"

Another user said, "I Couldn’t breathe well for the entire time @bravoandy was doing his very best trick! SO HAPPY he was kidding. LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Feel better Howard! Don’t ever leave us. All of you! @sternshow ❤️❤️❤️❤️."

One commenter said, "I mean, Andy is a good actor. Had me going."

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