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Howard Stern sent shockwaves through the radio world Monday morning after staging an elaborate prank that made it seem like he was leaving SiriusXM, only to reveal moments later that he's not going anywhere, at least for now.
Listeners tuning in to his usual 7 a.m. slot were stunned to hear Bravo host Andy Cohen's voice instead. Cohen kicked things off by announcing that he was taking over the channel and rebranding it as "Andy 100."
"I know you're expecting a big announcement from Howard," Cohen teased on air. "This was supposed to be a cleaner handoff, but I'm kind of winging it here. It's a surreal morning."
Within minutes, several major outlets, including CNBC, Variety, and the Associated Press, ran with headlines claiming Stern was stepping away from his iconic show. SiriusXM stock even briefly dipped nearly 2% in premarket trading before recovering.
Just ten minutes later, Stern returned to the mic laughing and scolding both the press and his audience "Here's the truth, I'm not leaving," Stern said bluntly. "But now I'm pissed off, because after this stunt, I can't leave. I've been thinking about retiring, but this just ruined my exit plan!"
The legendary host explained that while his future with SiriusXM is still being discussed, negotiations with executives have been "fantastic." "I'm very happy at Sirius," he shared. "They've sat down with me, they've approached me like they always do, and the talks have been great."
Stern also used the segment to mock reports about his supposed feud with star podcaster Alex Cooper.
"I don't even know Alex Cooper," he said. "If she's young and bubbly, God bless her. I'm the exact opposite."
Throughout the morning, Stern warned that he might miss upcoming shows due to a lingering cold, hoping to prevent yet another round of wild speculation.
Stern, who famously left terrestrial radio for Sirius back in 2006 in a landmark $500 million deal, has yet to officially confirm whether he'll sign another contract. "When I do make a decision," Stern joked, "you'll know, and hopefully it won't crash the stock market next time."
