Howard Stern Returns to Air with ‘Andy Cohen 100’ Prank: ‘I Masterminded It All’

On Monday morning, September 8, Howard Stern took listeners by surprise when he delayed his return following an extended summer hiatus. Though he was originally slated to resume his show last week amid speculation about his nearly twenty-year run at SiriusXM coming to an end, Stern quietly postponed without offering any explanation.

When devoted fans tuned in at 7 a.m. ET, they were greeted by fellow SiriusXM host Andy Cohen, who theatrically announced he had assumed control of Stern’s channel, humorously rebranding it as “Andy 100.” Cohen leaned into the gag, claiming he was “just winging it” in this surreal broadcast debut.

However, sharp-eared audience members quickly realized it was an elaborate ruse. Roughly fifteen minutes later, Stern’s signature “Hey now” rang out after an operatic version of his intro theme, signaling his triumphant return at 7:16 a.m. He warmly thanked Cohen for orchestrating the prank.

“If anyone thought it was real, that was entirely my plan,” Stern confessed, addressing the brief panic that led some media outlets to prematurely report his demise on the airwaves. He reassured fans that the rumors of his departure were utterly unfounded.

Responding to questions from longtime sidekick Robin Quivers about a potential contract snag, Stern explained that he had overextended his vacation and fallen ill. “I thought I had COVID,” he admitted, describing a stubborn cold that had robbed him of his voice.

Reflecting on an evening spent at a Maren Morris benefit concert in Amagansett, New York, Stern joked that he felt he was “dying” and quipped, “If I’d been fired, I wouldn’t be okay.” He remarked on the irony of being asked incessantly whether he was departing SiriusXM.

Having joined Sirius in 2004 and launching on satellite radio two years later, Stern has become a stalwart of morning radio. He broadcasts Mondays through Wednesdays and, after more than three decades on the air, traditionally takes summers off—a pattern that inevitably sparked conjecture about his future this year.

This story is being updated…

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