Andy Cohen opens Stern’s SiriusXM show - Here’s what it could mean for his future
Howard Stern pranked fans so bad that some of them even canceled their Sirius XM subscriptions. Here’s how he did it.
Howard Stern’s long-awaited return to “The Howard Stern Show” on SiriusXM didn’t begin with his voice. It started with Andy Cohen’s.
“Andy 100?” Howard Stern’s return to SiriusXM sparks chaos
When listeners tuned in Monday morning, they were greeted by Cohen instead of Stern. Introducing the channel as “Andy 100,” Cohen hinted that Stern’s time at SiriusXM was over. The stunt was convincing enough that even the Associated Press briefly reported that Stern had been replaced, while one listener admitted to canceling their subscription in tears.
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
Fifteen minutes later, Stern returned to the microphone to reveal it was all an elaborate prank. He explained that his delayed September 8 return, originally scheduled for September 2, was due to an illness that left him without a voice, not because of contract issues.
Still, the bit tapped into real questions about Stern’s future. His current contract with SiriusXM, a five-year deal reportedly worth $500 million, expires at the end of 2025. The company has recently signed other high-profile talents like Alex Cooper, Stephen A. Smith, and Cohen himself, fueling speculation about Stern’s status.
“Here’s the truth: SiriusXM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future,” Stern told his audience. “They’ve approached me, they’ve sat down with me like they normally do, and they’re fantastic.”
Stern has extended his contract twice before since joining SiriusXM in 2006, and his show remains a cornerstone of the platform. But with SiriusXM reporting a subscriber dip to 33 million paid users in Q2 2025, the pressure to keep its biggest star has only grown.
Despite rumors of retirement, Stern suggested he’s not going anywhere just yet: “What pisses me off is now I can’t leave. I’ve been thinking about retiring. Now I can’t, because then they’ll say I got pushed out. So, I’ll be back.”
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