Howard Stern pranks listeners with Cohen takeover, igniting frenzy over show's future

(TNND) — Long-time radio host Howard Stern decided to prank his listeners on Monday morning before addressing rumors that his SiriusXM show was not being renewed.

Instead of hearing Stern's familiar voice at the beginning of the show, fans heard Bravo host Andy Cohen announcing he was taking over the channel and rebranding it as "Andy 100."

Multiple media outlets, such as CNBC, Variety, and The Associated Press, were quick to report he was leaving the satellite radio network.

"Well, good morning, everybody. This is, I know, not the voice that you expected to hear," Cohen said when opening the show. "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. I know that you're expecting a big announcement from Howard, and this is actually not how things were meant to go. There's been a lot of talk about what's going to happen with Howard. Is he fired? I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, except that he's not here, and I am."

A short time later, Stern appeared on the show, saying it was a hoax and criticizing inaccurate reporting about his career status during the summer hiatus.

"Everything in the paper that you've been reading about the or about Robin is completely false," Stern said, referencing a cohost of the show, Robin Quivers.

The news comes after months of speculation about his future at the radio giant, including reports about the show ending over contract disputes. His five-year-long $500 million contract with SiriusXM expires at the end of 2025.

“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,” Stern continued.