Howard Stern returns to SiriusXM with prank that dispelled exit rumors

Howard Stern returned to his SiriusXM show on Monday and dispelled weeks of speculation about his future by staging a prank that briefly fooled listeners and some news outlets. The 71 year old host opened his first episode back from a summer hiatus by handing the mic to Bravo personality Andy Cohen, who pretended to be taking over Stern's channel. Stern then reappeared about 15 to 20 minutes later and told listeners he was not leaving SiriusXM, though he acknowledged contract talks with the company remain ongoing.

Cohen began the broadcast saying, "I know you're expecting a big announcement from Howard, and this is not how things were meant to go," and suggested the channel would be rebranded "Andy 100." The gag prompted several outlets to run accounts that Stern had been replaced before the show revealed it was planned. Stern called the stunt "all masterminded by me" and used the segment to address mounting rumors that his long running program would end as his current five year, 500 million deal approaches expiration at the end of 2025.

"Everything you've been reading about me in the paper is completely false," Stern said on air, blaming inaccurate coverage for scuttling his...