Howard Stern Opts For Show Return Prank Amid Cancellation Rumors

Howard Stern proved his comedic side hasn't diminished in his highly anticipated comeback show.

The media personality returned to his eponymous radio program on Monday, September 8, days after postponing his initial September 2 appearance. Fans tuned in expecting him to address the cancellation rumors; however, they were in for a shock.

Howard Stern has been at the center of cancellation speculations for weeks following claims that his relationship with SiriusXM is ending. However, other sources have accused him of spreading the rumors to regain lost fans following a significant decline in listeners.

Listeners were stunned when the highly anticipated return of "The Howard Stern Show" kicked off with a familiar voice at the helm. "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," Bravo's Andy Cohen teased fans.

He delivered a convincing performance, convincingly pretending to be nervous and winging it as he pitched the idea of taking over Stern's program to listeners. Cohen claimed there was meant to be a proper hand-off, but things hadn't panned out the way anyone expected.

Cohen, per TMZ, did not break character even after an angry listener aired their grievances over his sudden appearance. After upsetting several listeners, Stern and his pal Robin Quivers finally revealed that the whole takeover stint was a joke.

As fans expected when they tuned in for the show, Stern finally broke his silence on the cancellation rumors. He did not go into great detail about the issue but stressed that he and his team were working with SiriusXM showrunners to find the best way forward.

Stern confessed that he and his team had used the cancellation speculations to prepare an exciting return for fans and assured them he had no issues with the broadcasting company. He also addressed his September 2 absence, revealing he was ill.

The radio personality was scheduled to return last Tuesday, but cancelled last minute. Stern explained he had no choice because he was down with a severe sickness that he had yet to overcome. As for the future of his show, his words implied that a cancellation may not happen.

The cancellation rumors went viral last month, with The Blast reporting that sources claimed Stern's relationship with SiriusXM was ending after 20 years. They explained that his contract with the company would conclude in the Fall; however, a renewal seemed unlikely due to their differences.

Sources alleged Stern and the company did not see eye-to-eye on his salary, noting they could not afford the sum he most likely expected. One source claimed the media personality was "no longer worth the investment,"comparing the possible cancellation to Stephen Colbert's issues with CBS.

The network cancelled the TV personality's late-night talk show in July, citing financial reasons. However, the decision followed Colbert's attacks on the parent company's million-dollar settlement with Donald Trump.

The source implied Stern was getting cancelled for similar reasons, given his past criticisms of the president.

Ahead of his comeback show, The Blast shared that an insider had accused Stern and his team of orchestrating the cancellation rumors to make him "relevant again." They claimed the speculations were a "desperate hoax" to boost his ratings after he lost several listeners.

Earlier reports claimed that the number of people listening to Stern's show had reduced from around 20 million daily to 125,000. The source noted the radio host had no one to blame but himself for the poor ratings because he alienated MAGA supporters with his Trump criticisms.

Stern reportedly told Trump fans he didn't want them listening to his show, but regretted his decision after his ratings plummeted. On that note, the source claimed his comeback show was "a mea culpa to get the audience that he alienated back to listening to him."

Stern's former employee, Steve Grillo, echoed similar sentiments to the source about the cancellation rumors. The Blast covered the story, reporting that the ex-staffer believed fans would tune in for the comeback show only to leave disappointed.

Grillo claimed Stern's old self would be disappointed by the man he has become, noting he no longer had what it took to captivate audiences like he used to. He also slammed his former boss for losing fans with his MAGA hate.

"People cared about what he said every single day, and then he turns on them... What kind of arrogance and stupidity is that?" Grillo wondered. He stressed that Stern could have handled his political stance differently instead of alienating listeners and attempting to win them over with cancellation rumors.