'People Are Panicking': Howard Stern's 'Brutal Prank' With Andy Cohen Causes Behind-the-Scenes Chaos With Staff After Listeners Are Left 'Livid'... As Shock Jock Still Denies Being 'Axed' From Station
Stern's prank was branded a 'pathetic way to get people to tune in.'
Sept. 11 2025, Published 4:11 p.m. ET
Howard Stern's cringeworthy prank on listeners, which he played to kick off his new season, has staffers quaking that the end is finally near for his longtime SiriusXM satellite radio show, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Fans were stunned when Andy Cohen opened the program and, for the first hour, seemed to be hinting that he was taking over for Stern, 71. The shock jock then came on to deny he'd been canned despite reports his megabucks contract isn't being renewed.
'People Are Panicking'
Longtime staffers fear Stern's job is in jeopardy.
The prank did little to restore faith among Stern's longtime staff that he will be around much longer.
"People are panicking. Many employees who work there have a family to take care of, have kids, have a mortgage payment, and this is their main source of income," a source told the Daily Mail.
"Fear has sunk in that next week, next month, they might not have a job. It's not fair to a lot of them. And, truthfully, getting laid off has been in the back of their minds for quite some time," the insider dished.
'Lives Would Drastically Change'
The reclusive radio host was seen at a New York Knicks game in October 2018 with his wife.
"People are talking about leaving," the source claimed about Stern's employees, who are legally not to be able to speak about the show.
"People there, they're all terrified because they're all on [non-disclosure agreements]. They all signed papers that say they're not allowed to open their mouths and talk about anything," continued the insider. "There's a ton of people there whose lives would drastically change based on Stern firing on a whim."
'No One Really Cared'
A former Stern employee called the hoax 'pathetic.'
One former staffer speaking out is Steve Grillo, a famed seven-year intern, who criticized Stern's prank with Cohen as a desperate plea for attention.
"It was just a pathetic way to get people to tune in and then give them nothing. It was the biggest douche bag, hoax of the century," Grillo, 52, complained. "It just goes to show how far he's fallen from greatness... he looks like a fallen star."
"Howard has duped the audience once again with such a huge scandal that he was getting fired when no one really cared. All he did was open his mouth, and nobody was interested. The only way he can get listeners these days is by saying he's getting fired," Grillo grumbled about his former boss.
'Now I Can't Leave'
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Stern complained that now he can't retire amid the firing rumors.
After his prank with Cohen, Stern addressed reports that SiriusXM was cutting its losses by not renewing his contract, estimated at $100 million annually, which expires at the end of the year.
"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," he told listeners. "We’ve been talking."
The reclusive host then went over a series of wild headlines about his departure, declaring, "None of this is going on. None of it is true. Zero truth."
Stern turned the tables, making it seem as if he wanted to depart the show but had now somehow been roped into staying with the firing rumors.
"What pisses me off is now I can’t leave," Stern complained. “'I've been thinking about retiring. Now I can't, because then they'll say I got pushed out. So, I'll be back."
