Howard Stern's Titanic 'Ego' Laid Bare as His Backstage Diva Demands — And Hatred Over Younger Rival — Are Revealed
Insiders claim SiriusXM is spending more on Alex Cooper’s promotion than on Howard Stern
Sept. 20 2025, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Iconic radio shock jock Howard Stern, 71, is facing a shifting dynamic at SiriusXM as insiders claim staffers are eyeing opportunities with rising podcast star Alex Cooper, RadarOnline.com can report.
The network, which has invested heavily in Cooper’s future, announced in August 2024 that the 31-year-old Call Her Daddy host had signed a $125 million, three-year deal.
Stern’s show has declined since September 2024.
The move has positioned her as the "future of Sirius", leaving Stern to grapple with what some describe as a difficult transition.
"Howard knows that they are spending much more money on promoting Alex and her podcast," an insider revealed. "He sees the writing on the wall that she's now the future, and Sirius seems more interested in putting money into her. He can't swallow that gigantic pill that she's the future."
Rumors and Pushback
SiriusXM expanded Cooper’s role in February 2025 with two new channels.
Speculation about Stern's future was amplified this summer when The Howard Stern Show teased a major announcement ahead of his September 2 return from vacation, which was later delayed to September 8 due to illness. Fans were led to believe his show might end when his $500 million, five-year contract expired.
When Stern returned, however, he dismissed the rumors. "All the rumors were completely false," he assured listeners, even pulling a prank with Bravo executive Andy Cohen pretending to be his replacement.
While Stern appeared lighthearted on air, insiders suggest his feelings toward Cooper are more complicated. "With Alex, he doesn't like that she's not 'regular radio' and that Sirius is backing her and shelling their money into her pockets," one source said. They added that Stern's "ego is taking over" and he is being "far from welcoming".
Tensions Behind the Scenes
Staff at The Howard Stern Show are said to be 'panicking'.
Cooper is based in Los Angeles, but whenever she visits SiriusXM's New York offices, Stern reportedly avoids her.
"If he comes into the office, he's quickly escorted in with security and quickly escorted out. There's no interacting with other talent," an insider claimed, adding, "His security team there treats him as if he's of presidential status."
Stern's program has been on what some describe as a "downfall" since he criticized now-President Donald Trump in September 2024, a move that cost him listeners. From a peak of 20 million daily, audience figures reportedly dropped to as low as 125,000.
The uncertainty has rattled staff as well. "The Sirius staff will follow the money," an insider explained. "These are people who are worried about paying rent, paying for their family, so they would leave in half a second if they were offered a job with Alex."
Former Stern staffer Steven Grillo echoed the sentiment, saying Stern has long relied on "extremely loyal" employees while giving them "enough money just to survive and eat but never enough money to have a house like he does."
Cooper’s Expanding Role
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Former staffer Steven Grillo accused Stern of exploiting loyal employees, paying them just enough to 'survive and eat'.
Cooper's profile within SiriusXM continues to rise. Her deal guarantees exclusivity on advertising and distribution for Call Her Daddy and her Unwell Network content.
Earlier this year, SiriusXM launched two new channels — Unwell Music and Unwell On Air — featuring live shows, playlists, and stories from Cooper and other creators.
Stern, for his part, told listeners he holds no ill will. On September 8, he said, "I don't know Alex Cooper," admitting he first thought the rumors referred to rocker Alice Cooper.
He insisted: "God bless them. If they can bring in a subscriber, it can only be good for me. I own this stock, I'm still waiting to get rich from it. I need people to come in and subscribe for Alex Cooper."
In typical Stern fashion, he added that he didn't care if SiriusXM paid "Adolf Hitler, Harvey Weinstein, Vladimir Putin or Bill Cosby as long as they have subscribers."
