Howard Stern has clapped back at critics while talking about rumors of him getting fired because he is “too woke.” Clarifying this in an exclusive chat with Andy Cohen, he reassured his fans and also shared his reaction to when he first heard the speculations about him exiting SiriusXM.
Howard Stern talks about being woke
The 71-year-old broadcaster has set the record straight: he stated that SiriusXM is not firing him because he is “too woke.”
During an appearance on Andy Cohen Live, Howard Stern revealed he first heard firing rumors while he was on vacation. He wondered if SiriusXM was giving him the same treatment as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Notably, the show will air its final episode in May 2026.
“I don’t know whatever it was or because I’m too woke. Too woke? I don’t even know what a woke is. What is woke?” Stern quipped. “The fact that if I’m too woke — the world has turned upside down. I mean, holy s***, the stuff I do and talk about, I don’t even know what that means. But you know what? If it means I’m awakened, God bless,” he continued, clearly annoyed with the speculation.
Host Andy Cohen then attempted to pacify his guest by suggesting that perhaps it simply means he “cares about other people.” Stern agreed with the statement and clarified, “But I’m not being fired.”
Furthermore, the veteran radio host revealed he is, in fact, planning on extending his contract with SiriusXM. However, he did not specify the details of his contract extension. He also stated that he would be at peace, irrespective of the outcome.
Stern stated, “When I signed on, I think it was 200,000 subscribers. XM was killing us. And my dream, just like when I used to go to s****y radio stations, ‘Let’s f*****g win.’ And now today, there’s this robust company, and I’m very proud of it. And if I do end up staying with this company, I’m going to take ownership of that.”
For the unversed, Howard Stern signed a whopping five-year contract for $500 million in 2020 with SiriusXM. (via Forbes) Previously, he had joked that now, with the false rumors circulating about his retirement, he would stay put. “What pisses me off is now I can’t leave. Now I can’t because then they’ll say I got pushed out, so I’ll be back. F*** you,” he said, reassuring his legions of fans.
