Howard Stern returned on Monday to his popular show on SiriusXM to address questions about the future of "The Howard Stern Show."
The radio legend had been off the air, raising speculation about a potential departure from the satellite radio service. He had been expected to address that speculation on Monday.
"Fired? Retiring? Canceled? Bye-Bye Booey?" the show said in a promo for the Monday broadcast. "Howard Stern will speak."
But his Monday show was anything but routine.
The show began with Andy Cohen, the TV host and producer, announcing he'd be taking over Stern's channel. The pair let the news spread for a few moments -- then Stern jumped on to clarify that Cohen had been joking.
It wasn't immediately clear how long Stern would be staying with the show. But he did seek to set the record straight.
"Everything in the paper that you've been reading about me or about Robin is completely false," Stern said, referencing Robin Quivers, a co-host of the show.
MORE: Radio legend Howard Stern recalls interviewing Trump: 'There was no filter'"I've been thinking about retiring," Stern continued. "Now I can't, because then they'll say I got pushed out. So, I'll be back. Here's the truth: 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 added he's "very happy" at SiriusXM, "But one of the positive things about all this fake news is that I heard from a lot of companies who want the show."
Stern, 71, has broadcast his show on SiriusXM since 2006 after a long run on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005.
