Howard Stern insiders skewer his titanic ‘ego’ and expose his backstage diva demands… as he melts down over much-younger rival

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Sources say that Howard Stern, the famous and often controversial radio host, may be losing staff members to Spotify podcaster Alex Cooper, with some employees reportedly looking for opportunities to join her team.

It’s no surprise that Howard Stern’s SiriusXM is heavily supporting Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper, 31, as a key part of its future, especially after she signed a $125 million, three-year contract with the satellite radio platform in August 2024.

But the move is said to be a hard pill for Stern to swallow.

According to a source, Howard is aware that a significant amount of money is being spent on promoting Alex and her podcast.

He realizes she’s the one with the potential to succeed, and Sirius is increasingly investing in her. He’s struggling to accept that she’s the one who will be successful.

For weeks before Howard Stern’s show returned from its summer break, they hinted at a major announcement. The return date was initially September 2nd, but was delayed to September 8th because of illness.

People who watched the show were led to think it would end this year when the host’s five-year, $500 million contract ran out.

But when he came back to the show earlier this month, he told listeners that the rumors weren’t true at all.

He went as far as getting Andy Cohen, the head of Bravo, to jokingly tell listeners that he was taking over for Howard Stern – something Stern himself would supposedly be okay with happening eventually, a source tells us.

According to sources, Alex’s colleagues disapprove of her move away from traditional radio and her financial backing from SiriusXM. They feel Howard Stern’s pride is getting in the way, and he isn’t being supportive.

‘His mindset is always “there’s no one else but him”,’ they said.

Sources say Howard Stern has been avoiding Kelly Cooper, particularly when she visits SiriusXM’s New York office – she usually works from Los Angeles – reportedly because he prefers to avoid conversations with people in general.

According to a source, when he visits the office, he’s immediately brought in by security and then quickly taken out again, with no chance to speak to other employees.

‘His security team there treats him as if he’s of presidential status.’

Howard Stern’s show has been declining in popularity for more than two years. This started after he was criticized for expressing political opinions, particularly regarding then-candidate Donald Trump in September 2024, which led to a significant drop in listeners.

I’ve been a dedicated listener for years, and it’s been heartbreaking to watch the show’s audience dwindle. It used to be huge – we’re talking 20 million people tuning in daily at its best! Now, numbers have dropped to around 125,000, which is really tough to see. They haven’t released the ratings for the very latest episodes, so I’m still hoping for a turnaround.

And it’s not just fans who are ready to abandon ship – but his staff too.

According to a source, Sirius employees are primarily motivated by financial gain. They’re concerned about their personal and family expenses, and would quickly accept a job offer from Alex if it meant better pay.

‘If his staff leaves, of course Stern would be afraid that they jump ship and she keeps his staff.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Stern’s reps and SiriusXM for comment. 

People working at The Howard Stern Show are reportedly very worried, according to a source who spoke with the Daily Mail.

People are really worried they might lose their jobs soon. It’s unfair to them, and many have been expecting layoffs for a while now.

Steven Grillo, a former intern for Howard Stern and author of *Gorilla Parts*, believes Stern’s staff is exceptionally skilled and deserves to be on a show where they can fully showcase their abilities.

Howard is skilled at identifying and attracting incredibly loyal people, and he knows how to leverage that loyalty. He consistently built a team that was deeply devoted to him.

Grillo explained that the man found incredibly loyal people and brought them into his inner circle, making them well-known. He then provided just enough money for them to get by, but never enough to achieve the same level of wealth as he had.

Grillo had previously criticized Stern, accusing him of a major deception and labeling him a has-been.

Kelly Cooper has signed a $125 million agreement giving Sirius exclusive rights to advertise and distribute her podcast and all content from her Unwell network.

Starting in February 2025, SiriusXM introduced two new channels – Unwell Music and Unwell On Air – offering live daily programs, curated playlists, and storytelling with Cooper and a variety of other hosts.

On September 8th, Stern shared with his audience a rumor he’d heard: that he was leaving due to issues with Alex Cooper.

Honestly, when he was asked about Alex Cooper, he said he didn’t know her at all. He actually thought they were talking about Alice Cooper, the famous rock star from the ’80s – he even used a pretty strong word to emphasize that’s who he believed they meant!

‘And then I realized they’re talking about a podcast.

I’m happy for anyone, like Alex Cooper, who contributes to these channels – honestly, good for them. Every new subscriber is a win for me, since I have stock in the company and I’m hoping to see a return on my investment.

He stated he needs to attract subscribers for Alex Cooper, and emphasized he doesn’t care who SiriusXM pays – even if it’s controversial figures like Adolf Hitler, Harvey Weinstein, Vladimir Putin, or Bill Cosby – as long as they gain subscribers.

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2025-09-20 00:19