By EVE BUCKLAND, US SHOWBUSINESS DEPUTY EDITOR and RUSS WEAKLAND, US SENIOR SHOWBIZ REPORTER
Defiant Howard Stern is planning to hit back and resurrect his career as the future of his long-running SiriusXM radio show hangs in the balance.
Shock jock Stern, 71, has hosted the second incarnation of The Howard Stern Show since 2006, but as the end of his $500million five-year contract looms, speculation is swirling that the show is 'doomed' after the star became 'woke' and listener numbers fell.
A source exclusively tells the Daily Mail that a 'pumped up' Stern is ready to 'prove people wrong again' and is confident he is still 'the best' at his craft as he considers a future outside of SiriusXM.
'He is in a bring-it-on mind frame right now. Howard likes what he likes and though he could be bitter on how things are going, it isn't anything new to him', the insider said.
'He also isn't blaming things on his age; the world has changed. He has changed himself. If he didn't, he would have been gone a long time ago.
'It is true, he doesn't like the uptick of podcasts, where everyone can be on the radio, he just thinks he is the best and there is a lot to learn from him rather than throwing him away.'
For now, Stern has plans to potentially join huge streamers HBO or Netflix - in a bid to bring his career to an end 'on his own terms.'
The source continued: 'All this unknown is music to Howard's ears. He thrives in this element of the unknown. He needs to deal with a personal bad guy in the situation. In the past it was NBC, just watch his movie.
'Then it was Simon Cowell, look at the fallout of AGT and now the honeymoon might be over with Sirius after almost 20 years, but he still wants to figure something out to stay, especially for his team that would mostly be affected.
'And now if the fallout continues with Sirius, he has made roads elsewhere to potentially do something with HBO or Netflix. It is not all bad if this goes bad. His story isn't done.
'Because he wants it to all end on his own terms. He believes he deserves that for all that he has done in the medium.'
The deaths of his father Ben in 2022, close friend and stylist Ralph Cirella in 2023 and longtime agent Don Buchwald last year made Stern 'question his future' the insider revealed.
'Howard has thought of retirement before all of this talk has been going down, one thing after another has just hit him', they said.
'If he signs with Sirius again or anywhere else, it will be his last contract. If Sirius doesn't sign him, he will have a backup plan, he is not going to allow anyone be the reason for the end of his career besides himself and what he wants to do.'
The Daily Mail revealed Stern was left stunned after best pal Jimmy Kimmel called him following a news alert that his show was canceled.
The death of his father Ben in 2022 (pictured with Stern and mom Ray in 1993) as well as close friend and stylist Ralph Cirella in 2023 and longtime agent Don Buchwald last year made Stern 'question his future' the insider revealed.
Donald Trump appeared on Stern's show 20 times before becoming president, appearing with daughter Ivanka at one time.
The Daily Mail exclusively revealed Stern's 95 strong staff were in the midst of a 'team building' bash in Manhattan on Tuesday when a a news alert claimed Stern was on the verge of walking away from SiriusXM altogether.
What staff didn't know was the bombshell came as a shock to Stern himself, who received it via a Google Alert as he finished dinner after a walk on the beach in Southampton.
Multiple sources confirmed Stern decided to make an 'emergency show' on Wednesday morning to quell concerns he was finished.
When he signed off, he assured listeners he'd be back on September 2.
Daily Mail has previously revealed the shock jock has been in 'very serious negotiations' with SiriusXM about whether he is able to extend his $500 million contract, which comes to a close at the end of 2025.
Some insiders claim he was set to ink a short one-to-two-year deal; while others say he's frustrated by Sirius's heavy backing of rival host, Andy Cohen.
Stern has been broadcasting mostly from home since the pandemic.
The shock jock's shift from having the most fearsome reputation in American entertainment to being what Kanye West described as an 'irrelevant old man' has been dramatic in recent years and he's faced backlash after admitting he was proudly 'woke'.
Stern has become controversial for some comments he made over the years, including saying some of the girls running from the Columbine High School shooting were 'really good looking girls'.
In 2023 after hearing claims that he's 'not good anymore' Stern declared:<'By the way, I kind of take that as a compliment, that I'm woke. I'll tell you how I feel about it. To me the opposite of woke, is being asleep.
‘And if woke means I can’t get behind Trump, which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender or I’m for the vaccine, dude call me woke as you f*g want.’
The radio star’s career fell from having 20 million listeners a day to figures fans believe are as low as 125,000.
Stern was dubbed the ‘King of all Media’ after his show’s popularity exploded in 1986 on terrestrial radio.
He’s spent decades getting jaw-dropping confessions from his guests.
In March 1995, when Selena’s fans reeled from her shooting he made fun of them, playing gunshots over Selena’s music the day before her funeral and mocking Selena’s fans with a fake Hispanic accent.
Donald Trump has appeared on the show more than 20 times.
In 1997, the now president admitted to sleeping around and said he ‘hoped for the best’ when asked if he used protection.
In 2006, he called his daughter Ivanka ‘very voluptuous.’
Read More
Here's why irrelevant Howard Stern had to go... and the two TV titans up next: MAUREEN CALLAHAN
In his 2019 book Howard Stern Comes Again, Stern said his biggest regret was never apologizing to Robin Williams for a brutal early '90s interview.
'I badgered him about divorcing his first wife and marrying his son's nanny,' he wrote. 'I was attacking the guy.'
Stern has hosted late-night shows, pay-per-view events, and written three books -- two of them bestsellers.
But he's also sparked outrage with offensive remarks.
After the Columbine shooting, he said some of the fleeing girls were 'really good-looking,' and asked, 'Did those kids try to have sex with any of them?'
'If I was going to kill some people, I'd take them out with sex.'
In 1995, he mocked Selena’s fans with gunshot sounds and a fake Hispanic accent the day before her funeral.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Howard Stern for comment and has yet to hear back.