This morning on his Sirius XM radio show, Howard Stern said he will be the next host of The Tonight Show .
It’s very possible that Howard was just kidding as he told Stern Show co-host Robin Quivers that he’s already talked to Matt Lauer about coming on The Tonight Show when he takes over. At least some of what Howard was saying was clearly a joke. Broadcast TV would never allow anything like what Howard suggested he asked Matt Lauer to do on the air.
A little over a week ago a rumor dropped that Howard was being groomed by NBC to take over Jimmy Fallon’s show, and that Fallon would replace Leno. Leno’s contract expires ins 2014, and since the show never really bounced back to it’s pre-Conan O’Brian levels, NBC may want to shake things up.
As a long-time Stern fan, I don’t see Howard taking the later show. He’s been too successful, and if he makes the move to late night TV, he would want The Tonight Show more than Late Night . Would NBC consider him for the job given his raunchy talk show past and present?
The family-safe version of Howard Stern has been well received by viewers of America’s Got Talent . Howard’s wife Beth Ostrosky Stern told the New York Post that Howard’s plan to show his safe-for-broadcast-TV side is working:
“We were in a hotel and all these little kids recognize him now as the judge from America’s Got Talent . Usually it’s their dads. But now it is screaming little kids. People are now seeing him for who he really is .”
After showing NBC he can be trusted in primetime, Stern can certainly be trusted after kids should be in bed.
NBC has denied the rumor that Stern is being tapped to replace Fallon. Howard may have indirectly addressed the Fallon rumor by joking about taking over The Tonight Show instead, or he could actually be getting the job.