Ex-Howard Stern Show staffer teases job after layoffs
An ex8216howard stern show8217 staffer, Jon Blitt, trolled fans with an Instagram clip joking that his first day after SiriusXM layoffs was at Old Navy. Page Six confirmed Howard Stern cut about a dozen staffers and plans to air one new show per week after summer break.
Key Takeaways
- Former “Howard Stern Show” staffer Jon Blitt posted a deadpan Instagram bit claiming a new job at Old Navy.
- Page Six confirmed Stern laid off around a dozen SiriusXM staffers, with news delivered over Zoom.
- Stern plans to cut back to a single show per week after he returns from summer break.
- Blitt, who worked on the show for nearly a decade, was laid off alongside Benjy Bronk, Memet Walker and Mike Trainor, according to The Sun.
- Fans quickly clocked the Old Navy clip as a joke, praising Blitt’s rebound humor.
Blitt’s clip, shared earlier this week and captioned “#newbeginning,” opens with a straight-faced pitch: “So today is my first day working at Old Navy.” He called the gig different from his last job, then joked that the first lesson was “ABF, ‘Always Be Folding,’” riffing on Alec Baldwin’s “Always be closing” line from Glengarry Glen Ross.
He kept the bit going by folding jeans inside a store and telling viewers, “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to be doing this,” before promising updates “over here at the Old Navy.” The clip ends with Blitt jokingly asking a customer, “Hi, can I help you?” For more celebrity exits and radio drama, see our celebrity breaking news hub.
What did the ex-Howard Stern Show staffer post?
According to Page Six, Blitt’s Instagram video was a tongue-in-cheek glimpse at life after the pink slips—not a serious career announcement. Commenters caught the gag immediately. One wrote that “Blitt rhymes with bit.” Another said, “This is typical Blitt that cracks me up.” A third teased, “You are going to kill it at Old Navy bud,” then added they already miss him.
Why were Howard Stern Show staffers laid off?
Page Six exclusively confirmed earlier this month that Stern, 72, laid off around a dozen staffers from his SiriusXM program. Sources said staffers heard the news on a Zoom call, were sent home right after, and will get severance tied to how long they had been with the network. They were also told Stern plans to drop to one show per week after summer break.
Blitt’s nearly decade-long run ended in the same wave that, per The Sun as cited by Page Six, also included Benjy Bronk, Memet Walker and Mike Trainor. Trainor was first to confirm his exit publicly, writing on X on July 16 that his 12-year run had ended and he was “excited for what’s next.”
What does this mean for Stern’s SiriusXM schedule?
The cuts land after Stern re-upped for another three years in December and told listeners he had “figured out a way to have it all”—more free time while staying on the radio, with added “flexibility.” Last year, he sparked panic when he told staff on Labor Day evening he would not return as expected, reportedly skipping episodes amid contract-negotiation frustration. He first inked with Sirius Satellite Radio in 2004.
Blitt’s Old Navy gag does not reveal his real next move. It does show how one high-profile casualty is answering fans: with a joke, not a rant—while Stern’s leaner weekly format takes shape.