CNBC anchors were duped live on air Monday when Howard Stern staged a fake exit from SiriusXM — a prank that briefly spread across newsrooms before being exposed as a stunt.

“Squawk Box” hosts Andrew Ross Sorkin and Becky Quick relayed to viewers that Stern had walked away and was being replaced by Bravo boss Andy Cohen.

Minutes later, Quick interrupted to say Stern had “trolled” the audience, prompting Sorkin to blurt , “That whole thing was a joke?!” 5

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The gag began at 7 a.m. Eastern Time — the moment Stern was due back from vacation — when Cohen opened Stern’s channel from Stern’s seat and declared SiriusXM and Stern had “parted ways.”

Cohen teased a new “Andy 100” brand and said he couldn’t fill Stern’s void. The performance, amplified by Stern Show social accounts, c

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