Radio host Howard Stern recently admitted that his paranoia over a new strain of COVID-19 has gotten him into a fight with his wife.

During a Wednesday segment of his Sirius XM radio show, the shock jock conceded that he’s paranoid and “neurotic,” especially when it comes to the virus, and noted that his wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, is less so. 

As he explained, this has led to tension and arguments with her as media outlets have been warning about a new coronavirus strain and his wife wants to go out and socialize.

The topic came up when a guest caller asked the radio host whether he thought it was risky to return to the studio for his show amid the new warnings about another COVID-19 outbreak.

Stern admitted the fear of getting sick has been weighing on him and his relationship.

He said, “I’m going crazy with this. My wife yelled at me last night. We got into a fight.”

He added, “You know how paranoid I am about getting COVID. I haven’t gotten it, and I’m pretty safe, and I really don’t want to get it.” 

The radio host vented about people telling him to lighten up about the disease, stating he would be the one to have a strong case of it because he’s older and “lucky” like that.

Stern said, “Everyone goes, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a cold for me.’ It’ll probably be way worse. You know what I mean? I mean, I’m the lucky one who will completely fall apart.”

Mentioning how his wife has less to worry about than him, he added, “You know, my wife’s considerably younger than me, as you might have heard. And you know, she’s not as concerned about getting COVID as I am, because, you know, I’m an older dude.”

Howard is 69 years old; Beth is 51. 

“Beth has a bunch of plans. She has like a wedding shower to go to and lunch to go to with a friend and a dinner and a blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So, you know, we’re really making an effort. We go out to restaurants. We went to the Ed Sheeran concert. We’ve really been out there. I haven’t gotten COVID. And I’m like, you know what? If I get it, I get it,” he said.

Stern said, “Then all of a sudden they announce there’s a new strain of COVID and it’s on the rise. And, you know, people are being hospitalized. ‘It’s time to go back down into lockdown.’ And I’m like, you mean I’m just emerging, and now I’m going back into lockdown!”

He also explained how the argument with his wife went over his COVID concerns: “She goes, ‘That’s what you do. Every time I say I’m going to do something, you bring up COVID.’” Giving his reply to her, he said, “I’m just telling you, I’m scared. Am I wrong?”

The host said he did apologize to his wife after the argument.

He concluded, saying, “I’m just expressing my fear to you, and I’m scared.”

After the guest caller sympathized with his point, Stern added, “It makes me nervous. I’m neurotic. Listen, I have a lot of issues. I’m a neurotic. You know what a neurotic is?”

Co-host Robin Quivers answered his question, “Yes, a person with no real problems, but who makes them up.”

“Yeah. I make a ton of problems,” he responded.