Lange Leaving Stern?

Fri., May. 25, 2007 2:47 PM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Will Howard Stern soon be hanging out the "help wanted" sign?

After six years of yuks, paunchy sidekick Artie Lange said on air Thursday that he intends to quit The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio in January.

The 39-year-old Lange's spontaneous announcement surprised Stern and his morning crew, who apparently weren't aware of Lange's plans.

"Howard, I feel like I'm going nuts," the rotund comic said. "I am burnt out from the road. The longer I stay here, the longer they are going to throw these gigs at me."

Stern and Lange then got into an argument about whether Lange should see a shrink before making any final decision.

"The pain in your life will never change whether you are working or not," Stern said.

In a subsequent interview with the New York Post, Lange said his Stern gig, rigorous stand-up comedy touring schedule, recurring role on FX's Rescue Me and recent guest shot on HBO's Entourage has left him feeling "burned out."Lange also expressed concerns about his health. His weight has ballooned to over 300 pounds and he has long struggled to stay clean and sober.

"Nothing is set in stone, but it's something I'm seriously thinking about [leaving]," the comic actor said on the radio program. "The schedule is destroying me. I love the show, and I love the people. I'm just really concerned about my health. I have to find a happy balance...none of this is going to be worth it if I drop dead at a Best Western in Milwaukee."

Lange joined the Howard Stern Show in 2001, taking over for Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling.

An original cast member of MADtv, Lange was fired from the Fox sketch comedy after two seasons due to problems arising from his heavy cocaine use. And last September, he admitted on the air to going on a heroin binge in 2005 that nearly cost him the lead in the big-screen comedy Beer League. At the time, he missed several days on Stern.

There's even a Website, artielangedeathwatch.com, devoted to monitoring his excesses and wondering whether Lange will go the way of other tubby movie and TV stars like John Belushi and Chris Farley.

Lange's exit strategy wasn't the only revelation on Stern Thursday.

The shock jock, who has talked previously about his own battle with depression, revealed his own shocking admission: He had thought about killing himself on several occasions.

"I have had a gun in my mouth two times in my life," Stern told listeners.

The comment prompted audible gasps from his sidekicks, including Robin who was disturbed enough that she later said she needed to leave the studio.

Stern's publicist, Don Buchwald, could not be reached for comment.