Radio show host Howard Stern, a longtime critic of the unvaccinated, announced Monday his reason for being absent from SiriusXM last week — COVID-19.

A purported germaphobe, Stern, 69, fell ill after getting the virus and took a leave of absence, according to a report.

“See if we can get through this show. We were supposed to be back last week. We weren’t,” Stern told listeners. “Because I got COVID-19.”

Stern has long been outspoken against those who chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“F*** them. F*** their freedom. I want my freedom to live,” Stern said on his program in 2021. “I want to get out of the house. I want to go next door and play chess. I want to go take some pictures. This is bulls***.”

“So, like, if you have a heart attack or any kind of problem, you can’t even get into the ER,” he added. “And I’m really of a mind to say, ‘Look, if you didn’t get vaccinated [and] you got COVID, you don’t get into a hospital.’”

His sentiment regarding the severity of COVID-19 has not appeared to waver.

“I just want to announce something. COVID is really bad,” he told listeners Monday. “You do not want COVID. Oh f***.”

“Man, I went through hell. … I’ve really never been this sick.”

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Stern did not state where he may have contracted the virus, but he was quick to thank those who created the COVID-19 vaccine.

“What a wallop this thing is,” he said. “Can you imagine if we didn’t have the vaccine?”