Tonight's season premiere of "America's Got Talent" will see Howard Stern make his debut as a member of the judging panel of the popular NBC show. He will sit alongside Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel on the show, which will air at 8 p.m. EST tonight.

US Magazine reported Stern as saying: "I'm going to be a strict judge. I don't want to go buzzer-crazy, but I've got to stick to my guns. We've got to find the best talent."

Stern, 57, has admitted that he has been a fan of the talent show, which is hosted by Nick Cannon. He replaces judge Piers Morgan in the show's 7th season. "I'm a huge fan of the show - I've been asked to do a lot of different things in my career and I've avoided them. Something appealed to me with this. I sit at home on my couch and judge."

In a news conference last Thursday, Stern said: "I really feel a responsibility to the people who love this show already. In no way do I want to get in the way of it. I want to broaden it and make it better."

He reassured that his critics, saying that the family talent show will remain at that. "Hopefully America will like this and put everybody's fears to rest." This comes after the Parents Television Council said Stern's addition to AGT will '"result in a sharp increase in explicit content."

He continued: "I didn't need the money. I didn't need more fame. I certainly feel famous enough. I'm comfortable in my life. I just love the show and thought how much fun it would be to do it."