First Look At Howard Stern As 'America's Got Talent' Judge

OK, so nobody would ever exactly call Howard Stern a pussycat. Despite a rep for rancor, he's admirably even-handed in a first look from NBC at his forthcoming "America's Got Talent" judging debut.

Fellow judge Sharon Osbourne isn't exactly one for dumbing down her thoughts herself. Howie Mandel often seems to exist solely to play off host Nick Cannon like the two are a gender-bent Sonny and Cher. Likewise, Stern's not exactly one to sugarcoat an assessment. But for all that he'll clearly give contestants straight, he can clearly also give a devil its due when someone genuinely entertains him.

"I'm a huge fan of the show," the Sirius XM Radio host admitted. "I've been asked to do a lot of different things in my career and I've avoided them. But something appealed to me with this. I sat at home on my couch and I'd sit there and judge.

"You know, I gotta stick to my guns," he added. "We gotta get the very best talent. I don't want to go buzzer crazy, but I'm going to be a strict judge and I gotta stick to that."

Mandel himself finds Stern's mixing with the dynamic intriguing.

"I think he brings honesty, I think he brings edginess, and I think he brings the unexpected," Mandel said. "So when you ask what I'm expecting, I'm expecting the unexpected."

Production this season emanated from Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center, specifically to accommodate Stern's Sirius XM commitments. Acts are once more after a $1-million prize and Las Vegas headlining stint. And it all kicks off in prime time May 14 on NBC.

Check the clip out here, via E! Online.