Howard Stern Talks With Ryan Seacrest Before Tonight's 'America's Got Talent'

Any last words before the Howard Stern Era begins tonight on "America's Got Talent"?

Stern certainly has a few final thoughts.

The notorious Sirius XM shock jock called in this morning and talked with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on Seacrest's own syndicated radio show. NBC went to pretty fair lengths to secure Stern as a new judge alongside Howie Mandel and Sharon Osbourne. The show's production has been moved to New Jersey to accommodate Stern filming while still carrying on his Sirius XM duties.

It's fitting NBC would acquiesce to the exceptional accommodations. Stern promised Seacrest one exceptional experience, E! News reported.

"I love the show," Stern said. "The opportunity to go on and be a judge was huge for me. I think that I'm unique and I'm not trying to imitate any other judge. People said, 'Are you going to be Simon Cowell or this one or that one?' And I said, 'No, I'm going to be me and go on there and do the best job that I can."

Stern went so far as to make a (somewhat negative) example of Seacrest's own stomping grounds. He perceived a recent appearance by prolific music producer Jimmy Iovine on the FOX show as balancing out judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler sometimes being soft-touches with contestants. He told Seacrest flat-out "you're doing a disservice" if you're not telling contestants when they have no business being there.

It seems the kind of project Stern once upon a time wouldn't have touched. Likewise, he's never fully shed a reputation as the kind of animal whose placement in a prime time spotlight and under the FCC's microscope seems on paper tantamount to running with scissors. Stern himself said that whether or not he'll pursue a continued gig depends on how his present one-season deal pans out.

On the bright side, Stern revealed to Seacrest that he's at least cultivating the - pun somewhat intended - "polish" to be an employee NBC would want to keep.

"When I would make love to my wife, and I know that's disgusting to think about, she would complain about my nails, that they were rough and they would cut her, and I can't cut my nails. I don't know why, but I'm just so bad at it," Stern explained. "I went with her one day and I said, 'I want to get a manicure,' and I let them cut my toenails, too. I had it done and now I go every week."