(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Ashton Kutcher says the biggest pressure ahead of his Two and a Half Men debut was "satisfying" talk show hosts.

The American actor replaced Charlie Sheen after he was spectacularly fired from the show earlier this year. Since the new appointment, there has been much buzz about whether Ashton would be able to pull off appearing on the programme.

His first season of the CBS comedy show aired on Monday night and brought in double the viewing figures of the last series' premiere.

Ashton who plays internet billionaire Walden Schmidt - says it's not a great relief, because he didn't feel that much pressure in the first place.

"It's not really a lot of pressure for me. It's funny, the writers want to keep everything under wraps, and the studio want to keep everything under wraps. It just made going on talk shows a little bit difficult because everyone wanted to know. They're all trying to like prise some information out of you, and then you can't tell them, and they're not satisfied with the fact that they didn't get anything," he explained.

Charlie was fired from his role on the popular TV show after he fell out with producer Chuck Lorre and sparked concern with his controversial private life.

Ashton thinks Charlie's firing was a disaster waiting to happen.

"It's odd. I was watching it all from a distance and seeing how it was all going down. I had an inclination of what was really happening," he said.

"It was kind of clear that there was something... Charlie's been in the public light for long enough in his career to think they know who he was, then all of a sudden this guy is going off on different people in very mystical ways. I don't think there was any lack of clarity as to what was going on with him."

Ashton recalls accepting the coveted job. The 33-year-old star has described the appeal of the role.

"I was sitting there being slightly entertained by it, and I said to a friend, Man, if someone offered me that job, I'd take it in a heartbeat.' I'd done years on That 70s Show and I know what a good job doing a sitcom is," he explained to the Kyle and Jackie O show.

"I know what the hours are, I know what the commitment is, and I also knew it was a very good show. I also knew it was very funny." (C) Cover Media