Reality host nominees to co-host Emmys

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A week ago, they found out they are the first ever Emmy nominees in the new category of best reality host.

But instead of enjoying the show in the audience, Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol"), Jeff Probst ("Survivor"), Tom Bergeron ("Dancing with the Stars"), Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal") and Heidi Klum ("Project Runway") will have to work.

The five have been named co-hosts for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will take place September 21 at the Nokia Theatre and will be broadcast on ABC.

As they were looking at potential hosts, Emmy producers focused their attention on the new reality hosts category.

"It was pretty obvious," executive producer Ken Ehrlich said.

But they didn't make any move until July 17 when the nominations were announced.

"When we saw the nominees (in the category), they turned out to be such a perfect group of people," he said.

Seacrest, Probst, Bergeron, Mandel and Klum, who know each other well, were approached and quickly agreed to come on board.

Details on how the five will share the hosting duties are still being worked out, but they are expected to be together on stage at some point, Ehrlich said.

This will be second consecutive Emmy emcee duties for Seacrest, who was the sole host last year when the ceremony aired on Fox.

After drawing criticism for using a multiple host format in 2003, when 13 comedians alternated at the helm, the Emmys have stuck to a single host in past five years.

But having the top five reality hosts to emcee the 60th Emmys was too good to pass up, Ehrlich said.

"This gives us the opportunity to be very contemporary and current on a show where we also will celebrate the history of the TV Academy and the history of television," he said. "It's the best of both worlds."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter