LOS ANGELES (AP) — The reality is, there won’t be an Emmy host this year — there will be five.

The reality-TV hosts nominated in the new category that honors their work will preside over the show, ABC and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences told The Associated Press on Friday.

They are: Tom Bergeron, of “Dancing With the Stars”; Ryan Seacrest, of “American Idol”; Howie Mandel of “Deal or No Deal”; Heidi Klum of “Project Runway;” and Jeff Probst of “Survivor.”

“It just seemed like a perfect way to stay current with the state of television today,” said Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Sept. 21 Emmy broadcast on ABC.

The reality hosts also have the advantage of being “extremely engaging personalities” who are comfortable on stage, Ehrlich said. “At the end of the day, this is what they do for a living.”

That could bring increased spontaneity to a ceremony that, by definition, has a certain amount of predictability, he said.

The popularity of reality shows also could provide a much-needed ratings boost: Last year, the Emmy broadcast — opposite a National Football League game — posted its second-smallest audience on record, just under 13 million.

The combined ratings for the five reality shows represent a “tremendous number of viewers,” Ehrlich said, and it’s hoped the Emmys benefit.

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written by Andrew