“I’m really excited. I’m happy. I can’t wait to be a dad,” Mario said.
“I grew up in a large family,” he shared. “I’m fired up! I don’t know what we’re having. I’m going to wait to see [the baby's gender] so it will be a surprise.”
Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza met in 2008 when the hunk was starring on Broadway in A Chorus Line and began quietly dating at some point after that.
This will be the first child for both.
Already named PEOPLE's 2008 Bachelor of the Year, Mario Lopez is now a frontrunner for a new title: sexiest father alive. The Extra host's girlfriend is expecting their first child in the fall.
"I'm really excited. I'm happy. I can't wait to be a dad," Lopez tells PEOPLE.
Lopez, 36, and his girlfriend, actress Courtney Mazza, 28, met in 2008 when Lopez starred in A Chorus Line on Broadway.
So is the former Dancing with the Stars competitor – and longtime playboy – ready for diaper duty?
"Of course," Lopez says. "I grew up in a large family. I'm fired up! I don't know what we're having. I'm going to wait to see [the baby's gender] so it will be a surprise."
Lopez is also the host of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.
