HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Mario Lopez is going to be a dad!

The television host has announced that his girlfriend, Broadway dancer Courtney Mazza, is pregnant with the couple's first child.

"Courtney and I couldn't be more excited," Lopez told Extra in a statement Wednesday. "I've waited my whole life to be a dad — this is a true blessing. I am looking forward to sharing this experience with my family and my family at Extra."

Lopez, 36, and Mazza, 28, met in 2008 while working on Broadway in the show A Chorus Line.

The San Diego native first rose to fame as the character A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell. He was also a contestant on the third season of Dancing With the Stars, where he finished second with pro partner Karina Smirnoff.

Also see: Mario Lopez Pictures