Nod thrills rookie Bergeron

Jeff Probst started it all with “The tribe has spoken.” Howie Mandel urges “Deal or no deal?” Heidi Klum warns contestants, “Either you’re in, or you’re out.” Ryan Seacrest exclaims, “This is ‘American Idol!’ ”

And Tom Bergeron? He may not have a signature catchphrase, but the “Dancing With the Stars” host wasn’t at a loss for words on Thursday, saying he was pleased the television academy created the new reality show host category and “doubly happy that I’m in the virgin group. I only hope that they’re gentle.

“I suppose the PC thing to say is that I’d be happy to see any one of them up there,” Bergeron said of his fellow nominees, “but, of course, I wouldn’t,” he said and laughed.

Probst, who is in Gabon, Africa, shooting the 17th season of “Survivor,” wrote in an e-mail that “ ‘Survivor’ is considered by many to be the first reality show, so it’s especially fun for me to be one of the first nominees recognized. . . .”

Seacrest joked during his radio show Thursday that he now has two opportunities to lose, since “American Idol” has been nominated for reality-competition program six times and has never won.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez