Mario Lopez was on Star 98.7 yesterday and announced his imminent hosting gig for the entertainment news show “Extra”. Lopez has been reporting for the show for the weekend edition since January 2007, but will now be taking over for co-hosts Mark McGrath and Dayna Devon. McGrath continued to perform with his band Sugar Ray while doing the show, but as they are now working on a new album, he wanted to make the group his focus. As for Devon, she will return to doing celebrity interviews and serve as a substitute for Lopez.

Lopez’s adorable dimples won me over years ago in “Saved by the Bell” and that shower scene in “Nip/Tuck” a few seasons back didn’t hurt either. Now, it seems the man has won over the producers at “Extra” as the man to take the show in a new direction. And what direction would that be? No one was sure. So during another interview on the Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS FM show, they called the executive producer of the show to find out and got an earful. I suppose she took it as an opportunity to rave about herself rant about how the secrecy is to prevent further idea stealing from her.

“The first 16 times it was flattering but, after that it’s downright plagiarism. Get your own playbook!”

Crazy lady aside, it seems to me that Lopez’s career has really been picking back up lately. Despite the occasional overkill joke or comment and loud outfit, as the host of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew”, Lopez does a pretty decent job. Set to take over on September 15^th, how do you think the People’s Magazine Hottest Bachelor of 2008 will fare?