Why Is Giuliana Rancic Leaving E! News? Anchor To Remain On 'Fashion Police'

Giuliana Rancic has been in the news a lot this past year and now she’s making headlines once again. This time, however, it’s not for any kind of controversy, but to announce that she’s taking a minor step back from the limelight.

The 40-year-old E! star announced that she’s leaving her post on E! News as a day-to-day anchor effective Monday, Aug. 10. However, she’ll remain a personality with the network on shows like E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet” and, yes, “Fashion Police.”

"For more than a decade, I was fortunate enough to play a role in the success of E! News and will miss my family at the show,” Rancic said in a statement. “At the same time, I am excited to not only continue as host of two major franchises on E! but also executive produce the aspirational new show ‘Rich in Faith’ for Oxygen as well as take my wine and clothing lines to the next level. This is such a thrilling time for me and I thank the gang at E! for understanding my desire to embark on this next chapter in my life.”

As People points out, Rancic has been scaling back her presence in the public eye following a comment she made at the 2015 Oscars red carpet in which she mocked singer Zendaya’s dreadlocks by suggesting it smelled like “patchouli or weed.” The comment was taken by many viewers as being racially charged and she’s since issued an apology. While many may assume that the Zendaya controversy has something to do with her departure from E! News, the decision has actually been a long time coming.

International Business Times spoke with Giuliana’s husband, Bill Rancic, in May where he discussed their plans to settle down a bit as parents in Chicago. While he didn’t directly address what that means for her future at E!, the writing was on the wall for her to dial back her presence there in some way – and getting out of her daily anchor gig seems like a reasonable way to go about that.

“My wife, she’s a warrior,” Bill told IBTimes. “She’s had cancer and a lot of health issues, and she’s an inspiration to me. She just looks fear in the eyes and goes after it and she’s climbed a lot of mountains in the nine years we’ve been together.”

The next mountain that she’ll climb will be the relaunch of “Fashion Police” following the tragic death of Joan Rivers and the controversial and public exit of co-host Kelly Osbourne. In August, Melissa Rivers will come on as the new co-host of the show, something Rancic says she’s very excited about.

“I adore Melissa," she told Us Weekly. “I’ve known Melissa forever, we talk all the time, we text all the time. No one knows the show as well as Melissa. I think it’s an exciting time for ‘Fashion Police.’ I like that there’s a familiarity there, and we all know each other so well, it’s a lot harder to welcome a new person in because you have to get to know them and their timing.”