Guiliana Rancic to Return to E! News

After three years away, Giuliana Rancic is returning as a host of E!’s nightly news program, E! News.

“Returning to host E! News is every bit as thrilling to me today as it was 16 years ago when I joined the show and embarked on this wonderful career,” Rancic said in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “Co-hosting alongside one of my best friends, Jason Kennedy, with one of the most talented teams in entertainment journalism, makes this move even more special. I can’t wait to reconnect with the E! News audience and go on this journey together once again.”

Rancic previously co-hosted the program from 2005-2015. In her absence, she has remained with the network, hosting E!’s Live From the Red Carpet and appearing on Fashion Police‘s panel. She also covered other major events for E!, including the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“Giuliana is an incredibly charismatic and well-respected entertainment journalist,” said John Najarian, EVP and GM of news and digital at the network. “As a longtime member of the E! family, it’s exciting to welcome her back home to E! News. While E! News has seen massive growth across digital and social, we have also continued to expand and elevate our television coverage, and Giuliana is an excellent addition to our weeknight series, which remains the most-watched entertainment news franchise with young women.”

The mom of one will officially resume her job as co-anchor on Sept. 4, opposite Jason Kennedy.

Rancic’s return comes six months after Catt Sadler left the position, leaving soon after she says she became aware of a large pay gap between herself in Kennedy.

In an essay Sadler wrote for Vanity Fair, she explained that her position as a mom was a major factor in her decision.

“When I made my decision to leave E! and go forth into the unknown — essentially betting on myself — I didn’t just have myself to think about,” she explained. “My decision meant not only soul-searching about taking an ethical stand, but also considering my children and their future, and figuring out if I could pull it off financially.”

E! has stated that the difference in Sadler and Kennedy’s pay was due to their having different duties.

“He wasn’t doing double the amount of work. He wasn’t working double the hours,” Sadler wrote. “Our roles at the network were certainly different, but they were undoubtedly equal. We started at the company at the same time. We had comparable hours, workloads, skill sets, and responsibilities. We had similar public profiles and contacts in the industry. The only meaningful difference between us, it turns out, was our paychecks.”

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com