When Maria Menounos announced she was leaving Extra earlier this spring, there were rumblings she was vying for Giuliana Rancic’s position at E! News. If that was indeed the case, she’s just been blocked out for another two years: Network president Cyndi McClellan announced today Giuliana’s “overall deal” has been extended until April 2016.
“Giuliana brings not only a wealth of experience to the air, but also a fun, relatable and candid energy that makes her a fan favorite amongst E! viewers and incredibly popular across the entertainment community,” Cyndi said in a statement.
Despite televised conflicts with husband Bill Rancic about their plans for total relocation to Chicago, Giuliana said she’s pleased with the new agreement — which will likely keep her home base in Los Angeles.
“This is an incredibly exciting time in my life,” she said. “I’m thrilled and blessed to be able to pursue all of my passions while continuing on at E!, my home away from home. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!”
Earlier this month, New York Daily News reported Giuliana wanted to focus on the Rancic family restaurants in Chicago with Bill, but changed her plans when Maria “started sniffing around for a role” on E!
“She’s also not going to feel like she was pushed out of a network she helped make a success,” an insider said of Giuliana. “Of course Maria wants to be the face of E! News, but that’s Giuliana’s job now at least for another year… Giuliana is the queen of E! She’s also been honest about wanting to move on at some point, so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”
Another source added Maria has another, slightly lesser role at the network — and is motivated to make her way to the top.
“No one is more ambitious than Maria when it comes to her career.”
