E!’s Fashion Police will try again to survive without Joan Rivers, and this time it’ll be her daughter who takes charge.
The network announced on Wednesday that Melissa Rivers will be the new host of Fashion Police when it returns on Monday, August 31. “I’m very excited to be given the opportunity to continue to work with my E! and Fashion Police family,” said Rivers in a statement.
Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski will be returning to Fashion Police as well.
Fashion Police has had a troubled history over the past year. The series, in which panelists praise or put down what celebrities are wearing, was put on hold following the sudden death of Joan Rivers in September 2014. E! took a shot at bringing it back the following January with comedian Kathy Griffin at the helm, but roughly two months later Kelly Osbourne quit due to comments co-host Giuliana Rancic made about artist Zendaya. A month later Griffin left the show because she didn’t think her jokes were a good fit for Fashion Police.
In a recent interview on Howard Stern’s radio show, Melissa Rivers admitted that the new Fashion Police has been struggling because E! brought the show back too soon following Joan’s death.
It’s too early to know whether Melissa Rivers is the right person to save Fashion Police. Joan was the woman who the show always centered around thanks to her signature sense of humor. One can hope that Melissa is confident in her ability to carry the show in a way that her mother would like.