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| Maria Menounos is replacing Giuliana Rancic as Alicia Quarles leaves E! Credit: Robin Marchant/Getty Images; Ryan Pierse/Getty Images; Mike Coppola/Getty Images |
Doing the shuffle. Shake-ups at E! are officially underway.
NBCUniversal announced in a statement on Thursday, July 30, that Maria Menounos will replace Giuliana Rancic as co-anchor of E! News. She joins co-anchors Catt Sadler, Jason Kennedy, and Terrence Jenkins. The announcement comes after Rancic, 40, made headlines for joking about Zendaya Coleman's dreadlocks earlier this year.
Rancic confirmed her departure from E! News earlier this month, and noted that she will continue as one of the hosts of the network's 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," she said on July 8. "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."
Over the past few months, Menounos, 37, has filled in as an anchor on E! News and covered the red carpet for the network. She will be joined on E! News by new contributors Zuri Hall, Erin Lim, and Sibley Scoles.
As Menounos expands her role with E!, correspondent Alicia Quarles is leaving the network. For more than three years, Quarles appeared regularly on the news show via satellite from New York City. She is now eyeing her next move.
"I’ve enjoyed learning and working at E! News for over three-plus years," she tells Us Weekly. "I’m excited to experience new opportunities as my journalism career continues to grow."