A new host! Laverne Cox will take over after Giuliana Rancic steps down from Live From E!, NBCUniversal announced on Monday, May 10.
Cox, 48, whose breakthrough role came as Sophia on Orange Is the New Black, will start as Rancic’s successor in January 2022 — and she couldn’t be more excited.
“I’m so excited and deeply humbled to be hosting E!’s iconic red carpet coverage. For many years I would wake up early on awards show days, get my snacks in place and watch E!’s coverage all day long,” Cox said in a statement.
Of course, Cox has walked her fair share of red carpets as a four-time Emmy nominee, and she’s gained interview experience on her Shondaland-produced podcast, “The Laverne Cox Show.”
“I dreamed of walking red carpets. Now, not only have I had several fun and amazing personal red carpet moments, I also get to be a red carpet guide for E!’s discerning audience and chat with my colleagues and folks I deeply admire for these very special events in their lives,” the actress added. “I can’t wait to get started while hopefully serving up fashion fantasies for the ages honey.”
In addition to chatting up celebs at the Oscars, Grammys and other awards shows, the Promising Young Woman star will also host “a series of celebrity-based interview specials spotlighting trendsetters, tastemakers and those making an impact in the Hollywood community,” the network revealed. The interviews are expected to air throughout 2022.
Rancic, 46, announced her departure from E!’s red carpet coverage on Friday, May 7. “After 20 fabulous years hosting E!’s red carpet, I have decided to step out of my red carpet heels into a new pair of shoes,” she revealed via Instagram.
Her step down came three months after Ryan Seacrest‘s exit. The American Idol host, 46, spent 14 years alongside Rancic at awards shows.
Rancic will continue to work with NBCUniversal, E!’s parent company. She announced that she signed a development deal where she “will be producing and bringing stories to life,” she divulged.
E! hopes Cox’s unique perspective will keep their red carpet specials fresh and entertaining.
“Laverne Cox is a risk taker, groundbreaking pioneer and a fashion tour de force,” E! News executive Jen Neal said on Monday. “As we continue to evolve the way we cover Hollywood’s biggest nights, Laverne’s passion for, and extensive knowledge of, the fashion community resonates with our audience and we look forward to seeing her shine on the other side of the velvet rope.”
Cox, who was the first openly transgender actress nominated for an Emmy, has been delivering style secrets for years. In September 2019, she exclusively told Us Weekly about her best bad hair day fix.
“I think the beautiful thing about wigs and weaves is that you can try different hair colors, and different lengths with a wig,” she dished at the time. “I think that every woman or non-binary person or even a man if you want, if you identify as male, should have a human hair wig that kind of looks like their own hair that they can style in case they have a bad hair day.”
