As this year's Academy Awards approach, we are reminded that though every awards season is different, there is one constant that they all share. Fashion trends may change and nominees may come and go, but Giuliana Rancic is always on the red carpet, helping us navigate every awards pre-show and ensuring that we know who each celebrity is wearing. Maybe it's just red carpet fatigue, but for some reason, people have grown to hate Giuliana Rancic.
In addition to serving as an E! red carpet correspondent, Rancic is the anchor and managing editor of E! News, a co-host of the network's Fashion Police, host of the new interview series Beyond Candid with Giuliana, and star of Style's reality series Giuliana & Bill, alongside her husband. She might be ever-present, but it's hard to say just what people don't like about the host. Maybe it's that she's so closely tied to the over-saturated celebrity news world, or simply that she's one of the few celebrity reporters who's name people actually remember. Whatever the reason, all of this hate is unwarranted.
There's much more to Rancic than celebrity news. She holds a masters degree in journalism from American University and before joining E!, worked as a political reporter in Washington D.C. But there's also more to Rancic than her credentials. Here's why you should give her a chance.
She Has to Put Up with Celebrities... A Lot
Celebrities tend to be unpredictable, and for every innocent bit like Kristen Wiig's, there's a strange outburst like Sacha Baron Cohen throwing ashes on Ryan Seacrest. When Rancic starts a live interview, she has no idea where it could be headed and has to do her best to keep the conversation on track. That means casually bringing up any important information, like designer names, award nominations, and major updates, while avoiding topics that could cause problems, like breakups, snubs, and nasty rumors. Harder than it sounds, considering Rancic spends her day reporting on breakups, snubs, and nasty rumors.
Red Carpets Get Boring
If you were having your third two-minute conversation with Leonardo DiCaprio in a month, what would you say to him? Sure, Rancic says goofy stuff sometimes, but she's on live television interviewing some of Hollywood's biggest stars. There are only so many witty things to say when you're on your fifth red carpet of the year and all eyes are on you to keep a celebrity talking until the next one shows up. And if things do get shaken up, she's the one who has to make sure nothing happens that can't be shown on live TV. We should be impressed that she's able to hold a single conversation by the end of each awards season.
Her Marriage Sets a Great Example
Whether or not you like Rancic, you have to admit she's had an impressive career. When she renewed her contract with E! in 2012, the network's president said, "Giuliana's on-air charm, charismatic personality and outstanding professionalism have made her one of TV's most recognized hosts, and her work has helped propel E! News to new heights." She's busy, but, luckily, she also has a great marriage that shows how crucial it is to have a supportive partner that's willing to compromise. She and Bill, who won the first season of The Apprentice, split their time between Los Angeles and Chicago for both of their jobs. They've always supported one another's careers and gush over each other in interviews. The pair even wrote a book of advice for other married couples to share their secrets to a strong, happy relationship, I Do, Now What?: Secrets, Stories, and Advice from a Madly-in-Love Couple. Come on — look at the picture above and tell me you're not tempted to read it.
She Has Endured Struggle After Struggle
Rancic is now mother to her adorable one-and-a-half year-old son Duke, but she had to face a lot of challenges to become such: Preparing for her third round of IVF, following a miscarriage, Giuliana got a mammogram that revealed she had cancer at age 36. In December of 2011, she underwent a double mastectomy and made a full recovery. Just a few months later, the host made a much more joyful announcement: She and Bill were expecting a baby through a surrogate. Duke was born on Aug. 29, 2012.
...And Used Them to Help Others
To raise awareness about women's health issues, Rancic was very open about her fertility problems and breast cancer treatment and has since used her experiences to help other women. When revealing that she had a miscarriage in 2010, she said to women, "One in four women go through what I went through... I'm just happy to be a voice for you." When she announced that she had decided to undergo a double mastectomy, she encouraged women to always be vigilant about their health and said she hoped to take some of the stigma away from the intense surgery. She has also televised her health struggles on Giuliana & Bill, and was candid about her experiences in a way that is not often found on reality TV. In the video above, she encourages women to look beyond the dark moments in their lives.
Since her own treatment, Giuliana has supported many breast cancer charities and, last year, started her own, Fab-U-Wish, which "grants fashion, beauty and celebrity-themed wishes to women battling breast cancer."
So the next time you roll your eyes at her red carpet banter, just remember that there's more to Giuliana Rancic than Hollywood anecdotes and mani-cams. She's a strong woman who's overcome huge obstacles to have the life she's always wanted and helped other women along the way. Those are accomplishments we can all admire.
Images: worlds-worst-blog/Tumblr, giulianarancic/Instagram, bricesander/Tumblr, giulianarancic/Instagram
