Melissa Rivers is set to join the panel of Fashion Police, the controversial E! show made popular by her late mother, Joan Rivers.
Melissa has been a producer on the show for 5 years, but is now set to step in front of the camera for a 6 episode run. She will be joined by returning hosts Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski, as well as two celebrity guests per episode.
The show has, predictably, been through some rough waters since Joan’s sudden death in September of last year, which Melissa recently stated was “100% preventable”. Not only did the comedy legend’s passing cost the show viewers, but the show suffered a further blow in February when Kelly Osbourne unexpectedly jumped ship after 5 years, amid a flurry of controversy surrounding racist remarks made on the show by her co-host, Giuliana Rancic. Many have cited the show’s dwindling ratings as the real reason behind Osbourne’s exit.
Weeks later, newcomer Kathy Griffin left the show after just 7 episodes, stating that her style does not fit with the direction of the show. Expanding on this, she explained that she has no problem poking fun at beautiful people who are comfortable in their bodies, but felt that the humour on Fashion Police was simply “body shaming”.
Taking all these factors into account, the future of the show was called into question, and it was put on hold for 6 months last March. It is now set to return on the 31st of August.
As a producer, Melissa Rivers has been largely credited as a driving force behind the show’s success, so it should come as no surprise that, when scouting for a new host, they decided to keep it in the family.
As well as appearing on 8 episodes of Fashion Police, she has extensive experience hosting shows such as The Talk and The Apprentice USA.
The celebrity guests host lineup has yet to be announced.