Maria Menounos is moving up at E!.
The one-time Extra co-host has been (officially) named a co-anchor for E! News, replacing long-time front woman Giuliana Rancic, who departs Aug. 10. Menounos will join the show’s core team, Jason Kennedy, Terrence Jenkins and Catt Sadler, along with fellow new additions Zuri Hall, Erin Lim and Sibley Scoles, in its daily coverage of the day’s pop-culture happenings.
“As an established entertainment and news journalist with strong Hollywood connections, Maria has proven herself to be a great fit with the E! News team. And with their diverse backgrounds and wide ranging areas of expertise, Sibley, Erin and Zuri will be key additions to E! News, which boasts the youngest and most affluent audience amongst all entertainment shows,” said John Najarian, E! executive vp news and digital.
Menounos is no stranger to the network or the show’s younger-skewing audience. Over the past year, she has served as a fill-in anchor, and has interviewed bold-face names including Chelsea Clinton, Jennifer Garner, Vin Diesel and the casts of Entourage and 50 Shades of Grey. Menounos regularly appears on E! Online’s daily roundtable series Live From E!.
The news comes some six months after THR first revealed that E! would be combining its on-air and online news divisions. In the months since, the integration has been evident, with Najarian adding: “We are thrilled with E! News‘ success as we continue to integrate the show more closely with the network’s digital platforms and to create new ways of engaging with an evolving audience that consumes information and entertainment across multiple screens.”
