Giuliana Rancic returning as co-host of ‘E! News’ Sept. 4

June 16 (UPI) — Giuliana Rancic is returning to E! News and will co-host the nightly program with Jason Kennedy, starting Sept. 4.

Rancic, a breast cancer survivor, has been part of the E! family since 2002 and co-anchored E! News 2005-15.

“Giuliana is an incredibly charismatic and well-respected entertainment journalist. As a longtime member of the E! family, it’s exciting to welcome her back home to E! News,” John Najarian, executive vice president and general manager of news and digital for E!, said in a statement Friday. “While E! News has seen massive growth across digital and social, we have also continued to expand and elevate our television coverage, and Giuliana is an excellent addition to our weeknight series, which remains the most watched entertainment news franchise with young women.”

“Returning to host E! News is every bit as thrilling to me today as it was 16 years ago when I joined the show and embarked on this wonderful career,” added Rancic. “Co-hosting alongside one of my best friends, Jason Kennedy, with one of the most talented teams in entertainment journalism, makes this move even more special. I can’t wait to reconnect with the E! News audience and go on this journey together once again.”

Rancic left E! News after she made a controversial comment about actress-singer Zendaya’s dreadlocks on a red carpet and became the focus of a media and fan backlash. She apologized and continued to co-host the network’s Fashion Police show, which wrapped up last fall.

Maria Menounos took Rancic’s place as co-host of E! News in 2015, but left in 2017 to have surgery to treat a brain tumor. Several correspondents have been rotating as Kennedy’s co-host since.