Just over two years since canceling the long-running entertainment news series, E! announced Thursday that a reimagining of “E! News” will return to the cable network’s lineup in November during its late-night programming block.
Adrienne Bailon-Haughton and Justin Sylvester have been named co-hosts of the new “E! News,” which will premiere on Nov. 14. Viewers may be familiar to Bailon-Haughton from her stint as co-moderator of the now-defunct “The Real,” and Sylvester from E!’s other recently canceled series “Daily Pop.”
Veteran television producers John Redmann and John Pascarella will executive-produce the new show, which will have an emphasis on celebrity-friendly reporting and serve as a platform for personalities to connect with their fans.
“’E! News’ has a long history of entertainment news excellence, and we are excited to bring the show back and continue its legacy,” Tracie Wilson, EVP of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and E! News, said in a statement. “John Redmann and John Pascarella are strategic, respected executive producers with stellar reputations and Justin and Adrienne are charismatic, seasoned hosts with a genuine interest in pop culture. This is the perfect team to bring a fresh take to this franchise.”
The NBCUniversal-owned channel has struggled to redefine its brand and target demographic after E! seemingly transformed into the “Kardashian Network” during 20 seasons of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” from 2007 to 2021.
The last iteration of “E! News,” featuring hosts Liliana Vasquez and Aussie personality Scott Tweedie, was canceled in August 2020 along with companion shows, “Pop of the Morning” and “In Your Room” that had been launched after marquee names such as Ryan Seacrest, Giuliana Rancic and Maria Menounos’ exited as hosts of the daily news program.
E! News’ operations had been moved from its Los Angeles headquarters to transform “E! News” into a “Today Show”-style morning block. The axing of the New York-based entertainment news programs and “In the Room” came amid a broader restructuring and streamlining effort at parent company NBCUniversal. Studio production for the network then re-centralized in Los Angeles amid significant layoffs and cuts to its television and streaming operations ahead of a major reorganization of the unit under Mark Lazarus.
Insiders tell TheWrap that the loss of “E! News” made it difficult for the network to land A-list celebrity sit-down interviews with the absence of “a more reputable daily entertainment news outlet.”
“Why would we put our top clients on ‘Daily Pop’ or ‘Nightly Pop’ when we would get better exposure and a more substantive interview on an ‘ET,’ ‘Access Hollywood’ or ‘Extra,’” one of the individuals with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.
According to another network insider, there’s been “some overall confusion among network brass to solidify a cohesive strategy in its post-Kardashian era.” The network drafted Laverne Cox as the first transgender person to serve as the face of E!’s “Live From the Red Carpet,” but the programming has failed to recapture the network’s foothold in the the pre-awards show space.