Giuliana Rancic: From Entertainment Reporter to Female Inspiration

It would be difficult to not label Giuliana Rancic a woman of inspiration. The E! host has spent the better part of the past year not only raising breast cancer awareness — after she herself was diagnosed with the disease — but also opening up about the infertility problems that have plagued so many women, including herself. So, even for the most cynical folk, the news released Monday that she is about to become a mom — via a surrogate — couldn’t be more exciting or better deserved.

It’s interesting that we even feel such a connection to Rancic, who first gained fame as just another entertainment reporter at E! News in 2005. Like most in the entertainment news industry, she didn’t invite the praise or acclaim dedicated to the Brian Williamses, the David Gregorys, or even the Nancy O’Dells of the world. And though Rancic is still not necessarily lauded for her work as a newswoman — despite becoming an E! News anchor and a critic on Fashion Police, which enjoys a respectable following — she’s managed to turn herself into one of the most captivating entertainment news stories of the year. 

But unlike celebrities like Kim Kardashian — who often inserts herself into the news cycle with a new boyfriend, new fiancé, new husband, and new divorce — Rancic’s news story was one worth telling. Sure, like many fame-seekers, Rancic booked a reality show, Giuliana and Bill, but she used the series to share her struggles with infertility. Rather than delving into the typically inane plot lines of reality TV — chicken vs. tuna arguments, non-suspenseful cliffhangers surrounding staged household arguments — the Rancics publicized an issue typically ignored by a medium that favors stories about celebrity baby bumps. How refreshing for similarly struggling women to realize they aren’t alone — that some celebrities really are just like us.