Laverne Cox to Take Over ‘Live From E!’ Red Carpet Coverage, Replacing Giuliana Rancic

Laverne Cox Red Carpet 2019
Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Just days after Giuliana Rancic announced that she will no longer be hosting E! red carpet coverage, the network has unveiled her replacement for Live From E!.

Laverne Cox will be leading E!’s signature red carpet coverage beginning with the 2022 award season. The Orange Is the New Black star and advocate will also host a series of celebrity-based interview specials spotlighting trendsetters, tastemakers, and those making an impact in Hollywood. Watch footage of her on the red carpet with E! in the video below.

“I’m so excited and deeply humbled to be hosting E!’s iconic red carpet coverage. For many years I would wake up early on awards show days, get my snacks in place and watch E!’s coverage all day long,” Cox said in a statement. “I dreamed of walking red carpets. Now, not only have I had several fun and amazing personal red carpet moments, I also get to be a red carpet guide for E!’s discerning audience and chat with my colleagues and folks I deeply admire for these very special events in their lives. I can’t wait to get started while hopefully serving up fashion fantasies for the ages honey.”

“Laverne Cox is a risktaker, groundbreaking pioneer and a fashion tour de force,” Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Live Events, Specials and E! News, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, added. “As we continue to evolve the way we cover Hollywood’s biggest nights, Laverne’s passion for, and extensive knowledge of, the fashion community resonates with our audience and we look forward to seeing her shine on the other side of the velvet rope.”

Rancic’s departure comes after she hosted E!’s red carpet coverage for 20 years. In a statement on Instagram, she revealed that she has a new development deal with NBCUniversal through which she’ll be “producing and bringing stories to life.”

In addition to starring as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black, Cox’s TV credits include The BlacklistThe Mindy Project, and Doubt. She will also star in the upcoming Shonda Rhimes series Inventing Anna on Netflix.