Giuliana Rancic

A popular figure in entertainment news as well as reality television, Giuliana Rancic boosted the struggling "E! News" (E!, 1991- ) program after becoming its anchor and managing editor in 2005. Rancic's personable style and accomplished journalistic background lent credibility to the network's gossipy news coverage, allowing her a wide variety of additional television projects. She was a frequent figure behind the scenes at various high-profile award shows, and also served as producer on a handful of reality series, including "Giuliana and Bill" (Style, 2009- ), which focused on her own life with new husband Bill Rancic. She further expanded her profile to include fashion commentary on the wicked "Fashion Police" (E!, 2010- ) while continuing her news duties with the network. In 2011, Rancic revealed that she had breast cancer, which garnered support and well wishes from many of the celebrities she had covered at various red carpet events. Her blend of professionalism and glitz made her one of the most visible and well-liked TV personalities of the 21st century.

Born Giuliana DePandi in Naples, Italy on Aug. 17, 1975, Giuliana Rancic was the daughter of Eduardo DePandi, a tailor, who moved the family to the United States when his daughter was five years of age. At the time, Rancic spoke no English, but taught herself the language mainly through watching daytime television, which was the beginning of her long involvement with the medium. After graduating from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD, she earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park before gaining her masters from American University. There, she gained valuable experience as a feature correspondent covering the government for the school's syndicated television station.

After completing her master's program, Rancic moved to Los Angeles, where she worked briefly as assistant to uber-agent Mike Ovitz before moving into news coverage online via Load Media and Detour magazine's website. She made her on-air debut with the National Enquirer series "Uncovered" (syndicated, 2000) which marked her first turn as producer as well. In 2002, she joined "E! News" as a correspondent. She quickly established herself as both an appealing and opinionated personality through her coverage for the series and countless award shows, as well as a dedicated writer and host on specials like "Nicole Richie: Her Simple Life" (E!, 2004), which won a Prism Commendation Award. The following year, Rancic became the anchor and managing editor of "E! News," and was joined the following year by radio and television personality Ryan Seacrest. During her tenure as anchor, the program saw its ratings rise over 50 percent, boosting "E! News" from the bottom of the network's roster to one of its highest-rated programs. In 2006, Rancic wrote Think Like a Guy: How to Get a Guy By Thinking Like One a how-to guide for single women to land their ideal mate. The following year, her production company, GDP Entertainment, Inc., unveiled its first series, "Celebrity Rap Superstar" (MTV, 2007), which pitted various famous figures against each other in hip-hop battles.

In 2009, Rancic stepped in front of the camera to star in her own reality series, "Giuliana and Bill" (Style, 2007- ), which explored life with her husband, entrepreneur Bill Rancic. She later joined a powerhouse team of TV celebrities, including Joan Rivers and Kelly Osbourne, for the tart-tongued "Fashion Police" (E!, 2010- ), which dished on outfits of the rich and famous. Rancic also courted controversy that year as executive producer of "Bridalplasty" (E!, 2010), a reality series in which women compete for plastic surgery procedures in order to look "perfect" for their wedding day. A recurring theme on "Giuliana and Bill" was the couple's attempt to have a child, which eventually encompassed two rounds of in-vitro fertilization and resulted in a devastating miscarriage in 2010. After beginning her third round of IVF in 2011, Rancic had a mammogram that revealed that she was in the early stages of breast cancer. After announcing the news to the press, Rancic underwent surgery and radiation therapy to eradicate the disease. Meanwhile, Rancic and her husband were still determined to have a child and decided to use a gestational surrogate, which they announced in April 2012, though they kept the gender secret despite their knowing. A few months later, on Aug. 29, 2012, Rancic announced the birth of their son, Eric Duke, via Twitter.

By Paul Gaita