E! Entertainment's embarrassing Diet Coke embedded ads on DStv during its 2016 Oscars Live from the Red Carpet coverage was cringe-worthy to watch.

It didn't feel remotely "like the real thing" or as if E! Entertainment's (DStv 124) Brad Goreski puts his mouth on stuff like that, but that didn't stop the Fashion Police panelist to embarrassingly go along on Sunday night to sell Diet Coke in cringe-worthy embedded ads during E!'s Oscar 2016 Live from the Red Carpet coverage.

Censorship zealous E! Entertainment didn't blur or black out the Diet Coke native ads that Brad Goreski - who wasn't the only one to do the shameless live reads - did during E!'s hours of Oscar coverage that wasn't actually that "live" nor "on" the Oscar red carpet for the hour before the awards ceremony.

E! didn't blur the crass in-show commercials for South African viewers although according to its own rules it's actually inappropriate, in the way E! censors other content like media mentions, magazine covers and brand logos that's apparently not "suitable" for South Africans.

The Diet Coke bottles that were pushed in the tasteless in-show commercials on E! are not relevant to South Africa or Africa, and are not sold by Coca-Cola or currently even available to buy in South Africa.

The NBCUniversal International Networks' channel's shameless Diet Coke shilling complete with fake hyperbole felt as fake and as wrong as DStv Media Sales currently trying to sell commercials and sponsorships for Disney's upcoming The Lion Guard on Disney Junior (DStv 309), targeting little pre-school toddlers with commercial messages.

Neither feels appropriate for what the content of the actual TV show is - like its being invaded by crass and unnecessary advertorial selling in a type of underhanded way - both in a sense targeting viewers who don't and won't really know better or be able to distinguish between "show" and "commercial".

Isn't it enough that in terms of E!'s awards show pre-coverage, that designers, cosmetic brands and luxury goods already get mentions within the editorial context as they give products in exchange for free on-air exposure and for mentions that's already stretching the lines of editorial integrity?

It was unintentionally hilarious when Brad Goreski, now a Diet Coke spokesman, talked about the "limited edition" Diet Coke bottles with "literally millions of unique designs".

A disbelieving Giuliana Rancic immediately questioned him live on-air about the seemingly over-hyped Diet Coke language - text that Coca-Cola most likely provided and Brad Goreski of course gladly read.

"Millions, Brad?" asked Giuliana Rancic, pulling a face and looking as if she was shading Diet Coke in their own embedded advert.

"Millions, Giuliana".

In the end the Diet Coke product placement and live reads, E!'s embedded allowance of it that detracted its Oscars coverage, as well as Brad Goreski, all had one thing in common.

All three felt fake and flat.

REVIEW: The stale return of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment is flat and lackluster, saved only by comedian Margaret Cho's clever oneliners.

The stale return of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) to cover the 73rd Golden Globe awards felt flat, lackluster and how moderator and brilliant host Joan Rivers would often remark about celebrity rags she simply didn't like: "ugly".

In 2015 Fashion Police reassembled on E! Entertainment with Melissa Rivers, Joan Rivers' daughter, Brad Goreski, Giuliana Rancic and guests Margaret Cho and NeNe Leakes and did about 3 shows - once off specials following award shows and big events.

This week's Fashion Police show - the first of 2016 - was really the big one for the show's TV return, still with Margaret Cho and NeNe Leakes who have both seemingly become the "permanent" guest panelists - and thank goodness for them.

Probably scared off after her controversial "I feel like she smells like patchouli oil. Or weed" comment of Zendaya's hair, Giuliana Rancic now comes across as stilted and scared to say anything remotely offensive, funny or outrageous, while the boring Brad Goreski is far too suck up to Hollywood's designer crowd to not say "I like it" to basically everything.

The heavy lifting to be funny now falls on Nene Leakes who is less successful and the outrageous and more successful Margaret Cho - the only one getting bleeped and gasps like Joan Rivers did.

Melissa Rivers meanwhile comes across as struggling - she's trying to steer and keep the pacing and show on track but on-screen - the role as producer she did from the sidelines when and while Joan Rivers sat in the chair.

Worse than being called bad is that the new, new Fashion Police on E! Entertainment is now bland. Halfway through the hour-long episode I paused my DStv Explora to see how much time is still left of the episode.

The games don't make sense and seem like patchwork, the comments especially from Brad Goreski and Giuliana Rancic are inane, Brad Goreski just talks about designers and shamelessly gush over everything as wonderful, and after three episodes even NeNe Leakes'  trademark barbs, "no, girl" and arm and finger-waving are wearing thin.

It's comedian Margaret Cho who now solely brings the spice and bite to E!'s Fashion Police.

She alone has witty one-liners with shock-induced effect in the way that Joan Rivers did, is the only one getting bleeped out, and who obviously actually worked, practised and prepared beforehand.

Melissa Rivers to become the new moderator of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment when the show returns in August with 2 guest panelists.

Melissa Rivers, the daughter of the late Joan Rivers, will return as the new moderator of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) in August, together with Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski.

Melissa Rivers has been the executive producer of Fashion Police during and after the death of Joan Rivers last year, and during the restart and tumultuous self-destruction of the show earlier this year with Kathy Griffin when the show derailed due to behind-the-scenes fighting as the presenters' egos clashed in Joan Rivers' absence.

Last month during her book tour, Melissa Rivers said Kathy Griffin "sh*t all over my mother's legacy".

As Melissa Rivers also already indicated last month, the final empty chair which formerly belonged to Kelly Osbourne who dramatically quit Fashion Police in February, will be a revolving chair becoming two, with two different celebrities per episode as guest panelists.

Fashion Police will return to E! Entertainment from 31 August to cover the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

Fashion Police is produced for E! Entertainment by Wilshire Studios with Melissa Rivers and Lisa Bacon as the executive producers.

"I'm very excited to be given the opportunity to continue to work with my E! and Fashion Police family," says Melissa Rivers in a statement.

"As an executive producer since the beginning, Melissa helped shape Fashion Police into an iconic TV series that couples fashion with comedy," says Jeff Olde, the executive vice president of programming and development for E! Entertainment.

"We are pleased to now also feature Melissa in front of the Fashion Police cameras, as she joins returning panelists Giuliana and Brad. And with the added flavor of rotating panelists, the show will deliver fresh, different and unpredictable fashion reviews with each new episode," says Jeff Olde.