Melissa Rivers on E!'s Fashion Police cancellation: 'It makes me sad. Not my decision'.

With the series finale of the iconic Fashion Police that is broadcast tonight on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) at 20:00 with a special farewell episode, Joan Rivers' daughter Melissa said the show's cancellation wasn't her decision.

E! announced the cancellation of Fashion Police last month that is ending tonight with a look-back special filled with memorable clips, entitled "Fashion Police - The Farewell".

Fashion Police started on E! 20 years ago - then called Fashion Review - but the latest iteration began in 2010 as a weekly show and then as a series of special episodes after big Hollywood award shows after the death of Joan Rivers and a reconstituted panel.

It was Joan Rivers who originally coined the term "Who you wearing?" and she literally invented the modern version of red carpet coverage in 1995 as she ran alongside the red carpet at award shows and thrust mics into celebrities' faces while making on-the-spot hilarious comments about their clothes.

Tonight's series finale is filled with clips looking back at some of the funniest comments of Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Giuliana Rancic, George Kotsiopoulos, Kelly Osbourne, NeNe Leakes, Margaret Cho and Brad Goreski who were all part of the Fashion Police panel over the years.

Tonight's episode will also incorporate clips from an unaired episode featuring Joan Rivers and the panelists paying tribute to 80's fashions with Joan in her full-on, breath-taking, caustic, classic and shockingly hilarious "Joan" mode.

Joan Rivers for instance rips into Joan Collins wearing a puffy pink dress, saying: "'If I wanted to see something old and pink with white fur around it, then I'd just get naked and look down".

The farewell episode will also highlight the show’s most memorable segments, including “Bitch Stole My Look,” “Guess Me From Behind” and “Starlet or Streetwalker”.

Also included is an extended montage of the celebrity guests that had visited the show over the years with a dazzling array of top Hollywood stars who came because it was Joan Rivers who asked.

Asked why Fashion Police is ending, Melissa Rivers told Wendy Williams on The Wendy Williams Show that "It makes me sad. Not my decision. But I have to say, what show stays on for 22 years?"

"It's very bitter-sweet. I'm so grateful to E! and NBCUniversal for believing in me after my mom passed and letting the show have another three years," said Melissa Rivers who was also an executive producer of the show before she also took over the hosting duties in 2015 after Joan Rivers' unexpected death.

The final Fashion Police episode entitled "Fashion Police - The Farewell", will be broadcast on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) in South Africa and across Africa tonight, Wednesday 29 November, at 20:00 with a rebroadcast at 23:40.

E! Entertainment cancels Fashion Police; will end on 29 November on DStv with a special farewell episode celebrating Joan Rivers.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has cancelled Fashion Police with Melissa Rivers, with the show that will end in November with another special celebrating Joan Rivers, the show's infamous segments and most memorable moments.

The final Fashion Police episode entitled Fashion Police: The Farewell, will be broadcast on E! in America on 27 November and will be broadcast in South Africa and Africa on E! Entertainment on Wednesday 29 November at 20:00.

After Joan Rivers' unexpected death in 2014, Fashion Police that went off air for a hiatus but returned, eventually switched to a format of doing specials after big Hollywood award shows and will now sign off next month after the latest special that covered the PrimeTime Emmy Awards.

Fashion Police: The Farewell will feature the last appearance from the panel of Melissa Rivers, Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski, NeNe Leakes and Margaret Cho as well as surprise celebrity guests and will include highlights from Joan Rivers.

The episode will incorporate clips from an unaired episode featuring Joan Rivers and the panelists paying tribute to 80's fashions.

"What's been consistent through all the years has been a love of fashion, and that started with Joan Rivers," says Gary Snegaroff, the senior vice president for original production for Wilshire Studios that produces Fashion Police.

"The only thing she loved more than fashion was getting a laugh, so this combined her two loves. She always felt that fashion was something to be discussed, not to be taken too seriously, and that's the show we put together."

"We're going to take a look back and celebrate some of the show's most memorable moments and hosts and gags," said Adam Stotsky, E! Entertainment president.

"It's an opportunity to celebrate the franchise, celebrate Joan and how much we miss her, and pull back the curtain and show fans some things that they haven't seen."

Melissa Rivers, also an executive producer on Fashion Police, says "I am so proud to have been a part of this show and am so proud that it’s part of my mother's legacy. It really changed, along with the red carpets, awards-show programming and fashion."

M-Net will broadcast the 2016 Academy Awards live and again later in prime time on 29 February; plus all the E! Oscars red carpet coverage programming times.

M-Net will once again broadcast this year's Oscars live at the same time as in the United States for South African viewers, as well as later in prime time in Monday 29 February.

The 88th Annual Academy Awards with Chris Rock as the host will be broadcast live on M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 103) on Monday morning 29 February at 03:30.

The 2016 Oscars will then again be shown during prime time on M-Net (DStv 101).

The 3-hour Hollywood red carpet award show means an interruption of the usual Monday night M-Net programming line-up with no new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, The Fixer or Code Black which will all be back a week later on 7 March.

NBCUniversal International Networks' channel E! Entertainment (DStv 124) will do red carpet pre-coverage, starting with Countdown to the Red Carpet: The 2016 Academy Awards on Sunday 28 February at 20:30.

That will last until 00:30 on Monday morning 29 February when Live from the Red Carpet: The 2016 Academy Awards kicks off with Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic on E! Entertainment until 03:30 when the ceremony starts on M-Net Movies Premiere.

This red carpet coverage will be repeated on Monday 29 February on E! Entertainment at 16:00 until 23:00, when viewers can see E! After Party: The 2016 Academy Awards for an hour and a half.

On Wednesday 2 March at 20:00 E! Entertainment will have its special Fashion Police: The 2016 Academy Awards with Melissa Rivers, Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski.

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.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 15 May 2015.

The SABC's SABC Encore (DStv 156) forces old programming onto viewers.
Launching SABC Encore with old programming was not a savvy move, SABC should instead be focusing on producing new content like other channels and broadcasters.

Mwasa accuses SABC of "battle of attrition" against staffer who was allegedly attacked.
Union says the SABC is allegedly unfair in the case in which a staffer has made a case against the SABC's head of news, Jimi Matthews, after she was allegedly assaulted by him during the State of the Nation Address earlier this year. The SABC allegedly insist that its matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng "should preside on the case".


The Simpsons fired Mr Burns
Because actor Harry Shearer refused to accept the same contrained contract to do no other work which all the other voice actors accepted. The Simpsons producer tries to explain and gives his side of the story, saying he hopes Harry Shearer comes back.


The future of The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural.
The CW channel head in America reveals what he thinks of both these longrunning shows.
And Nina Dobrev is essential to The Vampire Diaries, how on earth can she leave?


Melissa Rivers slams Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne and Kathy Griffin.
Says Kathy Griffin who took over Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) "sh-t all over my mother's legacy". Look at the whole, fascinating 52 minute interview of YouTube filled with several other insights (like how the press and media always go for the free food at functions - so true!)


With CSI ending after 15 years, that TV show's legacy is everywhere.
The forensic drama formulae that CSI invented can now be seen everywhere across TV. Meanwhile the experts on spin-off CSI: Cyber on M-Net (DStv 101) seem clueless and don't know what they're doing.

Watch the trailer for the ooh new and awesome looking science fiction drama, Childhood's End.
Of course based on Arthur C. Clarke's novel. (Sidenote: Please, please, please, please can MultiChoice just add Syfy? That channel is in a dramatic quality, genre content resurgence. Adding Syfy now will be the same as adding MGM which turned into AMC which will suddenly have The Walking Dead spin-off upping its street cred.)

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 18 March 2015

"Top Gear doesn't need Jeremy Clarkson."
Former Stig driver Ben Carson says the presenter on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) didn't back him in a clash with the BBC, didn't support him and he hasn't spoken with him since.
Meanwhile Jeremy Clarkson will be back on the BBC in May - because he's presenting another panel discussion show.


Debate of no confidence in president Jacob Zuma not shown on DStv's Parliamentary TV (DStv 408).
With Parliamentary TV channel not showing the debate, MultiChoice says it doesn't have control over the TV channel broadcasting on its DStv platform.

NFVF buckling under resignations, violations of good governance.
Film funding crisis at the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) as questions are being asked about dodgy film deals, five star overseas trips for officials and the alleged violation of corporate governance.

Oprah auctioning off 500 items from her Chicago high rise apartment.
Money will be used to fund her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation - and there's some nice stuff.

South African DStv subscribers are paying less than Zambia.
MultiChoice Zambia holds a press conference following Zambia's uproar and calls for a boycott over the 20% hike in DStv subscriptions from 1 April and MultiChoice Zambia's general manager Simon Bota says South African DStv subscribers pay less than people in other countries in the region.

Simon Bota accuses the 3 000 DStv subscribers in Zambia who have signed the petition of misleading other DStv subscribers which is having an impact on DStv's subscriber base. Meanwhile Zambia's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) says MultiChoice Zambia needs more pay-TV competition.


The SABC is NOT a public broadcaster.
So says South Africa's confused minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, who says the SABC is a state-owned enterprise, with her, Faith Muthambi, as its sole and only government shareholder representative.
Meanwhile the disarray at the SABC is of big concern to the SACP political party. Faith Muthambi is also defending SABC secrecy and says there is nothing wrong with keeping policies secret.


E! Entertainment (DStv 124) takes Fashion Police off TV until September.
E! previously said the show would be back on 30 March but is now changing course as an E! executive talks about the ongoing scandal surrounding the show. E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has no plans of letting of Fashion Police despite all of the toxicity around the flopped reboot, and executives are looking for new panelists.

The Only Way is Essex will continue until at least 2016.
The British ITV reality show seen on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) has been renewed.

A+E Studios looking to do vampire drama Let the Right One In.
Wants the Teen Wolf writers to create a TV show based on the Swedish book in which a girl vampire meets a boy.

iNsane.
Empire's Terrence Howard on FOX's (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) hit drama wants TV to use the "N" word.

The illegal immigrants who robbed SABC's Vuyo Mvoko won't apply for bail.
The illegal aliens from Zimbabwe who are in South Africa without proper documentation, Alfred  Thongamedi and Clement Mncube have appeared in court and can't apply for bail.
They appeared with Pascal Junior from Mozambique and Modin Modin from Bangladesh after attacking and mugging a SABC crew. All four needed interpreters since none can speak English.

BREAKING. Kelly Osbourne leaving Fashion Police on E! Entertainment amidst backstage in-fighting and Zendaya racism comment scandal.

Purple coiffed Kelly Osbourne is leaving Fashion Police! on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) immediately - the troubled show mired in scandal with backstage in-fighting and tension following a racist joke about Hollywood starlet Zendaya's hair.

"Kelly Osbourne is departing E!s Fashion Police to pursue other opportunities," says E! Entertainment in a terse statement.

"We would like to thank her for her many contributions to the series over the past five years, during which time the show became a hit with viewers," says E! Entertainment.

E! Entertainment and Fashion Police announced no replacement for Kelly Osbourne.

There won't be any formal proper on-air goodbye, reflecting clip show or any of the usual proper farewells when an on-air TV talent leaves - indicative of the rancour and bitterness behind the Fashion Police scenes.

According to TMZ, citing multiple sources Kelly Osbourne has been wanting to get off Fashion Police since the reset without Joan Rivers and that tension started from the first episode of the "new" Fashion Police with Brad Goreski and Kathy Griffin and without Joan Rivers and George Kotsiopoulos in January.

According to multiple sources Kelly Osbourne was unhappy with how Fashion Police was being produced since 2015, and the E! Entertainment show's producers were equally unhappy with Kelly Osbourne's on-set attitude.

Kelly Osbourne's abrupt departure leaves the severely compromised Giuliana Rancic as the only remaining original member on the struggling fashion critique comedy show following her highly offense comments earlier the week.

Earlier the week Kelly Osbourne threatened to quit the show following Giuliana Rancic's racist comments and has now made good on her threat to dump Fashion Police, hurling ultimatums and saying "I'm giving everyone involved 24 hours to make it right or the world will hear how I really feel. Contractually I'm not allowed to speak!"

Kelly Osbourne tweeted that "I'm seriously questioning staying on the show!"

The backstage atmosphere at E! Entertainment's Fashion Police, produced by the late Joan Rivers' daughter Melissa Rivers, has been fraught with tension and scandal since Giuliana Rancic on Monday called Zendaya's dreadlocks looking like "she smells like patchouli oil" or "weed".

Giuliana Rancic, who is also the anchor of eNews on E! Entertainment damaged her credibility and reputation although she did apologise on Tuesday on eNews for her controversial remarks.

An insider told publication Us Weekly on Saturday that "Kelly hasn't been happy at the show for a while," and that "this whole situation solidified her decision to move on. It was time for her to go. She had five great years there, and the relationship she had with Joan there changed her life."

E! Entertainment's racist Giuliana Rancic sorry for remarks over Zendaya's deadlocks; Kelly Osbourne threatens to quit Fashion Police.

E! Entertainment’s (DStv 124) E! News anchor and Fashion Police panelist Giuliana Rancic is apologising for her racist comments after saying the 18-year old actress Zendaya's dreadlocked hair at the Oscars "probaly smells like patchouli oil or weed", now saying "something I said last night did cross the line".

On Tuesday night's E! News, Giuliana Rancic who always does red carpet duty for E! and wants celebrities to trust her enough to talk to her, apologised.

"I want to apologize for a comment I made on last night's Fashion Police about Zendaya's hair," said Giuliana Rancic.

"As you know, Fashion Police is a show that pokes fun at celebrities in good spirit, but I do understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I just want everyone to know, I didn't intend to hurt anybody."

"But I've learned it's not my intent that matters, it's the result, and the result is that people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not okay. Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me."

Kelly wants to quit

Meanwhile Fashion Police panelist Kelly Osbourne has threatened to quit the struggling fashion commenting show on E! Entertainment which has derailed in tone and enjoyment since the death of Joan Rivers and the addition of Kathy Griffin and Brad Goreski.

"I'm seriously questioning staying on the show," said Kelly Osbourne on Twitter, noting that she gave "everyone involved 24 hours to make it right or the world will hear how I really feel. Contractually I’m not allowed to speak!"

FASHION FAIL: E! Entertainment's 'new' Fashion Police with Kathy Griffin on DStv a TV disaster; pretending to be what it can never be again.

"This could have been a disaster," quipped the purple coiffed Kelly in the return of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) following the sudden-shocking death of Joan Rivers in 2014, commenting on a 2015 Golden Globe actress' wearables.

Instead of "could have been" she should have used the word "is".

The "new" Fashion Police on E! Entertainment is a television disaster just like SABC1's "new" Generations - The Legacy.

Kathy Griffin replacing Joan Rivers and Brad Goreski (who likes to tell us he is gay) in the place of the dumped George Kotsiopoulos is now soulless TV trash, trying to emulate the spirit of something it can't, and pretending to be something it no longer is.

The production values visibly took a nosedive - why E! Entertainment and the producers felt the need to change the opening title graphics and package of Fashion Police from the vibey, colourful and pumping opener to a shockingly dated 80s CNN Style with Elsa Klench mix-up is anyone's guess.

It looks old. It looks tired. It looks dark. Everything the fashion world, which Fashion Police purportedly tries to comment on, abhors.

The new Fashion Police set: Green and black and dark - as if Melissa Rivers or someone who should know better, forgot to cover up some actual studio green screen.

The seating arrangements started off wrong. Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne who are still on the show no longer sat together for the new Fashion Police debut. That dynamic brought laughs previously as they used to lunge, grab and hold on to each other during certain really crazy jokes.

Now they worked together, subtly, to undermine Kathy Griffin from opposite sides and their common target and "enemy" Kathy Griffin in the middle. Why Brad Goreski (who likes to tell us he is gay) is on the show is anyone's guess. Tell Gargamel there's an obnoxious Smurf he never knew about.

By the second episode Fashion Police thankfully placed Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne next to each other again on the left side (although they've now switched seats; Giuliana is closer to the middle to anchor the show). One production point to the better for Griffin-dor!

Viewers can feel the subtle disses towards Kathy Griffin on the new Fashion Police after just two episodes.

You realise that you're no longer watching four friends chatting and joking and having fun. You're watching two friends (Giuliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne), a stylist (who likes to tell us he is gay over and over) and comedian Kathy Griffin who is stilted and short on actual funny jokes and keeps repeating the same hammed lines.

It's not that viewers don't like change and won't accept the new Fashion Police. It's that the new Fashion Police is worse production wise that the original.

It's a given that Kathy Griffin would have been very nervous stepping into Joan Rivers' chair. But didn't they do a dry-run? And why is everything and everyone still so awkward after the second episode of Fashion Police?

Giuliana Rancic has taken over as unofficial master of ceremonies (she even says "ladies and gentlemen"),making it even more awkward, in addition to Kathy Griffin no longer being the final arbiter of best and worse dressed.

It's awkward having to listen to Kathy Griffin just going with a denounced "okay", "okay" after the rest of the trio have chimed in with their opinions - emotionally and visibly seceding in perceived "power" from the dominant role Joan Rivers held.

Yes. Kathy Griffin is not Joan Rivers. And isn't trying to be.

But then E! Entertainment should perhaps not have continued Fashion Police after her death.

The "new" Fashion Police is not fun and not funny. It's not fun to watch. It's not insightful.

The foursome now try to do filthy jokes but without proper context and which isn't about the actual outfits and clothes and how it looks on the stars like during the tenure of Joan Rivers - which in itself makes the jokes and them, and watching them, feel even more awkward.

Kathy Griffin is not in control of the show. Neither is Giuliana Rancic who tries to either "help" or "undermine" or "step in and save" - none of which is effectively working and all of which is making it worse. It makes the "new" Fashion Police strange and uncomfortable to watch.

Fashion Police on E! Entertainment used to be like fresh champagne while Joan Rivers was still alive. It was effervescent pop culture - with spot-on zingers and timeous, relevant commentary.

Now like a glamorous party where the waiters carry around champagne on silver trays - still in flute glasses but the drinks now devoid of bubbles after its been poured and left standing for too long - Fashion Police is still there but not sparkling.

Perhaps the time has come for Fashion Police to gracefully call it a night, and for E! Entertainment as the host to open a brand new bottle.

BREAKING. E! Entertainment to honour Joan Rivers with 90 minute Fashion Police Special on 20 September followed by all day marathon.

You're reading it here first.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) will be celebrating the life of comedienne and caustic fashion critic Joan Rivers with a special 90 minute Fashion Police special programme on Saturday 20 September at 21:00 entitled Fashion Police: Celebrating Joan, followed by an all day Fashion Police marathon on the channel on DStv.

The 90 minute Fashion Police special will be recorded from the home of daughter, Melissa Rivers, with the Fashion Police panel - Kelly Osbourne, Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos - all appearing and telling funny stories and sharing behind-the-scenes gossip.

The special will show the most hilarious and most outrageous moments caught on camera over the years the show has been running on E! Entertainment.

The panel will share personal stories, behind-the-scenes special footage, as well as never-before-aired segments in which viewers can see how Joan often candidly joked with the cast as well as with the studio audience.

The 90 minute Fashion Police special will be followed by an all day marathon of Fashion Police episodes with the best jokes from Joan Rivers, including the episodes which celebrated her 80th birthday, and the very last one she did covering this year's MTV Video Music Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards.

The future of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment uncertain and unclear after the death of Joan Rivers at 81.

The immediate future of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) is unclear, and the ongoing future of the weekly show uncertain, following the death of American comedienne Joan Rivers who was the host of the show since it started in 2010.

Joan Rivers died today, aged 81, when her daughter Melissa Rivers took her off of life support in the New York hospital where she was taken to, after she stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest following a minor throat operation last week.

Earlier today E! Entertainment issued an advisory saying there won't be any further Fashion Police episodes due to Joan Rivers' hospitalisation and that  "we will not be producing a Fashion Police this week or next week as we await Joan and Melissa's return in front and behind the camera".

Melissa Rivers who made frequent appearances on the show with the panel consisting of Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne and George Kotsiopoulos, was the executive producer.

Advertised on E! the past week, the entertainment channel said E! Entertainment would be producing two E! From Fashion Week TV specials covering New York Fashion Week which started today.

The long term future of the highly rated and popular show is also uncertain, since Joan Rivers and her acerbic commentary was the driving force of Fashion Police as the panelist mostly reacted to her weekly fashion zingers instead of trying to be funny themselves.

Following Joan Rivers' death E! Entertainment issued another advisory regarding Fashion Police, the second one today, saying the future of Fashion Police is now uncertain.

"Right now we are mourning our beloved Joan. We will respond at a later date with programming updates".

George Kotsiopoulos tweeted: "Rest in peace Joan Rivers. Thank you for changing my life. I will miss you so much.

Kelly Osbourne, also in hospital with pneumonia, called Joan Rivers "the only grandmother I ever knew".

"I'm completely heartbroken by the loss of my beloved Joan. Not only was she my boss, she was and will always be my teacher, therapist, closest friend, inspiration and the only grandmother I ever knew. She was family and I will never forget her".

"I love you with all my heart Joan Rivers. My life will never be the same without you!"

"Joan, thank you for taking me in and loving me as a daughter. I will miss you deeply and will always hear your voice in my head saying 'my darling get out there and be you!"

Giuliana Rancic in New York said in a statement "It is almost impossible to describe how much I adored Joan and how much she has meant to me".

"She was not only the funniest woman I have ever met but was incredibly loving, honest, and lived her life with no regrets. Working with her for the last 13 years has been one of the true joys of my life. She could put a smile on your face, instantly, no matter how hard your day was."

"My life is so much fuller and happier because I got to share it with this beautiful person, a true genius. I woke up today unable to grasp what the world will be like without her and at the same time feel so privileged to have called her my friend."

BREAKING. Joan Rivers of E! Entertainment's Fashion Police dead at 81.

Comedienne Joan Rivers, the acerbic host of Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has died, her daughter Melissa Rivers says in a statement from Katz Public Relations. Joan Rivers was 81.

The trailblazing and sharp-tongued American comedienne who constantly reinvented herself with the prevailing popular culture passed today away after being taken off of life support.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers. She passed peacefully at 1:17pm surrounded by family and close friends".

"My son and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of Mount Sinai Hospital for the amazing care they provided for my mother".

"Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated. My mother's greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon".

Joan Rivers stopped breathing during minor throat surgery last week and was rushed to hospital. She was placed into a coma which she was slowly being brought out of an was also moved out of intensive care.

The American comedienne coined the now used everywhere red carpet coverage phase: "Who you wearing?"

She never stopped working, her latest regular TV work was on the highly rated Fashion Police on E! Entertainment since 2010 with Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne and George Kotsiopoulos.

George Kotsiopoulos tweeted: "Rest in peace Joan Rivers. Thank you for changing my life. I will miss you so much".

Kelly Osbourne, also in hospital with pneumonia, called Joan Rivers "the only grandmother I ever knew".

"I'm completely heartbroken by the loss of my beloved Joan. I love you with all my heart Joan Rivers. My life will never be the same without you!"

Giuliana Rancic in New York said in a statement "It is almost impossible to describe how much I adored Joan and how much she has meant to me".

"She was not only the funniest woman I have ever met but was incredibly loving, honest, and lived her life with no regrets. I woke up today unable to grasp what the world will be like without her and at the same time feel so privileged to have called her my friend."

In a statement E! Entertainment and NBCUniversal sent their "deepest condolences to Melissa, Cooper and her entire extended family on this incredibly sad day".

"For decades Joan has made people laugh, shattered glass ceilings and revolutionized comedy".

"She was unapologetic and fiercely dedicated to entertaining all of us and has left an indelible mark on the people that worked with her and on her legions of fans".

"She's been a much beloved member of the E! family for over 20 years and the world is less funny without her in it. Today our hearts are heavy knowing Joan will not be bounding through the doors".

Joan Rivers becomes emotional on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment, doing a tribute to the late Robin Williams.

Joan Rivers unexpectedly became emotional right at the end of the latest episode of her weekly Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) when she did a tribute to the late Robin Williams before the credits rolled.

It suddenly became clear why Joan Rivers was wearing black on her popular weekly fashion take-down show where she rips into celebrities without fear or favour.

"Before we go I just want to say all of us truly lost a friend, a man. So I would like to dedicate today's show, just the funny ones that worked, the jokes that landed, to the one and the only Robin Williams," said Joan Rivers who became visibly sad as her voice faltered.

The show cut to three photos of Robin Williams against a black screen - one of them in which Robin Williams and Joan Rivers stood together - and then "Robin Williams: 1951 - 2014" before the credits rolled.

Joan Rivers' shocking new and extremely tasteless Reeva Steenkamp joke on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment.

You're reading it here first. 

The American comedienne Joan Rivers and host of the weekly acerbic Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has made her most shocking and extremely tasteless joke about the Oscar Pistorius murder trial and the killing of model Reeva Steenkamp yet.

Choosing American pop star Christina Aguilera's blonde hair with knotty cornrow braids, hair extensions and red highlights at the VH1 Music Awards as her 4th must-see look of 2000, Joan Rivers shocked in the latest episode of Fashion Police calling it "the triple crown of skank do's".

"The last time I saw a blonde with red streaks in her hair she was laying on Oscar Pistorius' bathroom floor," said Joan Rivers.

Her daughter Melissa Rivers gasped, then laughed.

It's Joan Rivers' third extremely crass Oscar Pistorius murder trial joke the past four months.

In April she critiqued a star's footwear on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment saying "I have not seen footwear this f- up since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand".

In another episode later in April Joan Rivers called a star's outfit a bad idea that "falls in between marrying Charlie Sheen and using Oscar Pistorius' bathroom".

The murder trial of the paralympic athlete who shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2013, generated massive global interest and will resume on 7 August for closing arguments.

On 9 April The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) from Combined Artistic Productions, eNCA (DStv 403) and MultiChoice made South African television history when they showed the extremely graphic and unblurred image of Reeva Steenkamp's gruesome head injuries on the DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

While The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel kept rebroadcasting the horrific image of Reeva Steenkamp's head damage during the day, Sky News in an edited news story only used pieces of the footage, blurred the images and warning viewers beforehand.

Joan Rivers slams Oscar Pistorius again in another joke for a second time this month on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment.

For the second time this month the American comedienne Joan Rivers is trashing the South African killer Oscar Pistorius in a joke on her weekly Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124).

In the latest episode of Fashion Police Joan Rivers critiques the outfit of singer and dancer Cat Graham, saying "Cat's outfit is so terrible on the scale of really bad ideas, it falls between marrying Charlie Sheen and using Oscar Pistorius' bathroom".

The Fashion Police studio audience let out an audible gasp. Co-host Kelly Osbourne screamed, "Jooooan!"

Earlier in April on Fashion Police Joan Rivers also trashed Oscar Pistorius, saying that she hadn't seen such bad leg wear on a Hollywood celebrity "since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand".

Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day, 14 February 2013. The former paralympic athlete is currently standing trial in the North Gauteng High Court on a charge of premeditated murder.

Joan Rivers of E! Entertainment's Fashion Police trashes 'f- up' footwear looking like Oscar Pistorius who 'wobbled to the witness stand'.

The acerbic comedienne Joan Rivers and host of the weekly Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) critiques shoes in the latest weekly episode by trashing Oscar Pistorius on trial for premeditated murder.

Referring to the gladiator style shoes worn by Hollywood celebrity Garcelle Beauvais to a charity event in Los Angeles, Joan Rivers rips into her shoes, simultaneously trashing the former paralympic sport star known as the Blade Runner.

"The footwear! I have not seen footwear this f- up since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand. I'm sorry".

"Joan!" screamed Fashion Police co-presenter Kelly Osbourne.

E! Entertainment's striking Fashion Police writers slam Joan Rivers: 'Upsetting to find out we mean so little to her.'

The striking writers of Joan Rivers' show Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) are slamming Joan Rivers in a new video for not talking to them and for not supporting them in their bid for backpay and to get union representation from E! Entertainment.

The Fashion Police writers who have been on strike since 17 April are extremely upset as they're battling with several concurrent yet separate issues.

They want backpay of $1,5 million in wage and hours for unpaid regular and overtime hours worked from Joan Rivers' production company, Rugby Productions; they also want E! Entertainment Networks to recognise the Writers Guild of America as their bargaining representative (E! says a National Labour Relations Board election needs to be held first); and the writers feel incredibly let down by Joan Rivers.

"When it got to a point where we needed to talk about how we were treated and how we were compensated for doing all this work for her, she shut down," says Eliza Skinner in the new video.

"It was so upsetting to me to find out that this person who had meant so much to me, I meant so little to her."

"She won't say 'I'd like you to have that.' And that's all I need from her. And it's really sad to me that she's can't give us that," says Eliza Skinner.

"It was a whole blow up and it got really ugly," explains another one of the writers of what happened when they wanted to talk to Joan Rivers about the issues behind the show.

"We were essentially told that if we try to unionise, we'd lose our jobs," says Bryan Cook.

"If I could talk to her I would say you are important to E!, they'll listen to you. And hopefully we're important to you, I'll hope you'll listen to us," says writer Dante.

E! Entertainment to celebrate Joan Rivers' 80 birthday with extra episodes of Fashion Police, appearances across several other shows.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) is giving TV star Joan Rivers of Fashion Police a big network birthday celebration for her 80th birthday on 8 June with additional daily half hour episodes of Fashion Police, and heavy involvement in front of, and behind the scenes, of the channel's flagship daily show E! News for a week, as well as appearing on several other E! Entertainment programmes all from 11 June.

From Tuesday 11 June E! Entertainment will have a daily half hour episode of Fashion Police for the week with Joan Rivers also appearing on several other E! Entertainment shows, as well as special on-screen birthday messages which will be shown during the week.

The usual hour long episode of Fashion Police will be a special birthday, black tie celebratory episode.

From next week Joan Rivers will be involved with E! News every day with special appearances in front of the camera as news anchor, but also behind the scenes as audio director, wardrobe stylist and camera person.

She will also have a surprise for Joel McHale during the 15 June episode of The Soup. Joan Rivers will also appear on Chelsea Lately.

Joan Rivers will also "insert" herself into "moments" on some of E! Entertainment's most popular shows.

Fashion Police writers on E! Entertainment go on strike; E! calls it 'disappointing' in internal memo.

The writers of the weekly Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) have gone on strike; E! Entertainment calls the strike action "disappointing" in an internal memo but in a press release says Joan Rivers supports the writers' efforts to organise.

Twelve Fashion Police writers have decided to start striking immediately after a two week battle of saying they want to join the Writers Guidl of America (WGA) West, after working long hours overtime without pay. They have also filed a $1,5 million wage and wage and hours claims with the California courts.

"We're ready to go back to work on Fashion Police just as soon as they sign a WGA contract," says the writers in a statement. "Writers on E!'s comedy-variety show, Fashion Police, walked off their jobs today to gain Writers Guild coverage and to protest the company's unfair labour practices," says the WGA in a statement.

"We are disappointed that the WGA has called a strike and some of the Fashion Police writers have chosen to vacate their positions," says Suzanne Kolb, E! Entertainment president in an internal memo.

In a statement to the press E! Entertainment says Joan Rivers as the presenter and executive producer of Fashion Police supports the writers' efforts to organise.

"Joan Rivers has gone on record repeatedly that she supports the Fashion Police writers and wants a fair agreement for them," says E! Entertainment.

Kelly Osbourne returns to Fashion Police on E! Entertainment after her shocking on-set seizure.

Kelly Osbourne is back on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124), having returned to the show on Friday in America and seen on Saturdays in South Africa, following her shocking on-set seizure at the beginning of the month after which she was hospitalised.

"We're so excited to have our little purple-haired cutey-pie back with us," said Joan Rivers, the moderator of Fashion Police on the latest episode, motioning to Kelly Osbourne.

Kelly Osbourne blew air-kisses to her co-presenters, Giuliana Rancic, Joan Rivers and George Kotsiopoulos.

The cause of Kelly Osbourne's seizure has not yet been revealed.