Kelly Osbourne Quits E!'s 'Fashion Police'

Britt Aboutaleb
Updated

Kelly Osbourne at the 2015 Academy Awards. Photo: Getty Images

The past year has not been kind to E!’s Fashion Police. The passing of Joan Rivers in September 2014 left an empty seat at the table, the show was taken to task for subjecting smart women to silly stunts like the mani-cam, last week Giuliana Rancic made racist comments on air, and now long-time host Kelly Osbourne is leaving, effective immediately.

Earlier this week, Osbourne threatened to walk after Rancic said that popstar Zendaya's dreadlocks probably smelled of “weed” and “patchouli."

But that same night, after coming under fire from every direction, Rancic made what many interpreted as a very sincere apology. Zendaya accepted, and Osbourne tweeted her support.

So what happened? TMZ reports that things were tense on set long before this week’s scandal: “We’re told the tension started over the first episode the cast taped without Joan Rivers. Kelly was unhappy with the way the show was being produced. Producers, we’re told, were ‘up to here’ with Kelly so the handwriting was on the wall.”

E! confirmed Osbourne’s immediate departure on Friday evening via the following statement: “Kelly Osbourne is departing E!s Fashion Police to pursue other opportunities, and 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.”

Osbourne was one of the initial hosts of the popular show, which dissects celebrities outfits and pokes fun at the more fashion forward looks to hit the red carpet. When the series launched in 2010, her co-hosts were Rivers, Rancic, and George Kotsiopoulos. After Rivers’ death, Kathy Griffin joined the show and Kotsiopoulos was replaced by stylist Brad Goreski. Now there’s another seat open at the table. E! added, “Fashion Police will return, as scheduled, on Monday, March 30, at 9 p.m. and no decisions have been made on her replacement.”

Still no word from the very vocal Osbourne on social media, but there’s no doubt she’ll soon share her side of the story. Until then, who do you think should take her place on Fashion Police?