For the past few weeks, rumors have been going around that Kathy Griffin would be stepping in to take the lead on Fashion Police. It didn’t hurt that Griffin herself had gone on the record to say that she had been asked, and also that Melissa Rivers had given the show her blessing to keep on keeping on (she also produces Fashion Police). Well, as of yesterday, it’s official: Kathy has been named the new lead on Fashion Police–I do believe that Joan Rivers would totally approve this move!
A source close to the hit show tells Us Weekly that “Joan has always given her blessing to Kathy” and that she “wanted Kathy to be her successor.”
“They talked about it many times,” the insider says. “They have such a similar sense of humor and were the best of friends. Joan would have loved seeing Kathy on Fashion Police and she would have definitely approved.” Earlier this month, Griffin confirmed to Access Hollywood that she was offered the gig, but said: “I don’t know if the situation is correct at this time for me or right for me at this time.” SOURCE
There’s also been talk of turning the show into a specialty thing, wherein they would only do shows after major awards. Which, to be fair, makes a decent bit of sense. Stars tend to save their A-game for awards season, while deploying the more appropriate but slightly low-key evening wear for premieres. As I said before, Kathy has the right credentials for the job, and while I think she spent a few years figuring out what her own aesthetic was and what works best for her style, she’ll do a perfectly fine job mocking the famous for wearing ill-fitting and/or poorly-accessorized gowns.