Was ‘E! News’ Cancelled? Here’s What’s Really Happening – Blavity
After 34 years on television, E! News cancelled its nightly broadcast. The program first aired in 1991 and became a staple of celebrity journalism, shaping how pop culture fanatics follow Hollywood. It created the blueprint that every entertainment outlet has been copying ever since: red-carpet coverage, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes drama.
The cancellation was announced in July 2025, with the final broadcast airing Sept. 25, 2025. The reason wasn’t complicated: people no longer wait for 11:30 PM cable broadcasts. Instead, they scroll TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for instant updates. If you’re curious for more info on the history of E! News and what’s next for the brand, read on for everything we know.
Why did Catt Sadler leave ‘E! News’?
Catt Sadler’s 2017 exit was one of the show’s biggest controversies. After over a decade at E! News, she walked away after discovering her male co-host, Jason Kennedy, was making close to double her salary for the same work, as Variety reports.
She publicly explained the pay gap in conversation with CBS News, sparking massive conversations about gender inequality in entertainment. Sadler made it clear she loved the job, but couldn’t stay knowing the network valued her contributions that little. “It was a bittersweet decision. I have many, many fond memories about my time there and the work itself and my colleagues,” she told the outlet. “I’d be doing myself a disservice if I continued, so the writing was on the wall for me.”
Sadler also emphasized her issue was with the system and E!’s leadership, not Kennedy personally. The two remained close friends. The host’s departure foreshadowed challenges that would eventually contribute to why E! News was cancelled. Her story became a rallying cry for equal pay in Hollywood, with actresses like Debra Messing and Eva Longoria publicly supporting her at awards shows.
A look at Adrienne Bailon’s brief stint as a host
Adrienne Bailon, known from 3LW and The Real, joined E! News in 2022 when the show returned from its pandemic hiatus. Fans loved her energy and authenticity, but her time was cut shorter than expected. In October 2023, Bailon announced she was stepping down to focus on family life. She and her husband had been traveling bi-coastally between New York and LA, and she wanted to be a more present mom to her infant son. It wasn’t about drama. Just priorities shifting after years in the industry since she was 15.
When did Jason Kennedy return to ‘E! News’?
Jason Kennedy was one of the show’s most recognizable faces, anchoring from 2005 to 2019. When E! News returned in 2022 after the pandemic-induced cancellation, Kennedy returned in 2023 as an anchor and correspondent. His presence helped reconnect longtime viewers to the show’s roots, even as everything else around it was changing. Kennedy stayed through the final broadcast in September 2025, making him one of the longest-tenured hosts before E! News was cancelled.
Why was ‘E! News’ cancelled?
E! News once owned celebrity reporting, but social media flipped the script. By the time the nightly show aired, fans had already consumed every major story on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. The show went through constant reinvention, as The Hollywood Reporter reminds us. In 2019, NBCUniversal relocated production from Los Angeles to New York and shifted from a nighttime to a morning schedule.
Then COVID hit in 2020, and the show got cancelled. When it returned in 2022, it relocated to LA and resumed its late-night schedule, sharing studio space with Access Hollywood. All these shifts showed how unstable things had become across the industry.
Former host Lilliana Vazquez shared on TikTok that she wasn’t surprised by the cancellation, saying the show never evolved for a digital-first audience. Versant decided maintaining a nightly cable show with declining ratings wasn’t worth it. Instead, the company is focusing on digital content like red carpet livestreams, viral clips and social media posts. This allowed them to meet viewers where they actually are.
Like The View and The Daily Show, which faced their own format challenges, E! News cancelled its traditional broadcast model to survive in the streaming era.
From now on, the brand will be a digital exclusive
The restructuring affected more than just E! News. Access Hollywood also faced layoffs, showing how widespread the changes were across NBCUniversal’s entertainment programming. The decision marked Versant’s first major programming move since the company formed earlier in 2025. Deadline reported that approximately 20 employees were affected by the cancellation. Some received offers for other roles within Versant, while others departed the company entirely.
Nevertheless, the brand isn’t completely dead. E! News will continue digitally through E! Online, Snapchat’s The Rundown, Instagram’s Hot Goss and YouTube’s RE!CAP. The company will also continue to produce red-carpet specials. This digital pivot mirrors trends across the industry. Shows like Catfish and The Witcher have also adapted their formats to meet changing viewer habits.
‘E! News’ leaves behind an impressive legacy
The cancellation marks the end of a cultural era. The show launched careers for Giuliana Rancic, Ryan Seacrest and Maria Menounos, while basically inventing modern red carpet coverage. It was one of the first programs to make celebrities feel both untouchable and accessible at the same time.
E! News shaped how an entire generation consumed celebrity culture. From breaking exclusive stories to hosting A-list interviews, the show set the standard for entertainment journalism for over three decades. For millions of viewers, it was part of the daily routine. Whether catching up on celebrity relationships, watching exclusive interviews or soaking in Hollywood glamour, the show was always there.
The nightly broadcast is gone, but its influence lives on in every entertainment podcast, Instagram Live and viral TikTok that dominates the celebrity news cycle today. E! News didn’t just cover entertainment – it shaped how we experience it. The show’s transformation from nightly staple to digital brand represents the future of entertainment news.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Catt Sadler and Jason Kennedy still friends?
Yes. Sadler has repeatedly emphasized that she and Kennedy remain close friends. Her decision to leave targeted the network’s leadership and systemic inequality, not her co-host.
What does E! News stand for?
The “E” stands for “Entertainment.” From day one, the channel positioned itself as the ultimate destination for celebrity news, gossip and pop culture, with E! News as its flagship program.
The post Was ‘E! News’ Cancelled? Here’s What’s Really Happening appeared first on Blavity.
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