Kathy Griffin Taking Over Fashion Police

We LOVE Joan Rivers, but we are happy to announce that one of her beloved protege’s Kathy Griffin Taking Over Fashion Police. Thank you Entertainment Gods and Melissa Rivers.

CelebNMusic247.com got the word via 4UMF.com who caught wind of the news that one of Joan’s friends that she adored will be taking over the covenant seat wear Joan Rivers once sat.

Joan Rivers is a tough act to follow, but E! Network has decided its hit show Fashion Police will continue – with Kathy Griffin filling Joan’s Jimmy Choos.

Show insiders tell MailOnline, that Joan’s daughter Melissa Rivers agreed to continue to produce her mother’s show and has given her blessing to the choice. E! executives are negotiating a deal with the popular redhead.

‘Kathy has been told if she wants the gig she can have it because Melissa wanted someone who her mother would have approved of,’ says the show source. ‘Kathy will probably take the position but they are still working out the deal.’

Joan created Fashion Police and Melissa produced and directed the show, so Joan’s grieving daughter may be on the first show they tape to say a few words about her mother and to introduce Kathy.

While Joan was in a coma, rumors were floating around at the time that Kathy would pitch hit for Joan on the show, which she vigorously denied.

“It’s disgusting. It’s not true,’ she told Larry King . ‘And I know that stuff shouldn’t bother me at this stage of my career—you know, I thought I’d heard it all—but that one hurts, because it’s as far from the truth as you can get.’

Griffin, 53, who was among the dozens of celebrities who attended her unconventional memorial service on September 7, lauded Joan for paving the way for women in comedy.

Kathy began performing in the early 1980’s at the Improv Comedy Troupe at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Her big Hollywood breakthrough came on the hit BRAVO reality show ‘Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-list’ that ran from 2005-2010. Kathy won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program and she has released six comedy albums that were all nominated for Grammy Awards.

‘Kathy adored and admired Joan,’ a close family friend revealed. ‘Not only did Joan mentor Kathy they were really close friends. Kathy is heartbroken that she is gone.”

Since the 81-year-old’s death on September 4, the show which she helmed had been on hold and its future uncertain.

But last week E! announced Fashion Police would return in 2015.

In a statement the broadcaster said it would return to television screens for post Golden Globes coverage and the decision was only made with the late comedian’s daughter Melissa’s blessing.

The statement said: ‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of Joan Rivers and, for the last two weeks, have turned our attention to honoring her memory on all of our platforms. We have also thought long and hard about what Joan would have wanted as it pertains to the future of Fashion Police.

‘We decided, with Melissa Rivers’ blessing, that Joan would have wanted the franchise to continue.’

E! has not said what changes will be made to the show’s format – which also stars Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne and George Kotsiopoulos.

The statement added: ‘Fashion Police will return in 2015 commencing with Golden Globes coverage on Monday, January 12. No further details will be announced at this time.’