The Untold Truth Of Giuliana & Bill
Reality TV series Giuliana & Bill followed the E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic and her husband Bill Rancic, who won the first season of The Apprentice. The show first premiered on the Style Network in 2009, though it was later moved to E!, according to The Wrap. The show trailed the couple through a whole lot of life's ups and downs in their marriage — none of which seem to have tested their love.
Surprisingly, it was not just another reality show about some famous married couple that tragically ended in a messy divorce. This pair actually seemed genuinely happy throughout the entire duration of their show, despite how much they'd gone through.
While Giuliana and Bill certainly shared a lot with the world, there are inevitably some aspects of their life together that viewers didn't get to see — the ones when the cameras weren't rolling. Read on to discover the untold truth of Giuliana & Bill.
Bill Rancic was reluctant to star in Giuliana & Bill
Giuliana & Bill all started when Giuliana invited the Style Network over to film her and Bill's wedding in Capri, Italy, Bill said in an interview with PR.com. He saw all of the cameras and film crew and initially questioned how much it'd all cost him. What he didn't know then was that the experience would be the start of their very own reality show. The TV station's wedding special skyrocketed and the concept for a show was born.
Bill explained that he was "pretty reluctant" to do the show in the beginning. Most people keep their private lives, well, private. And, when Giuliana and Bill decided to have their own reality show, they willingly kissed any bit of privacy they had goodbye. Together, and with the whole world watching, they embarked on their new journey.
In hindsight, Bill told the site that it was all worth it. One of the best compliments he'd ever received was when a woman approached him and Giuliana to thank them for showcasing a "healthy relationship" on television. She reportedly said that she hoped her daughters would find a relationship like theirs someday.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic weren't concerned about the reality show curse
Ever wonder why so many reality TV couples' marriages dissolve and their shows end in heartache? We're looking at you, Jon and Kate Gosselin. And Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. And Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. And Linda and Hulk Hogan. Okay, you get the point. Reality TV is still TV. And TV needs to be entertaining; viewers love drama.
"There is that reality show curse, but this is different," Bill told the Los Angeles Times. "It makes being married cool. There is no flipping tables or cursing at each other. It's very positive."
So how did the reality couple manage to last through their reality show and beyond? Well, Giuliana told ABC News that the difference between them and other couples is that they had a strong foundation from the start. It's much easier to break down on TV if you haven't built that solid base off-camera first.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic decided early on to be public about their private lives
It's certainly not easy being in the limelight, but Giuliana and Bill Rancic decided early on that they were going to be candid with their viewers about their life together. This means that they weren't going to be anything less than honest on their show; they were ready to live their authentic lives in the public eye.
"It was hard at the time and we had a real heart-to-heart about it, but when we signed up for this show we knew it was all or nothing," Giuliana said in an interview with PR.com. "Either show this real side or don't show anything."
The couple was open about everything, including their struggle with infertility, their journey with IVF and surrogacy, miscarriages, and even Giuliana's battle with breast cancer. When Giuliana was told that she could just lie and say she didn't want kids and leave out that part of their struggle, she told PR.com that it just didn't feel right to hide their raw reality. Hence, they moved forward with all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic had the choice to cut this scene from the show
In 2010, Giuliana and Bill endured a heartbreaking miscarriage after a long IVF journey, the couple explained in an interview with CNN. They were angry and sad to endure a miscarriage, of course. But "half the battle is trying to get pregnant," Giuliana said, and IVF did indeed get them that far.
Bill revealed that Giuliana & Bill producers gave them the choice to cut the miscarriage from the show, but they ultimately opted to keep it in to help viewers who may be going through the same thing. Giuliana also didn't want to discourage anyone else watching her on the show from trying IVF by removing that experience or reflecting on it in a negative light. According to Bill, it was important to both of them to take their experience and "turn it into a positive by helping other couples." Miscarrying is so common and yet, sadly, so taboo. By talking about it openly, they helped dispel some myths and shed the shame surrounding miscarriages.
Giuliana & Bill didn't show arguments because the couple didn't have them
Ever wonder why you never really saw Giuliana or Bill Rancic break out into blowout fights on their show? It's because they don't really argue. In fact, they're a pretty vanilla couple, compared to most reality television couples.
When the Style Network filmed their "Fairytale Italian Wedding," they were surprised that the show was the network's highest-rated special ever, according to an interview with the couple for PR.com. The viewers reportedly wanted to see their life post-wedding, but Giuliana and Bill said that they never considered themselves "scandalous" enough to have their own show.
"We don't curse each other out, and we don't flip tables over, [so] we thought we weren't interesting enough to have a reality show," Giuliana said in the interview. Bill told the Associated Press back in 2010 that he and Giuliana don't have the arguments that other couples have. That's partly because they lived far away from each other for a while (Bill was in Chicago until he ultimately joined Giuliana in Los Angeles). And, of course, it's partly because they're just not that kind of reality-TV crazy.
Giuliana & Bill kept filming during the darkest day of Giuliana Rancic's life
Giuliana & Bill largely followed Giuliana Rancic's battle with breast cancer, particularly in Season 5 of the show. And, while the couple was pretty open about Giuliana's journey on the show, it's not always obvious to outsiders just how tough times could get. Some people hide their pain well and you simply never really know how much someone may be going through on the inside.
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis was the "worst, darkest day" of Giuliana's life, she later admitted in a speaking event for American Program Bureau. Imagine filming the hardest day of your life and one of your toughest journeys — if not your single toughest journey — for the world to see. It's difficult to picture. Despite the tough times, Giuliana made it through breast cancer while on the show and has remained cancer-free since.
Giuliana & Bill follows Giuliana's cancer battle, but it didn't show this moment
The world watched Giuliana Rancic cope with the news of her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent health journey on Giuliana & Bill. Of course, she put on a brave face in front of viewers, though she was certainly also real about her situation and not shy about showing her raw emotions on TV. While Giuliana was a trooper through her journey, she told New York Live that it was one single reflective moment that happened off-camera that changed the course of her recovery.
Giuliana explained, "After my double mastectomy, I went back to work and I remember getting my hair and makeup done, putting on a pretty dress, and looking in the mirror and for the first time in a long time I recognized the face looking back at me and I thought, 'You know what? I'm back.'" She explained that just that "little moment" helped her immensely in her recovery. That moment also led Giuliana to launch FAB-U-WISH, an initiative that "grants wishes and brings joy to women undergoing treatment for breast cancer."
The cameras didn't show how much pain Giuliana was in after her double mastectomy
Giuliana Rancic may have showed a lot of strength and courage on Giuliana & Bill, but going through a double mastectomy isn't easy for anyone. She told Glamour in an exclusive interview that she was in unbearable pain at times following her surgery from breast cancer. She was hurting so bad at one point that she was throwing up. "I was screaming and crying," she said. "I had four drains under and above my breasts, and they're stitched into your skin. When you try to get up, the drains pull, and you feel like knives are poking you inside."
Despite the pain, Giuliana made it a goal to walk a record number of laps — three and a half — around the hospital after waking up from her surgery. Just two weeks later, Giuliana went back to work. That's the kind of strength the world watched on the show, but perhaps didn't know it had stemmed from a lot of pain.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic processed this difficult experience off-camera
Giuliana and Bill Rancic wanted to have a second baby while filming their show, but their surrogate suffered a miscarriage. Giuliana told Mario Lopez at Universal Studios Hollywood in an interview for ExtraTV back in 2014 that she and Bill were devastated when they got the call. Giuliana had experienced a miscarriage herself, so she said she understood what her surrogate was going through at the time. The couple took some time to process the news off-camera to themselves, she explained.
And, once they were able to process their own emotions, she added that they were then focused on making sure their surrogate knew that the miscarriage wasn't her fault, Giuliana told Lopez. Miscarrying is such a common occurrence, she explained, but they wanted to make sure that her surrogate was mentally and emotionally okay after the incredibly taxing experience.
Bill Rancic called the couple's journey on Giuliana & Bill a miracle
Giuliana and Bill Rancic experienced a lot together while on their reality television show, Giuliana & Bill. They began as a long-distance couple, which is hard enough. But they also dealt with infertility and endured a long journey with IVF. Giuliana had a miscarriage and they ultimately brought on a surrogate who also had a miscarriage. And, amidst all of it, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. Giuliana and Bill also became parents during their time on the show. All things considered, you can certainly see why Bill considers his and Giuliana's journey nothing short of miraculous.
Bill told ABC News, "It's been a miracle if you look at where we've come from." He continued, saying, "We've had some of the darkest days of our lives ... to some of the greatest days of our lives." Giuliana added that they wouldn't trade their journey for anything.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic decided to stop the show for their son's sake
Viewers knew that Giuliana and Bill Rancic were trying to start a family for ages while on their reality show, Giuliana & Bill. Even after the birth of their son Duke, the cameras kept rolling, which is why it may have come as a bit of a surprise when Giuliana and Bill later decided to pull the plug on their reality show for Duke's sake. Giuliana explained their decision in 2016, telling HuffPost, "[The show] was a very rewarding experience, but, at the same time, we needed to pull back a little bit just because our son is four, and he was getting to an age where ... I don't know if I would have wanted to show cameras at his preschool or him going through certain milestones," Giuliana said.
She added that "some things have to be private," and while she and Bill were always open with their lives on the show, they needed to protect their son. Taking a break from reality television was the right decision for their family at the time.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic never, ever cut anything out of the show
Giuliana and Bill Rancic always had the power to cut bits and pieces from their show, Giuliana & Bill. The producers gave them a lot of creative authority and checked in with them often to make sure that they were comfortable sharing their journey — all of the highs and all of the lows.
Throughout their time on TV, Giuliana and Bill went through many tough times, but they chose not to cut any scenes that had been filmed, the couple told PR.com. This meant sharing big moments, like their struggle with infertility, but also small moments, too. Like, for instance, when they're not exactly looking their best. "We get there's cameras around," Giuliana revealed in an interview with ABC News. "We never, ever cut anything out of the show. If I look like crap without my makeup, I don't care. We put everything in the show."
Giuliana and Bill Rancic don't regret a single episode of their show
While many reality television stars may regret what they say and do on air, Giuliana and Bill Rancic don't look back on their show negatively. In an interview with E! News, they shared that they have no regrets whatsoever. Bill revealed that "there isn't one episode that we're ashamed of." He continued, saying, "There isn't any flipping tables or drunken fights or pulling out women's hair weaves like some of these other shows."
Giuliana agrees. "We don't have any regrets at all because a lot of people do these shows and are like, 'What was I thinking?' Not at all. So proud of it," she revealed on On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
Before they decided to take a break for their son, Duke, Giuliana actually told E! News that she wanted to keep doing the show forever. Giuliana said that they've been so "clean-cut and scandalous," but people still tuned in to watch them season in and season out. The couple joked that while they're not the kind of couple who does drugs or cheats or starts tons of drama, so long as they could continue to entertain people (and it wasn't "worse than watching paint dry"), they wanted to keep doing the show.
Will Giuliana & Bill return?
Although Giuliana Rancic at one time wanted to star in Giuliana & Bill "forever," they ultimately called it quits in 2014. However, in an interview on On Air with Ryan Seacrest in 2018, Giuliana and Bill teased a future reboot of Giuliana & Bill. "... We were so proud of [the show], and I wonder if there is a version of it and now that Duke is a little older — maybe we will have to revisit it," Giuliana told Seacrest.
After all, Giuliana told HuffPost in 2016 that the reason they took a break from the show in the first place was to protect their son, Duke. But with Duke being older, they might just get back to it.
Duke seems to love being in the spotlight, anyway, Giuliana told People. He would visit his mom at work all the time and even asked her to get him on TV before — which he once managed to do all by himself. It sounds like he might be the star of the show if the couple does indeed decide to revisit it.