Giuliana & Bill... and the C-Word

Reality TV doesn't get any more real — or important — than this. In tonight's fifth-season premiere of Style Network's Giuliana & Bill, original Apprenticewinner Bill Rancic and his bride, E! News host Giuliana Rancic, share the terror, tears and challenges that came from her recent battle with breast cancer. It's a brutal but ultimately inspiring hour that shows exactly how strong love, laughter and a lot bravery can be in the face of a disease that touches so many lives.

TV Guide Magazine: First of all, how are you doing now?
Giuliana: I feel great. I go to my appointments, check in with the doctors and I make sure that I'm OK. But as soon as I walk out of their office, I move on with my life.
Bill: The hardest part for me was not being able to trade places with her. As her husband, I want to be the protector, and I was unable to do that. So I did whatever...I tried to make her laugh as much as I could. I was inspired by watching her handle it.

TV Guide Magazine: She calls you her "hot male nurse" in the premiere.
Bill: That's what I hear. Just call me Greg Focker. [Laughs]

TV Guide Magazine: What has this done to you as a couple?
Billl: It has certainly given us a new appreciation for life and strengthened our relationship. If you can get through this, you can get through anything. It turns the volume down on things that don't matter.

TV Guide Magazine: What was it like for you, Giuliana, to be the story?
Giuliana: I like to be on the other side of the microphone, interviewing people. Less pressure! But with time, I saw I had this incredible platform to do some real good and help girls take care of themselves.

TV Guide Magazine: Has it been hard to get her to slow down?
Bill: Yeah, she kind of has one speed. We both do. I joked with a friend that I'm going to make sure she uses every single vacation day, because we're going to do things that we've always wanted to do...and start living.

TV Guide Magazine: Has there been talk of showing this episode in schools or anyplace to give it a wider audience?
Giuliana: It's funny you say that. My best friend in the world watched it and said that we should put it on the other NBC networks, because we're all under the same umbrella, just to share it a little more.

TV Guide Magazine: What would you say is the best thing someone can do for a loved one who has been diagnosed with cancer?
Giuliana: I think the best thing is to let you do what you want to do. Cry, Google crazy things, let you read books. It sounds like such an elementary thing, but what happens is people want to tell you what you shouldn't do. Bill was so good. Anything I would say, even if he didn't agree with it, he'd let me just do it and then hint here or there that maybe I should take medical advice from doctors instead of people on discussion boards. He let me be...you need to go through the emotions. The last thing you want is someone telling you not to do what you want to do because you have already lost so much control through this diagnosis. You still want control in some areas. And when Bill let me be in control of my life however I could, it helped me so much.
Bill: I also think that anyone helping with the care giving is there to gather the knowledge. You have to look at it for what it is and arm yourself with as much information as you can. There is so much emotion in a situation like this, someone has to be able to say 'let's step back and make rational decisions."

TV Guide Magazine: Your clarity and gratitude is really amazing.
Giuliana: Listen, it sucks. But I can't forget the good things in my life. Yes, I have breast cancer, but I have the best husband in the world, an awesome job, and a great family...I choose to focus on the positives. It makes healing so much easier.

TV Guide Magazine: Plus, you have your hot male nurse.
Giuliana: Bill was incredible. I would promote him from hot male nurse to the hottest male doctor ever! [Laughs]

Giuliana & Bill airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Style Network

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