Bruce Jenner, Olympics on E!
Bruce Jenner attends the Performance 3D demonstration at 230 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. (Jan. 23, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
The E! Entertainment network didn't have to look hard to find a Kardashian connection for its upcoming Olympics coverage.
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians" family patriarch Bruce Jenner, the 1976 decathlon gold medalist, will head to London to be part of the E! team this month. E! became one of NBC Universal's stable of networks a year and a half ago, so this is the first time it will take advantage of NBC's status as Olympic television rights holder.
The company is building a studio for E! so celebrities and athletes can stop by for interviews. Its coverage, anchored by Giuliana Rancic, will be featured on the network's entertainment newscasts, which run weeknights at 7 and 11:30. The idea is to showcase the lighter side of the games, the parties or athletes whose personalities have broken through.
"The Olympics is where the cultural conversation is for those two weeks," said Cyndi McLellan, president of network strategy and E! News.
Jenner will attend with reporters Catt Sadler, Ross Mathews and Robbie Laughlin. News correspondent Melanie Bromley, a former London resident, will be on the party circuit and give E! viewers a taste of London nightlife.
An older generation may think Olympic champion first when Jenner's name comes up. That's not the case for fans of the Kardashians, E!'s first family, the bulk of whom are women not even born when Jenner ran, jumped and shot-putted his way to fame in Montreal.
"They just know you as Kim, Kourtney and Khloe's stepdad, and Kendall and Kylie's dad," he said. "To me, I think that's great. I have a lot of fun. They don't know what your past is. And that's fine."
"They asked if I would go over, and obviously E! has been good to my family, so it looks like I've got to go," he said.
Revisiting a time when your public image was Olympic champion may seem attractive, but Jenner said, "I've kind of moved on. I don't dwell on it. That was a great, great time in my life. I had a wonderful time, and I worked hard doing it, but when I was done with it, I moved on."
Jenner said his extended clan is staying home. At least, that's the plan.
"Who knows?" he said. "Some of them may just show up. That's usually the way it works -- 'Oh, Bruce is over in England having so much fun, I'm going over to England with him.' All of a sudden, my room fills up with kids."
