Giuliana Rancic's Ex-Boyfriend Knew She Was Going To Leave Him For Bill

Giuliana Rancic's ex-boyfriend knew that Bill Rancic was the one for her even before she did. While speaking to Us Weekly in 2018, the first ever winner of "The Apprentice" confirmed that he met his future wife around 2004. At the time, Giuliana was admittedly in awe of Bill and had followed his career to date, so she couldn't help but fangirl upon discovering that he was also at a party she was attending. The former E! News anchor recalled how the night played out: "When Bill walked into this NBC party, I freaked out and I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' My boyfriend at the time was like, 'You're going to die. Bill Rancic just walked in, because he had just won.'" She continued, "He introduced me to Bill, but he goes 'I'm afraid the two of you would run off together.'" 

They didn't ride off into the sunset together on that very night. Instead, Bill and Giuliana had a classic meet-cute moment when she interviewed him for E! in 2005. Although their chat ended with him asking her out to another NBC party, the celebrity couple clarified to Us that they actually hit up Nobu for their first date, at Giuliana's request. Bill later shared with ABC News that both parties innately knew their relationship was something special after their first date because they were already trying to figure out how they could work around their busy schedules to see each other months later. Unsurprisingly, it only took a couple more dates for Bill to realize that he had found the one. 

Speaking to Today, in 2013, Bill Rancic confessed that he knew he would someday marry Giuliana Rancic after their lovely third date. The reality star started the special weekend on a high by welcoming his future wife to his home city of Chicago with a surprise gift basket. Then, Bill pulled out all the stops and took her out to a Chicago Cubs game and treated Giuliana to the iconic Giordano's pizza. If all of that wasn't magical enough, the successful businessman gave the date a personalized touch by cooking for her. Ultimately, the weekend "was the end of my dating world." Then, in December 2006, Bill convinced Giuliana to climb aboard a helicopter under the ruse of watching the Chicago Christmas lights and popped the question. They enjoyed a magical wedding in Italy in 2007. 

And, after a difficult infertility journey, Bill and Giuliana welcomed their first child, Edward Duke Rancic, in 2012. As the happy couple entered a new era in their lives as parents, the Rancics continued to prioritize their relationship. As the former "Fashion Police" co-host informed Us Weekly in 2013, "For us, I find, we put our marriage first and our child second, because the best thing we can do for him is have a strong marriage." She continued, "I always say to Bill, 'You were my first baby', because he was! He was my first love and my first baby and Duke is my second baby."

For many of us, Giuliana and Bill Rancic may seem like soulmates who have an ostensibly low-maintenance relationship. In reality, however, the celebrity couple consistently puts in the hard work to ensure that their union remains strong amidst competing busy schedules and parenting duties. While speaking to Parade in 2013, Giuliana divulged that more formal dates were stressful for both of them because they had to get all dolled up before leaving the house. So, instead of carving out special time for a date, the Rancics sprinkle in some laidback quality time throughout the week. Bill and Giuliana also shared the simple key to their thriving marriage in a 2018 Us Weekly interview. "We have fun together, that's it," Bill revealed. In fact, nowadays, they get more joy from vacationing with each other than most people do with their friends. 

The bestselling author added, "We genuinely like each other, which I think is pretty important, and love each other. But we love spending time with each other and we have a lot of fun." Meanwhile, when Bill spoke to The Hollywood Reporter in 2014, he acknowledged that their marriage went through some tough times as the couple dealt with both infertility and Giuliana's devastating breast cancer diagnosis. However, the "Apprentice" winner believes their struggles ultimately enabled them to look past petty grievances and focus on what really matters. As a result, it seems like Bill wasn't kidding when he proudly told ABC News that marrying Giuliana was the "best decision of my life."