QVC Host Alberti Popaj’s Body of Work

Before QVC, new host Alberti Popaj was not afraid to flaunt his considerable assets in the entertainment industry. And, no, I’m not talking about being a vendor rep for Alterna hair products. Boyfriend can sing, act, dance, and—as Sophia from the Golden Girl’s once said—he has buns like Baryshnikov!

According to IMDB, he’s been an aspiring actor for several years, playing small roles in movies like Rush Hour 3 and working on some small art-house style shorts like Gratitude and Still Lives.



"'still lives' is the story of a man and a woman falling in - and out - of love, told through black and white still photographs, set to the music of ravel and satie. directed by michael rababy"

By the way, he does get a little ... ahem ... naked in the Still Lives movie during a romantic bedroom scene. Not that you’re interested in seeing his derriere in the least, because I'm sure you're not. (If you're too lazy to watch the entire movie--which you should--just click here. But, remember while you’re clicking directly to the money scene that you should be very, very ashamed of yourself for doing so!)



Showing that David isn't the only host who can make a yum-yum face, Alberti also did some funny Sonic commercials in which he’s having a love affair with a hamburger. I can totally relate. I once had a clandestine affair with a thin-crust pepperoni and jalapeno pizza with extra cheese. Guuurl, was it ever hawt!

Most recently, Alberti played the smart aleck wine steward in the TV show, Susanna, featuring Maggie Grace and Anna Paquin.



Before the acting career, Alberti was also a model and quite the heartthrob pop star. Shkruaj ne emailin tim (which I think is Albanian for "Write to my email") was the winner of the 2006 "Best Male Video" at the Video Fest Awards in Prishtina, Kosova. He also won a Zhurma Show Award in 2004. I don’t know what these award shows are exactly, but I’m guessing they're a foreign version of the American Grammy Awards. Here he is accepting an award and here he is performing live at the show.

According to his QVC blog, Alberti beat out 10,000 people to get his hosting job. And now you know the skills it took for him to do it!

Problems Home Shopping Hosts Have

If you listen to any home shopping host long enough, you will discover that they live lives full of problems and obstacles that we mere mortals could never fully grasp.

1) Casual acquaintances frequently show up unannounced at their houses demanding thoughtful gifts from their well-stocked gift closets.

2) On their days off, hosts are forced against their will to shop in upscale designer retail stores and be utterly shocked--shocked, I tell you!--by the high prices, sub-par quality, and limited selection.

3) That random person who popped by unexpectedly is now demanding that the host whip up a gourmet meal in minutes!

4) Due to moaning, groaning, eye rolling, lip smacking, and spontaneous dancing with each and every bite, hosts are rarely able to finish a meal before it gets cold.

5) Every day, hosts hawk miracle products that literally changed their lives; but, years later, they are still hosts who hawk stuff.

6) Because their inconsiderate friends are always springing formal events on them at the last possible moment, hosts need amazing, amazing accessories to take their wardrobe staples from day to night in a snap.

7) Hosts overheat easily! They frequently "melt the phone lines down," and, by law, they are only allowed to use flameless candles unless supervised by a trained producer.

8) Perpetually upset that they have so little time to spend with their families, hosts spend all their free time relentlessly hunting for the best time-saving devices.

9) Close friends of hosts are cursed! They seem to be afflicted with an endless stream of embarrassing hair loss, stinky poop and saggy boobs. Although host are able to repeatedly broadcast their woes, they lack the ability actually help them.

10) It takes hosts forever to get through the grocery store checkout line since they are compelled to congratulate all the other customers on each of their purchases.

11) Unless hosts develop quick reflexes, they suffer traumatic head injuries from all those products that are literally "flying out the door!"

12) Ever fearful that they might "see themselves coming and going," hosts never hang mirrors near doors or in hallways.

13) Hosts are so addicted to gourmet coffee, that they are able to finance anything by just giving up lattes!

Let's be honest, being a home shopping host is a profession fraught with difficulties. I, for one, think that we all need to take the time to be more understanding of their arduous plight.

--qb ;-)

Will Charla Rines be Hosting on EmVee TV?

Charla back in the day.

Oh, my darling Charla, how I have missed you!

In a world full of robotic, cookie-cutter hosts, she's a one-of-a-kind. And while I do realize that Charla might not be everyone's cuppa, I adore her off-the-wall antics coupled with that trademark gravely voice. I'll stop gushing, but if you'd like to read why I think she's "da bomb," click here.

Anyway, I had heard through the grapevine that Charla might be showing up at the new boutique shopping network, EmVee TV. All the cool kids from ShopNBC seem to be headed in that direction--the Ramsey's are already there and so is Pearlfection.

I wasn't sure if there was any truth to the rumor that Charla would finally be back on my TV set, but then she posted this on her Facebook:

well, i'm close to putting my mug back on air at a small start-up. if i can make this happen you ladies will have your luxury product back big time. all prayers welcome!!!

Here's hoping Charla! I can't wait to see you again.

ShopNBC Host Wendi Russo Crowned Mrs. Minnesota

Corrado and Wendi Russo

Hot on the heels of being crowned Mrs. Minnesota America 2008, ShopNBC host Wendi Russo was recently crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States 2010.

According to the Mrs. Minnesota website:

Wendi Russo is the first woman to be crowned Mrs. Minnesota United States during its May 22, 2010 pageant in Lakeville, Minnesota. The Mrs. Minnesota United States pageant has not been held in the state for over a decade but has recently been acquired by Future Productions. The Mrs. Unites States pageant celebrates the accomplished married women of Minnesota in their careers, their marriages and contributions to their communities.

"I'm so proud to be the new titleholder for the Mrs. Minnesota United States Pageant. Co-Directors, Craig Heitkamp and Denise Wallace are highly respected in the pageant industry for being professional and kind. I am thrilled and honored to be a part of their family, representing Teens, Miss and now the Married women of Minnesota."

As a television hostess with Shop NBC, the premiere lifestyle shopping network, Wendi presents a large range of products, helping her viewers look and feel their best with the latest skincare, cosmetics, jewelry & fashion. A graduate from the University of Vermont with a degree in Business Administration; UCLA with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and an Accredited Jewelry professional with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), Wendi was recently accepted into Bilmore's Who's Who Among Business Professionals.

Wendi has worked with a multitude of charities with a bent towards children, but her true passion is Mentoring. Wendi has dedicated her time to mentoring young girls on a one-on-one basis for over 10 years and plans to use her title to promote awareness of the enormous need for mentors for at-risk children through her appearances, speaking engagements and local media outlets. Growing up in a single parent home, Wendi knows first hand the importance a caring adult can make in a child's life.

"I've had mentors throughout my life and they are the ones who have believed in me and supported my dreams. They helped me become the person I am today and that's why I mentor--I know what a difference it can make."

An alumni and mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a mentor, speaker and Ambassador for Kinship of Greater Minneapolis, a Christian Mentoring organization, Wendi has inspired hundreds to consider becoming mentors. Wendi is currently mentoring two young girls through ACES,( Atheletes Committed to Educating Students), an after school mentoring program that helps close the achievement gap by engaging inner- city youth in learning and service.

Wendi has been married for six years to Corrado Russo, a contractor in Eden Prairie, whom she met on her trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Wendi has a beautiful 5-year old daughter and says her family is her "greatest achievement."

Check out Wendi's pictures here and keep tabs on her official appearances here.

Congrats!

Is Patti Reilly Dancing with the Stars?

Was just asked to submit a demo reel for DWTS. In shock, WOW!

Yesterday, Patti Reilly allegedly tweeted that she was asked to submit a demo reel for Dancing with the Stars. This tweet heard round the home shopping world caused mass mayhem on both the QVC message boards and Queen Bea's inbox.

But then the tweet in question disappeared. Or, as some would insist, did it ever really exist?

Since I didn't get a screen shot of the original tweet, I had to go in through the back door. Here is a screen shot of all the people responding to Patti:

So either all these people just suddenly decided to respond with their congratulations for no reason whatsoever, or the tweet really happened and Patti went back later to delete it.

Patti can always be counted on to stir the pot, can't she?

Bob Bowersox has the Write Stuff

So what has Bob been up to since he was so suddenly booted out of the Q kitchen last Christmas?

The Renaissance Man himself, Bob Bowersox, is currently working as an actor, director, and playwright at the People's Theater of Key West and the Red Barn Theatre. Most recently playing Juror #8 in 12 "Angry Men."

Bob is also facilitating a screenwriting workshop, and according to the Miami Art Guide, one of the plays he penned will be featured in the New Plays in May series at the Waterfront Playhouse.

This year's series will feature staged readings of three original scripts from Key's playwrights. “Going Again” by Bob Bowersox and “Fortune Cookie” by Mike Tomes will appear May 19th and “Poof” by Josh Kaplan will appear May 26th. Audience feedback to playwright, director and cast after each reading is desired.

“Going Again” is a comedic assembly line of Travelers checking in with Facilitators on their way from one life to the next. Questions of life and death are a common theme for Bowersox, a resident of Key West who has written numerous scripts for both stage and screen.

I keep reading rumors that Bob has a restaurant too, but how could he run a restaurant and do all this?

GemsTV Host Brook Roberts Headed to JTV

Brook's audition tape for The Amazing Race.

Michele Lau, who has already made her on-air debut, was the first GemsTV host to announce her move to Jewelry Television. Then Craig Rooke soon followed in her footsteps, with his wife, Katie Rooke, not far behind.  And now Brook Roberts is the latest GemsTV host to make the leap to Jewelry Television.

If I were a current JTV host, I think I'd be a little scared for my job right about now.

By the way, Karen Connelly has also alluded to the fact that something is about to happen ... JTV? ShopNBC? Hmmm ....

Is Jacque Gonzales Pregnant?

According to Google and all the emails I've been getting lately, people really want to know if QVC host Jacque is pregnant.

The short answer ... No.

The long answer ... She is taking a medication that has caused her to gain weight.

I swear, if I were a host getting closeups every day in high definition, I would not only develop a serious eating disorder, but I would also have everything on my body sucked, tucked, plucked, plumped, and filled. After that, I'd shellac what was left of my face and stuff myself into Spanx. I don't know how they do it.

QVC Host Antonella Nester, Made in Italy

If you're a fan of QVC host Antonella Nester like I am, you need to check out the inspiring interview that she recently gave to her hometown paper, the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Antonella tells the tale of how--with just an amateur video audition tape and a dream--she was able to become a host on one of the world's largest home shopping channels without a shred of experience in sales or television. How's that for determination?

She also reminisces about how her family came to this country:

Nester’s family — mom, a seamstress; dad, a barber; and three sisters — came to the United States from a town about four hours outside of Rome in southern Italy. Nester’s mother was pregnant with her at the time; the family stayed with Nester’s grandfather in Harrisburg. Her dad’s lifelong dream was to come to America, she says.

“I was made in Italy,” she cracks, “but born in the U.S.A.”

The family lived on North 17th Street in Harrisburg until Nester was 4.
“My mom and dad on Sundays (would) go driving around looking at churches,” she said. “So they saw this pink dogwood tree in front of this house, and my mom had to have it — it wasn’t even for sale.

“My dad goes up to the door, in his Italian accent, and he says, ‘My wife really likes your house,’ and (the owner says), ‘We were just going to put a for-sale sign up.’ All over a dogwood tree,” she recalls. Her parents still live in the house in New Cumberland.

Read the full interview at PennLive.com. It's worth the read!

Wendi Russo Remembers Bill Fahey

ShopNBC host Wendi Russo, who co-hosted the morning show with Bill, wanted to share her memories of her friend and mentor:

I have so many memories about Bill after working with him for 18 months on the Daybreak morning show. I remember how excited I was to work with him. He was always so much fun, brought a smile to my face and knew how to make everyone around him feel special.

I'll never forget how he broke down when I told him that all of my dogs puppies had died. He felt my pain and it surprised me how compassionate he was. Behind his jovial exterior, Bill was a deeply sensitive man. Bill was also methodical, arriving early, equipped with historical commentary, stories about a product's background that were just stored in his memory bank from years of experience.

Bill loved counting down the days' til Christmas, starting in October and did it off the top of his head. He loved to challenge himself to come up with phrases that played on the item...if it was a panther.."You'd spot this one a mile away" or "it's a purrrfect addition.." His mind was always moving...It was a little game...I remember playing this game with him with a star necklace, we bantered back phrases that had to do with stars, and when I came up with "And it wouldn't be a 'constellation' prize to wear this necklace"--he laughed so hard and said "that was a good one!"

Bill loved his fans on the set...and I mean wind fans. Because of the hot lights, he would always need every fan in the studio on to make him cool down and very often my hair would be flying all over the place like a Vogue cover shoot because they were tilted too far in my direction. The first 5 minutes of every show would be about the crew getting the right tilt of the fans on him--it became a joke every morning because he wouldn't join in on the conversation until his fans were just right. Sometimes the visuals said that he would often reach for the shammy cloth used to clean the jewelry to mop his brow during the show and occasionally they would mistakenly use it on a piece of jewelry!

When Bill and I started working together in the morning show, it took a little time adjusting to the camraderie of a co-hosted versus solo show--we started noticing that the other tended to have a few catch phrases-- those used a little too often. I kept a running tally of his "Aaaabsoluuutely Beautiful's" and he kept a tally of my "fabulous's" ---although we would rib eachother on and off set, we respected and cared for one another and looked out for each other.

His corny humor drove me crazy at first...he reminded me of my dad's humor, but over time, I loved it. I waited for his carefully planted play on words, his catch phrases and eventually tried to slide my own in before he did. Some of the phrases I remember most are "Sometimes even a blind pig finds a truffle" (if he said something that was very astute or appropriate); variations on that theme were: "Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut" and "The train is leaving for sell out city!"

Former Host Bill Fahey has Passed Away

Former CVN/ValueVision/ShopNBC host, Bill Fahey, has died. He was found yesterday and the family is awaiting autopsy results. They suspect a heart attack.

His funeral is tentatively set for Friday morning at Pax Christie Church in Eden Prairie MN; however, his son is in Berlin and can't confirm a flight home due to the volcanic ash issues there.

Announcement will likely be in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

I will pass along details as they become available.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.

GemsTV Host Craig Rooke Coming to JTV

After the recent collapse of GemsTV, Craig Rooke is the latest host to make the move to Jewelry Television. Michele Lau has already announced that she'll be coming to JTV. Could Katie Rooke be far behind?

GemsTV Host Michele Lau Coming to JTV

Gems TV just closed its doors, but host Michele Lau has already lined up another job at Jewelry Television.

According to Michele's Facebook Fan Page:

I am proud and excited to announce that I am joining the Jewelry Television family in Knoxville, Tennessee! There are many changes happening in the home shopping industry. I am impressed with the evolution that is happening at JTV and honored to be asked to be a part of it!

Congratulations!

Remember Daliza Crane?

There sure were a whole lotta Star Trek and Elvis collectibles going on back in the day, weren't there?

Daliza Crane was a QVC show host years ago who was mostly stuck with overnight shifts. She was one of the four former Q hosts that sued for discrimination (the other hosts involved in the suit were Victor Velez, Clarence Reynolds, and Gwen Owens).

Daliza Ramirez Crane claimed her moment of truth arrived when the channel told her to "lighten up" her image.

"No other host was ever asked to do this, but I wanted to keep this job, the job of my dreams," said Crane, who got a New York cosmetics stylist to make her look "whiter" and stuck with QVC for five years.

After her stint at the Q, Daliza went on to pursue her doctorate in media studies.

I can't verify that Daliza was the one who actually posted this little note, but someone claiming to be her posted this on the Discovery Channel Dirty Jobs forums and thought it was rather interesting:

Mike Rowe, can you please get in touch with me. It's Daliza Crane from QVC and it is not about cohosting. It is personal. Kelly, Clarence or Dale all have my contact info or you can email me at Daliza_Crane@[edited out*].com. I won't put up my phone no. in case this gets broadcast.

Let me tell you, I don't blame her one bit. In fact, Mike Rowe actually needs to contact Queen Bea about something personal too! Check out Mike before he was dirty here and his dirtiest job here.

*Yes, I took out the actual email address.

Former Host Sues JTV

Former JTV host, Valerie Hughes, filed suit against Jewelry Television for some sort of alleged civil rights violation.* I'll pass along the details as they become available. Valerie Hughes was a show host at JTV from August 2006 through May 2008.

Last year, former Jewelry Television vice president Steve Gordon sued JTV for age discrimination (Queen Bea's post here and the court documents here). Like Valerie, Steve was also laid off during JTV's major workforce reduction of '08, but felt that he was actually being targeted due to his age and health issues.



*I'm having trouble getting the link to work now, but this is the cached copy.

Big Mike Davidson Back on ShopNBC

After being shown the revolving door earlier this year, former ShopNBC host Mike Davidson will be back at his old stampin' grounds. You can catch Big Mike's coming out party this Sunday on the "Watch Time with Jim" show as the new Renato watch guy. Does this mean Daniel Mink is out?

But for the love of all that's home shopping, what about Charla?!?!

~

Dan Wheeler: QVC Host by Day, Rock Star by Night

Who knew that mild-mannered veteran QVC host, Dan Wheeler, had a secret life? And as a rock star no less!

Dan plays bass and even sings some lead vocals in the classic rock band, Blue Sky Band. I can only assume that the name is an homage to the Allman Brothers song of the same name.

But unlike most rock stars, Dan isn't in it for the hoards of groupies and requisite stint in drug rehab. Not only are all the guys in the band just in it for the fun, they also donate all the proceeds from their to charity.

According to the Blue Sky Band website, this is what you can expect to hear at one of their shows:

Blue Sky plays mainly classic rock and roll, especially music by the Allman Brothers and other Southern style rock. Twin guitar numbers such as Blue Sky, Jessica, and Ramblin Man are featured. Classic rock staples such as numbers by the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton are also prominent in the repertoire. More roots and jam oriented music, such as that of Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, and blues numbers provide additional variety. Popular party staples such as numbers by Van Morrison and Jimmy Buffet get everyone up dancing!

If you're in the Philly area, you should totally check them out! Have fun, see a favorite host, support charity ... it's all good. Plus they have some sort of pirate that likes to show up sometimes. Not sure what that's about. But if The Wiggles can have a pirate, I suppose Blue Sky Band can have one too!

Here's all their links in case you ever want to check out a show:

Blue Sky Band Facebook

Blue Sky Band MySpace

Blue Sky Band Website


By the way, new host and aspiring musician, Jonathan Redford will be playing a concert next week. Check it out!

~

Condolences

Condolences to Mary Beth Roe and family upon the recent passing of her mother.

You can read what Mary Beth has to say about this on her "My Time with Mary Beth" blog here and here.

~

Sharon Faetsch and her Snow Babies

This is just too cute for words! :-)

BTW, I'm pretty sure that Sharon's got some Bethlehem Lights wreath and topiaries decorating her front door.

Lynn D'Hulster née Murphy

Since I just woke up from my self-inflicted home shopping coma, I 'm afraid that I will be posting some old news. Sorry. There are just some things that I have to write about even if it isn't the latest and greatest. Just humor me. Pretend that I'm your senile old aunt who's always yelling at you for leaving her teeth in the toaster again.

My son is on spring break this week so I will have some extra time to focus on the blog (yes, I homeschool him, but we choose to follow the public school schedule ... actually, he requested it for fear that I would make him work during summer break! I'm a slave driver!) I figure that posting some outdated info will help me get into the groove again.

So, on that note, I would like to direct your attention to the beautiful wedding photos of the ever lovely HSN host, Lynn D'Hulster née Murphy.

The wedding photographer, Tim Boyles, posted two blogs full of wedding pictures and high praise for the new couple.

I guess I was kind of naive about who I was shooting that day. Lynn and Jerry are both so down-to-earth, kind, friendly and caring that I very seldom thought about her “celebrity” status. She doesn’t wear that cloak. I wonder now if Jerry even realizes just how many people know her from her job as a host on HSN and what it’s going to be like to be the man that captured her heart and soul.

Tim Boyles' Photography Lynn and Jerry D’Hulster blog post part 1

Tim Boyles' Photography Lynn and Jerry D’Hulster blog post part 2