Home Shopping Gossip Blind Items

Here's some gossipy not-so-blind items on several of our beloved divalicious vendors. See if you can figure out who everyone is! Answers coming soon.

Remember to use a number two pencil and fill in the bubble completely.


1) Which diva vendor finally admitted to a pain pill addiction after years and years of completely denying ever having a pill or a drink?

2) Contrary to rumors, which diva vendor just came out in support of her gay daughter's right to marry?

3) Which diva vendor is being sued for holding her maid at gunpoint? (Yes, you read that right.)

4) Which diva beauty product vendor said "I'm not going to lie to myself: past a certain age, creams work on the texture of your skin but, in order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections, Botox and collagen."


Have fun!!!

The Ugly Side of Home Shopping

Can I just say for the record that former home shopping employees and vendors who are no longer under any contract, non-compete, or any other can't-talk-to-anyone-about-anything-or-we'll-sue-you-into-oblivion legal restrictions are very near and dear to Queen Bea's dark royal heart.

Former QVC host, Steve Bryant, has decided that he needs some blog therapy, y'all! And we are here to help.

Apparently, while he was still working at the Q, he overheard two sophomoric, snickering nincompoops ... sorry, I mean two program hosts, calling him a liar for a cute on-air story he told about a radio job he had back in college and then they "went into a diatribe about how ugly (he) was."

Steve might not be Miss America, but no one can successfully sell on television for 15 years and look like Nosferatu. Ain't gonna happen. Perhaps he didn't faux tan enough for their liking.

But the story gets better ...

"They didn’t know I was standing right around the corner. I came out and let them know I had heard what they said and that it was good to know how they felt. They were speechless, not even a yum-yum face!"

No yum-yum face?!? You mean like this one?

"Panic ensued! The other hosts in the lounge who were listening to my “put down” had obviously gone to our immediate superior to “rat out” their peers, hoping to beat me to the punch and lessen their “second hand guilt.” Actually, I had no intention of any official reprisal. I was going to confront each host privately and settle things person-to-person.

"Apparently, both of the offending hosts had been contacted by our immediate superior since they called my voicemail and apologized. Neither ever said anything to me in person, I guess believing their voicemail mia culpa would suffice.

"Many years later, I guess I should let it go. Writing this has helped to put this behind me. Still, I would like to settle the score in person and will probably do so soon. I’m no Robert Redford, but I do take exception to the “ugly” thing as well as the lying thing.

"They should at least have the guts to apologize in person. Maybe we’ll have crab cakes and laugh about the whole thing…oh, wait, that won’t work. Those Chinese crustaceans are almost extinct. Maybe some cheesecake…or anything squishy I could throw. Just sayin’…

"I wonder if they read my site? Guess I’ll find out."

Can you believe all this petty, back-stabbing, ass-covering nastiness? Unbelievable!

Check out Steve's Blog--this is just the tip of the crap cake, y'all!

Patti Gives a Straight Answer in a Round About Way

Can you believe how different Patti looks??? I usually don't notice people's weight gain or loss until I see an old photo. Although I didn't think that she was that big to begin with. Yes, she was a pear--a fruit that I can definitely relate to--but she looked fine to me. Of course, I live in the deep-fried South. We grow 'em big and healthy around here, so my perspective might be a little skewed.

Anyway, on Patti's most recent blog entry, she tries to directly address the ongoing QVC controversy by looking it straight in the ... ummm ... toes and basically avoids actually saying anything at all.

Here's the quote:

"I've been asked a lot about whether or not I'm leaving QVC, why haven't I been hosting more shows lately, etc… I can't give anyone a straight answer on that. "We'll see" is the best that I can do for now."

As to the rest of the blog entry, she sounds depressed. I'm going to play armchair psychologist here and take a stab at what's going on: in the past, she was able to easily blame her problems on her weight, use her weight as an excuse, and generally hide behind it. Now that she has shed the pounds, she's having to face life without any insulation or excuses. That's just my two cents for what it's worth. Who knows ...

There's also a rumor going around that she was dating someone in upper management at the Q, but that they recently broke up. If that's true, that would certainly explain her mood and the whole leaving/staying/leaving/one-hour-shifts-occasionally thing that's been going on.

Another day, another Patti rumor.

ETA:

An Anonymous tipster emailed me this link, which has the following little tidbit:

"Patti is leaving qvc. She is leaving to get married. His name is John K. Lillin. She met him on a trip to England. Everyone is very glad about her weight loss."

Patti Reilly is Leaving!

Unless you've been locked inside a Lori Greiner Silver Safekeeper jewelry box for that last month or so, you've heard the rumor that Patti Reilly will be leaving QVC soon.

Have you seen her new website? Check it out here. It's extremely professional and well thought out ... but there's one little thing that they let slip through the cracks.

If you "View Source" on the Enter Site page, guess what shows up???

Some very interesting Meta Tags!!!

Joan Rivers Gagged by AOL for Nazi Remarks

Here's the article from Page Six of the New York Post:

JOAN and Melissa Rivers are livid over AOL's censorship of them. The duo did their comedic routine for myhollywood.com on Sunday for the Emmys, and AOL was supposed to link to a chunk of it. But their segment was booted when AOL suits thought it was too offensive.

In the routine, Joan cited the trend of men with "hair from the Third Reich. Tom Hanks - does that scream Nazi Germany? And . . . Julia Louis-Dreyfus - luckily she waxed her mustache. I know one of her neighbors, and if she leaves it for two or three weeks she looks just like Hitler . . . Heidi Klum? Super Nazi!"

Joan also referred to Eva Longoria-Parker as "Eva Longoria Porker" and ridiculed Oprah's big "ass."

Joan told us, "I was shocked that the suits at AOL have no humor . . . But that's OK. I've been gagged more times than Linda Lovelace. AOL is like Holocaust deniers. They want us to believe 6 million Jews spent World War II in Boca and Anne Frank was in an attic for two years looking for Christmas ornaments." AOL didn't return our e-mails.

What I have always loved about Joan (and other comedians) is their inability to censor themselves. Was she funny? offensive? just being honest? saying what everyone else is thinking, but too scared to say out loud? down right nasty?

Joan is the woman who is probably single-handedly responsible for inventing the "Red Carpet" fashion runway as we know it today. I think people forget that getting skewered is part of the deal. In fact, some celebs try very, very, very hard to get panned in hopes of some free publicity. If that doesn't work, they might resort to accidentally forgetting to wear underwear (and nobody wants that!)

Watch for yourself ... (BTW, this is probably NSFW):

Eruption Over Kate Hudson's Volcanic Ash Shampoo

Kate Hudson launched her line of eco-friendly hair care products, David Babaii for WildAid, on HSN back in July. You can read my blog entry about the line and launch here.

According to TMZ.com, Kate Hudson is being sued by a hair care company called 220 Labs for unspecified damages. She allegedly enjoyed a sample of their soon-to-be-released secret volcano ash hair product so much that she released her own line of volcano ash hair products and sold them on the Home Shopping Network.

Can you put a patent on volcanic ash???

10% of the profits from this line were supposed to support a great animal charity, WildAid. I hope that this lawsuit doesn't take away from that.

Joan Rivers Drops F-Bomb on Girl Scouts

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Joan Rivers dropped the F-bomb at the Girl Scout "Women of Distinction" fundraiser. She even joked that Paris Hilton didn't earn her "Wearing Panties" Patch. Hah!!!

I've read that some uppity attendees found her routine rude and disrespectful. You know what? They need to get over themselves. These easily-offended people knew Joan Rivers was performing. And just in case they hadn't caught any of Joan's colorful act over the last fifty years or so, there was a warning that this was for "mature" audiences. There was even an awesome quote from historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: "Well behaved women rarely make history!" Check it out for yourself below:

Don't hire Joan Rivers if you don't want a Joan Rivers show! She will be foul, colorful, funny, rude, and look like she's walking through a wind tunnel. And at some point, she will offend everyone in the room. If you don't like that, don't go. Get over it, people!

DeMentri ... in the News Room ... with the Hair Dryer!

Apparently Pat James-DeMentri's soon-to-be-ex-husband, Vince DeMentri has been all the talk in the Philly area this month.

Vince is an anchor for NBC 10, but according to Philly.com, he has been off air since July 3rd. He allegedly vandalized (i.e. keyed and broke into) morning anchor, Lori Delgado's car. Also, he allegedly took her purse, hair dryer, and curling iron form the news room (the property was eventually found--not sure where exactly). Vince and Lori used to have a "particularly close friendship." I'm not sure if they were good friends before or after his separation from Pat last year.

It doesn't look like he will be facing any charges even though they supposedly caught him on surveillance tape doing those alleged deeds. As of right now, he's still listed on the NBC 10 website as an anchor, but odds are that he won't be for much longer.

Vince DeMentri seems to have a bit of a history of anger management issues. According to Newsday.com, he was arrested shortly after 9/11 for impersonating a federal officer. He said he was an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms in order to gain access to sealed-off areas. (You can read a detailed account of his interview with two Port Authority police officers who survived the collapse of the towers here. These officers were the focus of the Oliver Stone movie, "World Trade Center.")

Then in 2006, Vince was suspended after an altercation with weather anchor, Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz. DeMentri was standing in water up to his waist while reporting on a flood and was admonished for his unsafe behavior on-air by Schwartz. When DeMentri got back to the studio he screamed and physically threatened Schwartz for embarrassing him on the air.

So, from what I can tell, the guy is just a macho, egotistical jackass prone to throwing temper tantrums ... allegedly.

Celebrity Home Shopping Addicts (Not-So) Anonymous

This "blind item" was posted on a gossip blog recently:

What does this female talk show host/ B list actress enjoy doing on her weekends more than anything? How about sitting in front of her television all weekend and ordering jewelery from home shopping channels. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth. And the funny thing is she doesn't really wear any, she just likes the shows and buying.

You can read my original guesses here.

The answer was finally revealed to be none other than ... Whoopi Goldberg!

First, I take issue with the B-List description. Whoopi is NOT B-List. She won an Oscar, people! She was in The Color Purple (Queen Bea looooves that movie)!

Second, since she reportedly doesn't really wear any jewelry, Whoopi needs to send some of that loot in Queen Bea's direction. For reals!

Joan Kicked off a F*#&ing Talk Show!

Well, she promised to offend ... at least she's a lady who keeps her word! There's a bazillion articles flying around the Internet about her F-word incident on live TV, but here's what Joan had to say about the whole tawdry incident on her blog (note: if Joan offends you, or bad language offends you, or there are small children or pets nearby, then DON'T watch the clip!):

My Day in London

So I started my day with an appearance on an ITV chat show called Loose Women-very similar to the US show The View. We talked about my upcoming theatrical performances in Edinburgh and London and of course about the Red Carpet. When asked about interviewing Russell Crowe I told the ladies on the show exactly what I thought.

Here’s the link….you watch and tell me what you think. Better yet-tell ITV exactly what you think.

uk.youtube.com/watch

Following that segment I was asked to leave the studio….or as the British press explains….I was “hauled off”, “kicked out”, and “booted from” the studio. And without my goody bag, nonetheless!

So what did I do? I proceeded right over to the BBC and did The Graham Norton Show. I adore Graham-we’ve worked together many times and I always have a great time when I visit his show. AND what’s GREAT is that Graham’s show airs after 9pm so I can swear ALL I want. So tune in Thursday and watch and hear every swear word I know….and then some!

And stay tuned to the blog. I’m working on an appropriate apology letter to the ladies of Loose Women. Of course I will share that with all of you.

Dave King Rumor Mill Madness

There has been alot of interest in Dave King on the blog lately. I still, sadly, don't know exactly what happened to him, but I thought I would put together all of the gossip swirling around the Internet. Keep in mind, these are rumors, chickadees, not facts!

1) Dave was fired for insisting on day shifts after working late night/early morning shift for 13 years.

2) Dave was fired for low sales.

3) Dave was fired to scare all the other employees into submission.

4) Dave was fired, but even he has no idea why.

5) Dave was fired because of his relationship with either another host or a vendor.

6) Dave was fired because QVC is discriminatory. This particular rumor is based on a 1999 discrimination class-action lawsuit filed against QVC by former minority hosts, SAG, and ARTRA. You can read about it here.

7) Dave was fired because QVC is trying to weed out the older hosts and replace them with younger hosts. Why? The young hosts are cheaper and appeal to the younger demographic that the Q is trying so desperately to appeal to (obviously the way to do that is buy selling elastic-waist pants and old-lady sandals!).

8) Dave King is sick.

What we do know:

1) Dave gave no indication on his last shift on QVC that it was, in fact, his last shift on QVC.

2) QVC has not publicly commented on the situation (not even the generic, "he left to pursue other opportunities" line), nor did he get any kind of on-air going away party.

There is another rumor floating about that people tried to ask QVC President/CEO/King Mike George what happened to Dave on the Live Chat the other day, but that the question was never posted or answered.

When it comes to corporate America, anything can be true. I just hope that the truth comes out and I hope that Dave is doing well. I promise to let you know as soon as I know anything!

Paul Tacorian ... Cheap People Need Not Apply

Looks like a certain Mr. Paul Tacorian set up a MySpace page a few years back and then forgot about it ... there aren't any friends or updates. Last log in on 11/8/2006.

The hip-hop-hating, super-mature, party boy likes to smoke, drink, and just have fun, but isn't a fan of "lame" or "cheap" people, which is sooooo incredibly ironic since he's now selling fake diamonds on QVC. Not that I'm implying anything!

On a plus note, he said that his mom was his hero. Awww ... I'm a sucker for that!

Here's his profile:

About me: 29 years old, love to party, don't like lame people...time to grow up maybe? Probably not yet...One day

Who I'd like to meet: Cheap people need not apply...

Paul Tacorian's Interests
General: Anything that is Fun
Music: Hip Hop blows!!!!!!
Movies: Only when it's raining on Sundays...
Television: Love it!
Books: Books?
Heroes: My Mom

Paul Tacorian's Details
Status: In a Relationship
Here for: Friends
Orientation: Straight
Hometown: Los Angeles
Body type: 5' 11" / Average
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Smoke / Drink: Yes / Yes
Children: Someday
Education: College graduate

Paul Tacorian's Companies
Tacori
Los Angeles, CA US
VP Marketing
Long time

Paul got married last year to a beautiful lady named Lisa. Check out a slide show of the wedding here. Her ring is to die for! Definitely not cheap or lame!

Buy the Butler's Bling!

Since I've been railing against ShopNBC for getting into bed with the butler, I just couldn't resist posting this little article from the UK paper, The People ...

Buy bling telly plea by Burrell

Shameless Paul Burrell faces new accusations of cashing in on Princess Diana's name after appearing on a TV shopping channel flogging jewellery.

Burrell, 50, spent an hour talking to presenters on America's ShopNBC.

He pains takingly described the "Effy" line of gems he claims he has helped inspire.

The man who called himself Diana's "rock" smiled as diamond-studded rings, pendants and bracelets were paraded before the camera.

And Burrell, now living in Florida, boasted: "My range will stay true to her.

Understated but beautiful and eye-catching. This eclectic mix of styles represents the 21 years I spent with the royal family."

There's also some kinky dirt flying around about Butler Burrell on Perez. It's so out there that even Perez doesn't believe it!!!

Click here to take a look at the Burrell Effy Collection on ShopNBC.

Hulk Hogan Grill Up in Smoke!

Nasty divorce ... son in prison ... affair with his daughter's BFF ... ex-wife dating a teenager ... what else could go wrong or Hulk??? Apparently, the Hulk Hogan Grills sold on QVC will catch on fire and burn your house down if you use any cooking oil or spray and are being recalled.

You know, chickadees, where there's smoke, there's usually fire ...

Tori Spelling's Delivers Baby

According to E! ,Tori Spelling "and hubby Dean McDermott welcomed their second child together, daughter Stella Doreen McDermott, today in Los Angeles, E! News confirms.
The baby was delivered via C-section at 3:13 p.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, weighing in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 19 and 3/4 inches long."

And according to Perez Hilton ,Tori used the same doctor that Angelina Jolie used. So not only do you have to be wearing the right shoes in Hollywood, you simply have to have the right gyno. Who knew?

I really wanted to hate Tori's fashion jewelry line at HSN when it first came out--another D-list celeb slapping their name on some lame products, but there are some really nice, trendy pieces.

Like this bracelet (item# 299-233), super cute and has great reviews across the board.

But unless she drops the prices dramatically, or I happen to catch a good clearance sale, I won't be buying anything. Waaaaaay too overpriced for fashion jewelry.

Congrats, Tori, Dean, and new big brother, Liam!

Dave King Dating Cook's Essentials Lady?

Is that our favorite--recently fired--QVC host, Dave King, on a date with Cook's Essentials lady, Jenny Repko? Pic was taken at the Promise Ball for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.


Are they friends? Dating? Former co-workers interested in the same cause? Is his arm wrapped around her or are they just standing together for a quick photo op? Are they or aren't they???

I do hope he is doing well and I wish we would get a real explanation for what happened!

ETA: most recent information HERE.

ETA: I was watching Jenny Repko give a presentation last night and I noticed what appeared to be a wedding set on her left hand. I'm guessing that they are simply (former) co-workers who share a concern for the same cause.

Lauren Hutton's Face Disc Can't Cover This!

Lauren Hutton recieved some sort of big award on Bravo's A-List Awards (which are airing Thursday night) and was just a big, heapin' helping of crazy! She said she had been up for 46 hours ... rambled about testosterone and sluts ... tried to use the award for a garlic press. Oh my!

Regardless of the crazy, I have tried her famous face disc and did enjoy it. I just had too many spots and shadows to cover and it took me half the day to apply it! I finally came to the conclusion that I was just one big spot/shadow and needed to use a makeup that I could just smear over my whole face. I hope she's ok and this was just a quick visit to crazy town!


Watch more Bravo Videos Today!

Gossip: If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say, Come Sit Next to Me!

From the celebrity gossip sites:

What does this female talk show host/ B list actress enjoy doing on her weekends more than anything? How about sitting in front of her television all weekend and ordering jewelery from home shopping channels. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth. And the funny thing is she doesn't really wear any, she just likes the shows and buying.

I heard that Kirstie Ally liked to buy tons of stuff off home shopping channels that she didn't even really want or need, but she's not a talk show host that I know of! Sounds like something Rosie O'Donnell might do. Whoopi Goldberg, maybe? She won an Oscar so I think that makes her an A-list actress, no? Kelly Ripa? Soap opera is B-list at best?

Whoever it is, Queen Bea would love to troll through her treasure troves!