Charlie: Keeping warm in the winter

Hi guys,

How's the chilly weather treating you? I've always been proud of the fact that I cope well with the cold weather... or so I thought!   

I was lucky enough to take my family to Lapland to see Father Christmas a few years ago. It was an amazing experience and I even caught a glimpse of the magical Northern Lights! It was just amazing - there are no words to describe it. 

Being very cold in Lapland, we invested in some thermals. And these thermals made an appearance again for the first time in two years at a fireworks display!   

They're probably not the most attractive of attire to wear under your clothes, but boy, they really make a difference. I think it's fair to say that winter is here!

See you soon, and stay warm!

Charlie x

Julia on pilates and guest Marjoleine Brugman

It was great to be on air with pilates expert Marjoleine Brugman the other night - I was helping her to celebrate 10 years at QVC with her pilates equipment. She really has been an inspiration to me and she is such a kind person.

She even bought me flowers because I was her first ever host in the UK!! It was her 10th anniversary, shouldn't it have been the other way round?!

She also sent me a lovely email for my 15th anniversary show because she wasn't able to be here herself.

Pilates has really helped me stay strong and supple over the last ten years. For the show we brought in my son, Daniel, as the 'expert'. He has just qualified as a personal trainer and has now agreed to train me - let's hope the waist, that has thickened a little of late, will reappear soon.

Watch this space and I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Love Julia x

Jilly: My most embarrassing QVC moment

Hi everyone,

I hate to say it but I burped live on air! It just popped out and was so loud that all the camera men fell about laughing. My producer was giggling in my ear and asking, "Oh my God, you just burped didn't you?"

I tried to compose myself and addressed the audience by saying, "Do excuse me, I just hiccupped". I couldn't even bring myself to say the word burp on air.

It's only happened once in 15 years, and it was a long time ago, but I'm still embarrassed!

Hope that's put a smile on your face.

Love Jilly

X

Alison Keenan: My winter memories

Hi everyone, Alison here,

We didn't have much of a summer so let's pray for snow this winter!

One of my favourite things to do, if there's been a snowfall, is to get up really early and walk in the newly fallen snow before anyone else has touched it. I love the crunching sound it makes and the stillness in the air.

When the children were younger we'd get up first thing and attempt to make a snowman, and then go sledging in the field nearby. We didn't always have a sledge but tin trays were just as good!

I also love sitting in front of a roaring fire listening to music or reading a good book, with a glass of mulled wine in my hand.

How do you make the most of the colder months?

Love Alison
X

Claudia: What a week!

I have had such a hectic week! My little boy Blake has had an ear infection and has not been sleeping very well. So, Steven and I have been taking it in turns each night trying to pacify him.

It really breaks my heart to see him suffering because as a child I had terrible ear problems. It actually resulted in me losing my hearing in one ear, although a lot of that was to do with too many horse riding accidents. 

With a lot of TLC he’s on the mend and chatting away to us about his beloved Spider-Man.

Where can I get some great Spider-Man goodies for Blake this Christmas? Spider-Man’s not that popular at the moment but Blake is obsessed.

If you know of anything, do let me know.

I'll be in touch soon.

Love Claudia x

Jilly: My birthday weekend

Hi everyone,

Last weekend was my birthday, and I had a great time. It was on the Saturday and there I was at midnight with the crew singing 'Happy Birthday' when I had no make-up on!

We were about to launch the ybf Today's Special Value, and my 'before' shot was awful - I looked about 100! Whoever invented make-up is my saviour!

I hope you managed to get your hands on the Today's Special Value, it was such a fabulous collection and Stacey from ybf always puts her kits together beautifully.

Craig Rowe: Gearing up for Christmas!

Hello!

Hope you're well and enjoying the build-up to Christmas. Before I was at QVC I couldn't have imagined getting into the Christmas spirit so soon but I have to say I'm really enjoying it - the new studio, the new shows and I'm having loads of fun - hope you are too!

Over the last few weeks there's been lots going on and a few 'firsts' for me. I had my first Lime Tree Pantry show and loved every second of it! Harry and Marjorie are lovely and everything they bake is so scrummy - I only wish it could have been a 2-hour show so I could have had some more cakes! I'm still dying to try one of Marjorie's millionaire shortbreads. One? Who am I kidding? More like five!!

I also did my first fashion show, Modern Soul, which I absolutely loved. It was good to have Glen there too, I hope you enjoyed it if you tuned in.

Other than that, it's been great to get stuck into the Christmas shows especially as it means I get to see lots more of the gorgeous guests such as Anne, Beverley and Gill!

Jill Franks reveals her most embarrassing moment

I was presenting a Today's Special Value for Remington hair clippers and had spent three days in a salon training prior to the launch show. After my training I was confident enough to cut someone's hair live on air.

Judgement day came and I was introduced to a gorgeous male model whose hair I was about to cut - no one had told him I wasn't a professional hairdresser!

Everything went smoothly and I gave him a pretty good haircut, if I do say so myself. However, towards the end of the show I was demonstrating the variety of blades and left the safety guard off and shaved a chunk of his hair off!

Dale's top tip for preparing for Christmas

Hi everyone, Dale here,

How are your Christmas preparations coming along? We are in full Christmas swing here at QVC towers with many of the shows already presenting a wide range of gifts - there's something for everyone.

But don't stress too much about choosing the perfect gift because QVC have extended there 30-day money-back guarantee. You can now return products until 25th January, so it's great for anyone who wants to plan ahead.

This extension really enables you to make a purchase ahead of time and in the comfortable knowledge that a swap or refund will not be an issue when you buy from QVC.

I'd better go, I'm just popping out now to take some footage of the Thames with Sunday's TSV - make sure you tune in.

Happy Christmas shopping!

Love, Dale x

Jilly's Halloween fun and games

Hi everyone!

I love Halloween as it's a chance to have parties for the kids and dress up. We usually have some of the children's friends round and play party games. We've even been out for dinner with all of the kids dressed up in their costumes! Here's a snap of my children dressed up for Halloween, ready for trick or treating.

My favourite game is getting the kids into pairs, giving them two toilet rolls and it's the first pair to wrap each other up as Egyptian mummies that win! It's great fun.

We only trick or treat people we know, and last year we rang my sister's doorbell and she opened the door with a werewolf mask on! Everyone screamed (including me!), as we weren't expecting it!

What spooky fun do you get up to at Halloween? I'd love to hear all about it! Just leave me a comment below.

Love Jilly x

Dale's spooky story for Halloween

Hi everyone, since it's Halloween I thought I would share my spookiest story with you.

It happened way back in the '80s when I was an estate agent. I went round to value a beautiful old coach house and was welcomed in by a mum and her young son.

Over a cuppa I said how lucky they were to live in such a quirky old house. The little boy looked up from his sandwich and said, "Yeah it's great, except the ghost really annoys me!"

His mum looked embarrassed and told me that they had experienced something spooky in the house, but didn't talk about it for fear of people thinking they were strange. She went on to tell me about the time the kitchen stool moved of its own accord across the kitchen. I must admit, it gave me goose bumps!

Dale Franklin reveals his most embarrassing moments

Hi guys, Dale here,

Well, there have been far too many embarrassing moments to mention ranging from guests using profanities on air and scenery and guests falling over, to a kid's ball of jelly exploding in my face and countless embarrassing callers, usually after midnight.

There was also the time when Claudia Sylvester's stockings fell down during a show. I tried my hardest to carry on while she could hardly contain herself, laughing uncontrollably and looking like Nora Batty!

QVC UK's 15th Birthday tap dance

For anyone who missed it the first time round, here's the moment you all voted for - when Julia, Claire and Catherine tap-danced for your pleasure to celebrate QVC UK's 15th birthday. You go girls!

If you're having trouble seeing the video, click here.

Still having issues seeing video? Read technical help guide.

Claire Sutton celebrates her 10th anniversary at QVC

Claire Sutton has been gracing our screens for 10 years and QGossip caught up with her as she celebrates her anniversary. Here she reminisces about her first ever show, her highlights and most embarrassing moments.


What was your first ever show like?

I remember my first show being about pop-up tents and I was so nervous; I didn't have a clue where the camera was! It was so new to me - I'd come from being a dancer to presenting.

Craig Rowe's simple pleasures

Hi everyone!

I love the fact that there are so many great things to do in life that don't cost a penny.

My favourite things to do are spending time with my sister and my beautiful niece. My sister and I have always been close and when the three of us get together we just have fun playing and talking. My niece loves it when I make her toys speak and when we invent silly games!

On a sunny morning I like to have a bowl of muesli whilst admiring the plants in my garden. Then I'll go for a walk in the park. Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, I love to see all the colours.

Things as simple as going for a coffee with a friend is such a nice way to spend an afternoon. I usually do that after my walk in the park.

What do you like to do that doesn't cost very much? Let me know by leaving me a comment below.

Love Craig x

Round two of our presenter guessing game

Hi everyone,

As promised, here is the second picture of our young presenter. Any clues as to who it is yet?























Let us know who you think it is by leaving a comment below.

Guess the presenter

Hello everyone, Guess the presenter returns with another pic for you to puzzle over...
Who is this little lovely?


















We will be giving you another photo of this mini presenter tomorrow to help you out, so keep your eyes peeled.

Let us know who you think it is by leaving  a comment below.

Catherine reveals her favourite winter moments

Hi everyone, Catherine here,

I'm a real summer lover as I hate being cold, but I love getting wrapped up really warm and watching fireworks with a steaming hot drink in hand. I also love spending time at Steve's (my partner) family home in Wales. Their house sits on top of a hill overlooking lush green fields and winding roads with no street lights, which means it is pitch black except for the stars on a clear night. 



We sit out on the swings with hot chocolate and Cointreau, and stare up at the stars marvelling at the  peace and perfection of it all. We've had so many good times there. One year we took the children and their friends to stay and we set light lanterns off into the sky together with positive messages attached to them. Yes, we are such soppy hippies at heart but these little moments make life sweeter.

Dale's favourite room

Hi all!

Everyone has a favourite room in their home, and mine is my living room. We've lived in our house for over 16 years and have talked of moving many times - but we've been so happy here as a family. It's the room that holds so many memories for me, some wonderful some not so.

The decor relaxes me - in the winter months we have an open coal and log fire, it's so cosy and warm. I love relaxing in there after a long shift at work, as well as just chilling with my family.

It's the room where we open presents on birthdays and at Christmas. We also have lots of family photos in there, which is lovely. My children respect it as a 'grown up' room, so thankfully, it stays relatively tidy.

What's your favourite room in your home? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Love
Dale x

Don't miss our presenters tap dancing!

For canes, top hats and lots of fun, tune in to the Morning Show at 9am on Monday to see Julia Roberts, Catherine Huntley and Claire Sutton perform a tap dancing routine!

Tap dancing was the most popular challenge in our 15th birthday poll, so don't miss out on what's sure to be a great performance.

Claire Sutton reveals her favourite autumn pastime

Hi everyone,

The loveliest memory I have as a child is of making the biggest piles of leaves with my brothers and all my friends on our drive at home, then dive bombing into them!

It's definitely something I'm looking forward to doing this autumn with my children Tom, Joe and Maddie. However, these days I'll be much more aware of the creepy crawlies hidden within.

Have fun this autumn!

Love Claire x

Find out the winners of our 15th birthday polls

We've been busy counting up your votes (what a fantastic response!), and here are the winners...

1. Your favourite QVC product: No prizes for guessing this one - Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish was streets ahead of the competition. Just read some of the comments to find out why.

2. Your favourite QVC show: Was this one close or what? Loyal crafters and beauty fans voted with equal enthusiasm, but Paper Crafting with Dawn Bibby just pipped In the Salon with Alison to the post with 45% of the vote compared to Alison's 32%.

3. Presenter challenge: Lots of you wanted to see all three challenges, but seeing the talented starlets Julia, Catherine and Claire perform a tap dancing routine came out top - go girls! We'll let you know when it happens.

Thanks for all your votes and birthday wishes,

The QGossip team

Guess the presenter revealed...

Hi everyone,

We've had a record number of guesses this week. It seems it wasn't as hard as we thought it would be, as most of you guessed that the curly-haired cutie is... Charlie Brook!
















Well done to you all, and keep your eyes peeled for your next 'Guess the presenter' pic.

The birthday polls are now closed

Hang fire everyone, voting in the birthday polls has now finished.

We'll be announcing the winners on air in Friday's Morning Show and also here in QGossip, so watch this space...

Alison Keenan's most embarrassing moment

Hi everyone,

There have been mercifully few, but I think my most embarrassing moment came when I was presenting a beauty workshop with guest Helen Harvey from Nails Inc.

We were talking about the shape of nails and how best to file them when I thrust my middle finger up in front of the camera. I was merely showing the viewers the shape of my nail and held it there for far too long before realising I was offending the nation!

Hope that's tickled you!

Love Alison x

QVC birthday polls - your favourites so far…

Have you been taking part in our polls? Here's a quick update on how things are looking at the moment...

In the favourite QVC product poll, Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish is streets ahead of the competition, with the Northern Nights feather bed, Decleor and Gatineau battling it out for second place.

For your favourite QVC show, it's a really close call between In the Salon with Alison and Paper Crafting with Dawn Bibby - which expert will come out on top?

Finally, the presenter challenge suggests you want showbiz, with the tap dancing routine currently leading the way.

Do you agree with the choices so far? Remember, there's still time to vote for your favourites below.

Julia Roberts celebrates her 15th anniversary at QVC

We caught up with Julia Roberts as she celebrates her 15th anniversary with QVC. Here she reminisces about her first ever show, her highlights and most embarrassing moments...

Tell us about your first ever show...

I first appeared on QVC on 1st October 1993 with Jon Briggs for the launch of QVC TV. It was terribly nerve racking and exciting because we were welcoming everyone to a new way of shopping.

My first show was a gold jewellery show. I can even remember what I was wearing - it was a coral-coloured jacket which I still own and it still fits me which is amazing! You could say it's a piece of history.

Choose a birthday challenge for our presenters

Today's the start of our 15th Birthday Week, and to kick start the party we've got a cracker of a poll for you:

Q: Which presenter challenge would you love to see?

A) A tap dance routine performed by Julia Roberts, Claire Sutton and Catherine Huntley
B) A cake decorating competition between Kathy Tayler, Simon Biagi and Pipa Vanderburg - judged by Julian Ballantyne
C) A fitness challenge between Julian Ballantyne and Jill Franks!

How to vote: Leave your answer as a comment below.

The winning presenter challenge will be announced on air at the end of Birthday Week - we'll let you know when.

Guess the presenter

You all did very well last week guessing it was Julia Roberts, but we think this one is going to be a little harder! Have a look and let us know who you think it is by leaving a comment.











Good luck and check back next week for the answer.

Vote for your favourite QVC show

It's nearly our 15th Birthday (yay!) and to continue the celebrations we've got another fun poll for you:

Q: What's your favourite QVC show?

We've picked out 20 shows for you to choose from:

1. Richard Jackson's Garden 2. Paper Crafting with Dawn Bibby 3. In the Salon with Alison 4. The Morning Show 5. DIY on Sunday 6. Small Office Home Office 7. Home Electronics 8. Beauty Workshop 9. Cleaning Solutions 10. In the Kitchen

11. Car Care 12. Diamonique 13. Health and Fitness 14. Northern Nights 15. Fashion Essentials 16. Gems Galore 17. Time for Watches 18. Silver Style 19. Essentially Gold 20. cook's essentials

How to vote: Leave your answer as a comment below.

We'll announce your favourite show on air during Birthday Week - we'll let you know when.

Take part in our 15th birthday poll

Get ready to party - it's our 15th Birthday very soon! Birthday Week runs from Thursday 25th September to Wednesday 1st October.

Help us prepare for celebrations by voting in our birthday poll:

Q: What's your favourite QVC product of all time?

How to vote: Leave your answer as a comment below. If it's got an item number add this so that we know exactly which product you're voting for.

The winning product will be announced on air during Birthday Week - we'll let you know when.

Guess the presenter revealed...

Hello everyone,

Well it seems this entry was not the hardest after all! There were so many right answers this week and as most of you guessed, this presenter is... Julia Roberts!






Well done to you all and keep your eyes peeled for more 'Guess the presenter' coming soon!

Our presenters reveal how green they are

What do you think about when you hear the word green? Grass, lettuce, or do you think about the environment and what we can do to make it a greener place?

Well we asked some of our presenters and discovered just what they're doing to help the environment...

Alison is making a start

I'm fairly new to this green thing as, in my part of the world, we've only just been given our recycle bins! So, that said, I do sort out cardboard, tins and glass to be recycled.

I do also try to cycle to the Post Office rather than taking the car, but sometimes I need something larger than a rucksack on a bike to carry the weekly shop! Oh and I re-use my carrier bags at the supermarket. It's a start I guess!

Jonathan from Welsh Farm Organics: How to cook the perfect sirloin steak

Hi everyone!

My name is Jonathan and I'm the farmer from Welsh Farm Organics. On Friday I'm presenting Welsh Farm Organics premier show and I'm very excited!

I run the farm with my family; there's my lovely wife Sally and my three young children Maldwyn, Max and Archie. I've worked on farms all my life, and it's so nice being able to work with my family.

I thought I'd pop in and share with you how to cook the perfect sirloin steak. Sirloin is my favourite steak by far, it has so much flavour!

Cooking sirloin steak is very simple, it doesn't need much doing to it as it's bursting with juicy flavour. I always cook it in a frying pan, as it gives you more control over how you like it cooked (for juicy steaks from my farm, just tune into the show).

Guess the presenter...

Get your guessing hats back on folks, here's another young presenter! We think this is one of the hardest yet, so let us know who you think it is by leaving a comment...
















Good luck and make sure you check back next week for the answer!

Guess the presenter revealed...

Hi everyone,

This one seems to have been been a little trickier than previous posts but most of you got it right anyway (and if that was you then congrats)!

 








We can reveal that the cutie is... Sara G! Keep your eyes peeled for more 'Guess the presenter' coming soon...

Guess the presenter

Our fun presenter guessing game is back... Can you guess who this cutie is?

If you think you know which presenter this is, let us know by leaving a comment!

Pipa: I had a blast on the ybf cruise!

Hi everyone!

I've come back from my ybf cruise, called the Pajama Party at Sea, and oh my gosh – I had such a great time.

With nearly 400 women onboard the cruise, plus husbands and children, you can imagine it was a riot! We got up to everything girly, and it was hilarious to look around and see pink feather boas everywhere!

The cruise had everything from make-up sessions and motivational life coaching on being extraordinary women, to karaoke, dancing the timewarp and eating fabulous food – I also think the spa was inundated by us every day!

Craig's Northern Nights bedding picks

Hello all,

I'm doing my first Northern Nights Presenter Picks show on Saturday at 4pm, and I'm so excited!

Northern Nights was one of the first shows I presented at QVC and it quickly became one of my favourites.

Prior to hosting Northern Nights I really didn’t know that much about bedding. After I renovated my flat a few years ago I decided to upgrade my bedding and I stupidly spent around about £450 on a duvet set!

The frustrating thing is, now I know about thread counts, I realise the store must have seen me coming! I paid all that money for something that looked nice but didn’t have the quality of Northern Nights.

I've learnt so much about bedding during the shows, and I've been inspired to completely change the way I sleep and even the way I feel about my bedroom and bedding. I wanted to share this new passion with QVC viewers who have been part of this journey and new viewers who, like me, weren’t sure what all the fuss was about.

Anthony's top travel gadgets

Hi everyone, Anthony here.

Although the British summer has been a bit of a wash-out, some of you lucky people will still be jetting off into the sunshine.

When I travel I always take Bose noise cancelling headphones - plane journeys are so much more pleasant when you don't have the deafening drone of the engines.

A TomTom Sat Nav is a MUST for driving abroad - I normally pre-programme in the places I want to visit so I can simply plug it into the hire car and get going as soon as I arrive. It's never fun getting lost in a foreign country when you don’t know the roads or worse still, the language!

Another great travel gadget is an Archos multimedia centre. I have the 605 Wi-Fi and it's loaded with comedy programmes to make journeys go quicker. I can also use the internet while I'm away as it has Wi-Fi. Great when you're bored or need to check your emails!

I never really take digital cameras with me, I'll only take one if I'm working really.

What are your travel gadget essentials? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Anthony x

Pipa: I'm going on an Irish cruise with Stacey from Y.B.F!

Hi everyone,

I'm dropping you a quick note before I go on the Pajama Party at Sea 2008 cruise with my friend Stacey from Y.B.F.

I'm really excited about the cruise, which is organised by Y.B.F and is a fun girlie get-together where people can join in on interesting seminars about make-up and fashion, go to fab parties and make friends! I'm going to be singing on the cruise and I can't wait.

The cruise leaves from Cork in Ireland, and I'll let you know all about it when I come back next week, so watch this space!

In the meantime I'd better get packing as I'm leaving tomorrow!

Love Pipa x

Jilly Halliday has a fashion flashback

Hello everyone!

As most of you guessed, it was me in the photo! I was five years old at the time.

When I was younger I used to love all things pink. I still do actually but I've toned it down a bit now.

My friend, who I've known for over twenty years, always reminds me of the time we were in a West End show. On the very first day of rehearsals I turned up dressed from head to toe in a hideous fuchsia pink outfit! You could see me a mile away!

Catherine Huntley's summer style

Hello everyone,

As the British summer has been a bit of a wash-out, I thought I'd reminisce about sunnier times and holidays!

Pre-holiday rituals
Before I go away I use a bit of fake tan so I don’t stand out like a lily-white beacon on the beach! It also helps me to get into the holiday mood.

Other than that I'm quite last minute when it comes to the planning, and spend the first day realising I've forgotten everything! Usually the travel adaptor, toothpaste, knickers etc!!

Guess the presenter...

Can you guess who this young presenter is?

Why not have a go at guessing by leaving a comment? Check back next week for the answer!