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Do you know that saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Well, there’s at least one time in my life when I’m glad I wasn’t careful…and that was when I wished I could work with Joan Rivers. Long before I was hired as a program host at QVC, I would watch her on the air, mesmerized by her story telling of Russian czars and Faberge eggs. I’d laugh at her brashness, but also admire her ladylike style.

When my dream of hosting on QVC came true, my biggest hope…and fear…was to work with Joan. She was one of the biggest celebrity names at QVC, and since I was such an unrefined twenty-something, I knew I was going to have to really up my game when it came to working with her. “What if she doesn’t like me?” I’d ask myself. “What if she thinks I’m too young to know what I’m talking about?” Believe me, those “what ifs” were firing in my head on all cylinders! And then it happened—the day I had wished for—the day I was scheduled to work with Joan Rivers. Although she had said hello to me (as she did to everyone in the studio, always), we had never really had a conversation. But on this day, as we started looking over one of her items, she looked at me kindly and asked my age. “I’m 25,” I answered. “I thought so,” she replied. “I thought you were about the same age as my daughter, Melissa. It will be great to have a younger perspective on my jewelry.” And at that moment, though unrealized to me at the time, Joan Rivers and I took our first steps down a path that would span 20 years and become one of the most meaningful guest/host relationships I’ve ever had.

I loved learning from Joan. She taught me so much about jewelry history, techniques, and styles. I loved asking advice from Joan. Whether it be museum recommendations or how to handle something personally, her life experiences were an amazing encyclopedia to draw from…and she wasn’t afraid to share those things with you when you needed help. I loved gossiping with Joan, too. It was always fun to hear her take on red carpet events, or the latest celebrity antics. It was like a private comedy show in the QVC green room when Joan would get on a roll. I loved it!

But most of all…what I loved about Joan Rivers was her kindness. Yes, her public persona was brash, racy, off color, and controversial. But for those of us who were lucky enough to really know the person behind it all, Joan Rivers was generous, gracious, thoughtful, and kind. From inviting me to her home for Christmas one year because I couldn’t make it home to family, to taking me out to dinner when I lived in London and making sure I had taxi fare to get back to my flat, to sending me a handwritten note after my father died and hugging me tight when she found out my dog, Duke, was diagnosed with cancer, Joan always made sure I knew she cared. In talking with various others in the aftermath of Joan’s passing, I’ve learned how many people have stories of Joan that are similar to mine. She loved people and her giving heart wanted to take care of as many of us as she could. What she gave to us in those moments, was her time. It is a gift that is priceless to me and something I’ll always treasure. I hope I told her “thank you” enough.

At her funeral, Joan’s long-time friend, Howard Stern, said, “A world without Joan Rivers…I can’t even imagine. And I’m sorry we all have to figure out what that looks like.” I’ve thought a lot about that as the Joan Rivers Classics Collection returns to QVC on Monday, October 13 at 10am ET. I’m honored to be the host of the show and to sit with my friend, David Dangle, as we share memories of Joan with all of you. I’m finding myself with those “what ifs” again just days before the show. “What if we start to cry,” or “what if it’s too soon?” But this time I’m not as worried about it as I was 20 years ago. There’s a lot of peace in knowing I already have Joan Rivers on my side.

XOXO,
—Jill