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[#1]

[This article was written by Jill Stratton]

When I met at Jacqui for our interview, she was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt with a designer purse slung over her shoulder. Her blonde hair was curled in soft beach waves, and there wasn’t a trace of makeup on her face. She was surprised to be the subject of this feature story, and without an ounce of pretense insisted, “I’m a wife and a mom, and I’m just Jacqui!”

“Just Jacqui” has been a favorite plus-size QVC model for 11 years, and she’s been modeling since she was eight years old. “At first I modeled for local department stores, including Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Macy’s. When I was 18, my dad sent my pictures to Ford Models. It was a great experience.” But after a decade, Jacqui was ready for a new challenge. She landed a retail job and it satisfied her for a few years—until she decided she missed modeling too much. Then QVC called. “I had to train first. It’s a big difference going from runways or print to live television!”

As much as she loved modeling at QVC, almost two years later she landed another job: being a mom. “My whole goal was to become a mom, and I’ve always known that.” Jacqui calls her son, John Edward Thompson IV, an angel baby, born after 38 hours of labor and an emergency Caesarian section. He is 10 years old now; a sports nut with soccer and lacrosse at the top of his list. And he’s not the only John in Jacqui’s life.

You probably guessed, her husband is also John. Jacqui met him 21 years ago. This month marks their 13th wedding anniversary. John is a police officer and she’s proud of him, but it’s a dangerous job and naturally, she worries. Because John’s job is tough, Jacqui wants to make life easy for him when he’s home. That’s why, on her busiest day of the week, she prepped dinner and had it ready and waiting in the fridge. It’s a dinner she wouldn’t be eating. Jacqui left her house at 3am drove an hour to QVC, did her own hair and makeup, modeled for three hours, all before meeting with me at 10am—and she still had an afternoon video shoot and a five-hour evening stint awaiting her!

During her time at QVC, Jacqui has become besties with fellow models Deanna and Monica. “I couldn’t ask for better friends. A true friend will tell you if you have broccoli in your teeth.” That’s especially valuable information if you’re a model getting ready for your close-up on live television. And she’d do the same for them. This Taurus doesn’t hold back when it comes to telling it like it is. “What you see is what you get!” she laughed. During non-work hours, it’s a party of six when the friends go out together with their significant others—who all get along like peas in a pod.

[Girlfriends Deanna, Jacqui, and Monica with their guys.] 

It is a busy life for this happy-go-lucky lady who still manages to carve out time for a favorite hobby: cooking elaborate meals. “The more tedious the recipes, the better!” Not having a sweet tooth helps her stick to her daily limit of 1,300 calories. “But I love savory,” she admitted. “I’d rather have a birthday pizza than a birthday cake!”

Jacqui burns off any extra calories at the gym. She goes at least three times a week for an hour and a half. She’s also been known to run around in the backyard with her son and his friends, something that delights Little John. “If I can make him happy, it makes me happy. I just love my kid!”

Each day John gets an extra dollar in his lunch box. It’s part of Jacqui’s “One Good Deed a Day” lesson for her son. Little John can buy a treat for a friend, or share a kind compliment. One of Jacqui’s favorite good deeds comes at the end of each school year when she goes back to John’s preschool—but for a change she’s behind the camera taking graduation pictures of the young students.

We talked for over an hour and time flew by. Just before getting ready for her afternoon shoot, Jacqui pulled out her cell phone and showed me a few pictures. One is of her son—from a recent modeling job. He started two years ago, at age eight. Just like his model mom.

[Photo by Chingi Zdyrko, www.Chingi.Love]

[#2]

What a great article, I really enjoyed reading this..!!! Thank you guys for posting..!!

[#3]

I didn't know Jacqui loved to cook. I would love to see her prepare something on air sometime.  She of course is my favorite model, she excudes confidence and poise but with her own little touch of flirty fun!  I have to say, my husband loves her.  He'll walk in the room when I'm watching the Q and if she's on he'll sit and watch and talk about how great she is and if she's not modeling he'll ask "Where's my Jacqui?"  

[#4]

That's so cool to have a bio of a real model....very enjoyable and also makes sense that we are all not a size 4 nor 5.2" (I can't stand this mentioning how short some of the hostess are and so proud of it). Jaqui is a breath of fresh air no matter what time she is on.