I must say, it makes me happy when anyone remembers me as an athlete (a career from which I had my first retirement in 1983!) and also on BBC Holiday and TVam. But it has been QVC that I’ve enjoyed the longest of times with and it’s sad to leave – although I know I’ve made the right decision and I have so much to look forward to.

You may have seen my final Morning Show, with my regular on screen partner Simon, and also my dressing room mate for 21 years (and close friend for ever) Ali K, who turned up to present me with the most wonderful leaving present – a kayak. You might think it’s a strange gift but it was exactly what I wanted – I’m not really a gold watch sort of person!

I’ve already taken it out on the River Thames near where I live, and I loved being on the water in it. It was beautifully quiet and peaceful, and I was able to float past a pair of geese out swimming with their many goslings without disturbing them. I already enjoy rowing, walking and outdoor swimming and now I have another form of exercise to keep me happy! A huge thank you to all my amazing QVC friends who clubbed together to buy me a dream.

My husband Olley and I have something we love to do together and that’s travelling in our motorhome. Next year, hopefully, we’ll be able to travel to Europe again, but there are so many wonderful places to explore in the UK. East Anglia, Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland are on our bucket list, but our first trip has been to Devon, where I’m writing this in our cosy van while it’s pouring with rain and blowing a gale outside!

That’s the beauty of travelling with our home on our backs, so to speak – the weather really doesn’t spoil things. I’ve dodged the showers and enjoyed a couple of glorious cliff path walks (although I had to be careful not to get blown off the top!) and we’ve devoured crab sandwiches on the beach. If this is retirement, I think I could get used to it…

Although I’m not really thinking of it as retirement – more just ‘stopping work’. I don’t feel old enough to retire, and I don’t feel like slowing down, just doing different things – the things I choose to do. That makes me feel very lucky, and I plan to appreciate and make the most of my good fortune and try to maintain good health for as long as I can.

But now it’s over and out from me, so I’d like to wish you all good fortune and good health for the future. And THANK YOU one last time for watching QVC and reading this, it’s been great!

All the best to you all,

Take good care
Kathy x

The post Hello again, for one final time appeared first on Stories.

I hope this finds you well and possibly having enjoyed the recent relaxation in lockdown. The weather has been kind to many of us – Olley and I benefited from chilly nights but beautiful, clear blue skies and sunshine when we got away in our motorhome.

We enjoyed a break together in Ross on Wye. We’re so lucky to have the van – it’s a brilliant way to travel safely as it’s completely self-contained with our own shower and loo, and of course we carry and cook our own food. In fact, the weather was good enough to use the barbecue and cook outside every day.

We’re now on our way home for me to head into work. Monday 9pm and all-day Tuesday will feature one of my favourite footwear brands Vionic as our Today’s Special Value, with an adjustable slider sandal in a choice of four versatile snake effect colours (the product number is 189087).

Designed with three zone comfort technology, which gives heel stability, arch support and cushioning throughout sole of the foot, I’ve found wearing shoes from Vionic really makes a difference to how comfortable my feet are. By encouraging correct foot alignment and posture, the footwear helps to reduce aches and stiffness, especially if you’re on the go all day.

If you’re searching for the perfect summer dress to wear with your new sandals, look no further than the WynneLayers Today’s Special Value, which launches at 9pm on Tuesday and features all day Wednesday (the product number is 186058). With an effortless maxi shape and beautiful fluid viscose fabric, it’s an easy throw on dress that can be dressed up with heels and jewellery for an evening out or teamed back with flats or trainers for a casual look.

It comes in a range of colours – play it safe with Cloud, Black or Light Heather Grey, add a soft pop of colour with Sage or Sea Blue or choose the brighter tone of Geranium. In regular or petite lengths and with a sheer-sleeved jacket in Chiffon Denim available to layer on top, it’s going to be hard not to go for it in a couple of colours!

I’ll also be bringing you lots of fashion in Morning Style at 10am on Wednesday as usual, but my big news is that I won’t be doing that for much longer because, after almost 21 years as a QVC presenter, I’ve decided to retire!

I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and decided last summer that it really is time that I hang up my earpiece and microphone and stop talking for a living.

My husband Olley is a bit older than me and hasn’t worked for a while now and I really want to spend more time with him rather than leave him at home while I’m at QVC. After 38 years of working in live television I want to concentrate on enjoying time with Olley and the rest of our family.

We love to travel and enjoy touring the UK and Europe in our motorhome – we’re also lucky enough to have had a house in Corfu for the last 20 years. We’ve only ever been able to stay there for two or three weeks at a time but now we can really settle there for a while. I also want to spend more time simply enjoying being at home and in our garden, seeing more of our three amazing children Bex, Charlie and Billy, and two gorgeous granddaughters.

There’s so much to look forward to. Billy, our youngest, is to marry the love of his life, Mel, on the second of June. She’s already part of our family but this will make it official and, although we will be limited by Covid restrictions, it’s going to be the most fabulous and happiest of days.

Also, I find I’m in a so much better mood if I’m outside in nature and fresh air. I benefit hugely from exercising outside and I’ll spend more time walking, swimming, gardening and rowing. Ali Keenan and I try to walk together regularly but it’s never often enough or for long enough to complete all we want to say to each other! Without work to interfere, I hope to see more of the dear friend I met at QVC almost 21 years ago, when we started at the same time.

It’s incredible to think that I began working at QVC the month before Billy started school and the month after I finish at QVC, he will be married!

Of course, it was long before that when my television career started. It was all rather surprising. Having gained a degree in Physiology and Biochemistry, I was working as a sports scientist developing a series of tests to measure functional fitness for athletes competing in different sports and disciplines.

I had enjoyed success myself as a modern pentathlete (horse riding, fencing, pistol shooting, swimming and cross country running), becoming World Champion when I was 19 in 1979. That really was the catalyst for a lifetime spent in the media rather than a science laboratory!

My sporting achievements led to me appearing on Question of Sport (I was on Emlyn Hughes’ team) and I was later asked by the same production team to present a live children’s sports show called Stopwatch. I retired from competing in sport in order to work on the show in 1983, and in 1986 I was spotted by the producer of BBC Holiday. The rest, as they say, is history!

At first, they only gave me activity holidays to report on, so anything that involved getting wet or muddy, jumping off cliffs or out of planes or just simply exhausting was my job. The first film I made was horse riding in the New Forest and I managed to fall off my horse before they’d even got the camera out of its bag!

I eventually got better and had the most wonderful opportunities to try so many different things. I’ve parachuted, surfed, carriage driven, scuba dived, piloted a plane and a glider, water-skied and white water rafted, mountain hiked, kayaked, motor raced, hot air ballooned, parascended, wind surfed, cycled and dog sledged my way around the world.

My role developed into being allowed to work on some more exotic locations and I travelled to the Seychelles, Bali and Alaska. I had a trip in a dugout canoe on a tributary to the Orinoco river in Venezuela (where I slept in a hammock in a mud hut and stood at the top of Angel Falls), I trekked through the jungle in Zaire to meet a family of silverback gorillas and I camped out in the Masai Mara surrounded by hyenas. I’ve skied in the Rocky Mountains, watched glaciers calve in Alaska and marvelled at Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone Park.

How lucky have I been!? I loved it all…

I was asked to join the TVam breakfast television team in 1989. I started on Good Morning Britain sitting beside the lovely Mike Morris and moved to present AfterNine before the birth of our first child Rebecca in the summer of 1991.

I stayed at TVam, fitting in being a mum and continuing to film for BBC Holiday as well until TVam lost the franchise bid to GMTV at the end of 1992. That’s when my then dressing roommate Lorraine Kelly took over the 9am show and six weeks later our second child, Charlie, was born. Our family was complete in 1995 when Billy was born, and as he approached school age I had an interview at QVC and got the job!

In many ways, it doesn’t feel anywhere near as long as twenty-one years since I started. Many of the faces that welcomed me then are still with us now… Julia, Jilly and Anne, Dale and Charlie were all presenting already and many behind the scenes then are still there now too.

The job has changed, of course. I didn’t write a blog at the beginning as there was no social media and the range and quality of what we bring you on air and the number and expertise of our guests have improved hugely.

But the essence of what we do, the connection we feel with you, our viewers, and the friendships I have made at work over the years are the same and the most important. I will miss the people I work with more than anything but I will stay in touch with as many as I can, their friendship is too precious to lose.

I have so many memories to cherish. I’m proud of the part I’ve played in the Morning Show becoming a regular show and have so enjoyed working alongside Simon Biagi (I even like the useless facts he shares at the start of the show – don’t worry, he’ll keep on bringing us those and I’ll just join you as part of the audience…)

I’ve also enjoyed helping to develop Morning Style and I’ve learned so much from our expert fashion stylist guests. I’ll still be buying more than I should from our fashion department!

It’s not just the everyday work that I’ll remember – from tackling the overnight MoonWalk charity marathon with a group of QVC mates, to a trip to the Hong Kong Gemstone Exhibition and learning about the fine jewellery we sell, to making a film on the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship in Dubai when we were selling holiday cruises – there’s so much to cherish. It’s really all been about the people I’ve done everything with, and the teamwork.

The presenters are the face of QVC but we can only do our jobs because there are so many people working hard behind the scenes to make it happen. In a way, that’s true of life itself. It’s the connections that we make with people as we travel though our lives that enrich us more than anything.

My final Morning Style will be at 10am on May 5th when I’ll be joined by the new regular presenter – and I can assure you the show will be in the best of hands. And my very last appearance on air will be with Simon for the Morning Show on May 6th.

I hope you can join me one more time as I say my goodbyes – it’s going to be hard to not become emotional when I think about how long QVC has been such a big and important part of my life.

Thank you for being a part of the QVC family and experience that has sustained me for so long. I’ll try not to look back over my shoulder too often as I move into the next phase of my life but as Olley and I head off into the sunset together, there’ll always be a special place in my heart for QVC.

All the best to you all, do take care.

With love

Kathy xx

The post Saying goodbye to QVC with my final fashion choices appeared first on Stories.

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve been in contact and apologies for not replying to all your kind comments on my last couple of blogs. I’ve had a bit of a torrid time with my recovery from Covid and I’m still dealing with some long Covid complications. But I’m very grateful to still be here and smiling and back at work.

It’s good to be back with all my friends at QVC and to be looking forward to a great week ahead with lots of highlights. I’d like to pick two of them to mention here. On Tuesday at 9pm and all-day Wednesday, we’ll be featuring a brilliant Today’s Special Value from Mally.

Mally is a high performance make-up and skincare brand founded by celebrity make-up artist Mally Roncal. The five-piece All Over Glow Full Face Collection we’ve seen before and it was so popular that we’re bringing it to you again at a very special price. At the time of writing it’s available on our website here.

But don’t buy it yet because the £68 price will drop to just below £37 on Wednesday, which is less than the price of just one of the five items in the collection. It features an array of radiance-boosting hero products.

It includes the hugely popular smoothing Evercolor Poreless Face Defender, which is a clear, lightweight primer that helps to blur the appearance of fine lines and pores, while locking your make-up in place.

It comes in a handy compact so you can pop it in your handbag for easy touch ups throughout the day, as does the perfecting Flawless Finish Transforming Effect Foundation with a lightweight, souffle-textured foundation that’s enriched with oxygen water and features an innovative texture that melts onto your skin the moment it’s applied, providing a thin, full-coverage layer, which you can blend and build to suit your skin’s needs. It’s available in five shades so I’m sure there’s one that will suit you perfectly!

The following day we will return to our longest running fashion brand Kim & Co for the Today’s Special Value on Thursday – it’s a flattering Deluxe Denim Zip Front Collar Jacket and comes in six colours: emerald, ecru, bright pink, indigo stone and yellow. I’m wearing the stone and showing just two of the many ways you might style the jacket (the product number is 188120).

The fabric isn’t like a normal, stiff, heavy denim. It’s a cotton rich mix of fibres also with elastane, which means it’s comfy to wear, never bulky and this unfussy style will flatter almost everyone. It looks fabulous worn as an open jacket, perhaps with jeans and a T-shirt. It will also add a smart but casual edge to a summer dress or a maxi skirt. I also love to wear this style zipped up – I think it brings a clean, modern look to your outfit.

If you can join us on Thursday, you’ll see the presenters and models showing loads of examples of how versatile this jacket can be and of course you’ll see all the colours, both bright and neutral. I’ll be wearing it in the Morning Show at 9am, plus a DIY and Garden Outlet hour at 10am and for a full hour with Abi Cleeve and Ultrasun (featuring the incredible value Beauty Pick of the Month (if there’s any left!) at midday.

Remember though, Kim & Co TSVs often sell out early so don’t expect all six colour options to be available at the end of the day!

Hope to see you soon. Best wishes and do take care.

Love Kathy xx

The post Fabulous offers from Mally and Kim & Co! appeared first on Stories.

I hope this finds you well and feeling positive – spring is definitely on its way! Hopefully some of what we’ve missed this winter will be back on the agenda very soon (for me, it’s seeing my family).

I’m also looking forward to being able to swim in my local lido and getting back on the river in a rowing boat, but to have the energy for that I need a little longer to recover from this horrible virus. I am getting there slowly but have a few side effects that are being investigated. I was hoping to be back with you on QVC this week but it’s now looking like next week, fingers crossed.

One of the reasons I was so keen to be on air this week is our Today’s Special Value on Friday 26th. It’s a welcome return of Cook’s Essentials Bread Maker (the product number is 809917), which was incredibly popular when we saw it in the autumn.

At a very special price from 9pm on Thursday until the end of Friday (if stocks last that long, of course), you can use this simple machine to bake all sorts of delicious bread for the family. There are straightforward recipes for white, whole wheat and Italian herb loaves, plus French bread or brioche and even Madeira cake.

You can also set it to just do the mixing, kneading and proving for you, so that you can then bake a different shaped loaf in the oven, divide the dough to create tasty rolls or use as a base for pizza. The bread maker also deals with gluten-free dough, by giving it longer to preheat to help the grains soak up the water and expand.

The 12 different programmes take around three hours to produce a perfect, irresistible loaf of bread but there’s also a quick option that takes one hour and 40 minutes. But if you really can’t wait, there’s an ultra-fast setting of just under an hour. You can make medium or large size loaves and choose a light, medium or dark crust.

There’s also has a timer, giving you the opportunity to set it in the evening and be woken in the morning by the fragrant smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the kitchen to your bedroom. It’s the perfect start to a leisurely weekend breakfast.

You make the bread with common supermarket ingredients – strong bread flour is best, and the yeast is the fast action dried variety. My first attempt was a total success, even though I strayed slightly from the printed recipe.

I used olive oil rather than sunflower for the Italian herb loaf and added fresh thyme and rosemary instead of dried. I also placed some sprigs of rosemary on the top after the second proving to give a decorative look. It smelled divine and tasted even better with lashings of butter as part of a cold platter supper.

I defy anyone to resist a slice of still-warm fresh bread but if you’re watching your calorie intake, maybe limit it to weekends. Or give it to the children – when mine were school age I made bread daily to give them a filling snack after school. I could control what went into the bread (you’d be surprised how much sugar and salt is in the shop-bought variety) and they LOVED it!

The TSV that launches on the day I now hope to return to QVC (Tuesday 2^nd March) is something I could have done with over the last few weeks of my convalescence. As my ability to focus returned (some might suggest I’ve never managed that very well!), I’ve enjoyed reading and spending time surfing the net on my iPad. Both these activities need sharp eyesight for close work, and I have been suffering a little from tired eyes.

This collection of five pairs of reading glasses (product number 188300) include one that has anti-blue light technology, which helps restrict the amount of blue light from screens filtering through the eyes into the brain. Too much blue light can disrupt your sleep.

There are two options, Classic or Print, all with lightweight, impact-resistant acrylic lenses in a unisex frame with comfortable spring hinged arms. They come in strengths from 1.5 to 3.5 magnification, recommended as suitable for age 45 to over 65.

You know how you can never find your glasses when you need them? Now you can have a pair anywhere you go! Each pair has a matching soft case making them perfect for stashing in your bag or your desk, by your bedside table, or anywhere else you might need them. They’re not just for reading, they’re ideal if you do any close craft work like embroidery or model making.

I’m really hoping I’ll be back with a smile on the Tuesday 2^nd when we’re bringing you these glasses, and I’ll also have an hour each of fashion by Nina Leonard and nails from OPI.

Catch you then!

Take care

Kathy x

The post My new reading glasses and delicious baked bread appeared first on Stories.

Last time I wrote to you I was feeling unwell and waiting for the results of a Covid 19 test.

Well, it was positive, as was that of my husband Olley. We’ve both had a bit of a torrid time, which I won’t go into in detail, but suffice to say it’s certainly worth staying at home and avoiding catching this virus if you possibly can. Roll on everyone having the vaccine and being safe.

I’m still signed off work by my doctor, but I just wanted to pop in here to let you know about a couple of fashion deals we have for you this week.

The Today’s Special Value on Tuesday is a tried, tested and loved washable, breathable and waterproof jacket from one of my favourite British brands, Joules (the product number is 180432).

We featured this jacket as a TSV last year and it was hugely popular. This year it returns in three new classic colours: navy, red and black.

The Coast jacket is a signature style for Joules and the mid length offers great appeal as it’s easy to wear and move around in. We will have it in sizes 8 – 20 and it’s a regular fit. I’m size 12 but I prefer this jacket in size 14 as it allows me to comfortably wear a big, bulky, cosy jumper underneath so I can wear the jacket when it’s cold as well as wet outside.

Established in Britain over 25 years ago and crafted with true British style and eccentricity, Joules designs are upbeat, practical and colourful clothing. Founder Tom Joule was selling clothes at outdoor events and decided to see whether people would buy more colourful clothing – a batch of pink wellies sold out quickly and Joules was born.

Some of the designs from Joules are wonderfully quirky and eccentric but this jacket is more of a classic piece with the usual attention to detail in the finishing. The stripy lining adds a Joules touch of fun. It’s also functional and practical – made of treated cotton to give a water-resistant finish with a cotton rich lining that’s breathable and washable. (But don’t put in the tumble dryer.)

The Right as Rain range from Joules is perfect to help us cope with whatever the British weather throws at us. I’m writing this in our conservatory and the rain is drumming on the roof – it’s chucking it down!!

If you like to get out whatever the weather (it can really help with improving a low mood and so many of us need as much help as we can get at the moment) or perhaps you have a dog who won’t stopping nudging you until you’ve been out for their walk then take a look at this jacket, which will launch at 9pm on Monday and will feature throughout the day on Tuesday.

In these photos I’m also wearing the Joules girlfriend jeans and the Joules green polo top.

In the other outfit, the jumper is also from Joules. I just love the bobble sleeves and the soft orange colour, which I think goes well with the safari taupe option of our Women with Control Big Deal this week (regular; petite).

These easy-to-wear pull-on trousers from Women with Control are made from 86% natural cotton and 14% elastane for stretch and hold, plus a tummy control panel to help give a smooth-looking silhouette.

This style of trouser has been a Women with Control favourite for years, and I wear mine regularly because they’re so comfortable and they look fantastic for the amazing price of £23.98. The small slit detail at the ankle makes them a slightly smarter casual trouser, and they come in five colours: black, marine navy, white, smoke and the safari taupe, which I’m wearing.

Given the great value, you might be tempted to try more than one. The two lengths, petite and regular at 26″and 29″ inseam measurement, will suit longer and shorter legs, or give you the option of the cropped look.

The trousers will be one of our Big Deal all week (if our stocks last) so catch them on air in our fashion shows or on the QVC Style channel, or find them on our website. Just don’t miss them!

I hope to be back on air before long. I’ll be with you just as soon as I’m able to shake off the lasting effects of this awful virus, mainly coughing, exhaustion and a brain that really doesn’t want to focus at the moment.

In the meantime, do take care and look after yourself.

Best wishes,

Kathy

The post A health update and a Joules TSV appeared first on Stories.

We are still needing to be patient but I’m sure 2021 will prove to be easier for most of us than the one we’ve just left behind. I know many people are reeling from losing a loved one in the past year, and my heart goes out to you and I pray you find a way through the quagmire of grief. Many more are also suffering anxiety, depression or loneliness, but we all have to try to find the small positive things in our lives and feel hope for the future.

As I write this, I’m awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test that I had yesterday. I’m feeling very viral, with a temperature, a hacking cough and soreness of skin with body aches all over.

We’ll see what the results bring, but a positive or negative result probably won’t change the fact that I’m unlikely to be with you for the re-launch of Morning Style with Kathy. Sadly (for me) it will be with another presenter this Wednesday.

But it’s great news that my favourite show is back so early in the New Year. We’ll be bringing you suggestions of how to put outfits together to suit your own personal style and maybe you’ll also find something to bring a change to your normal look.

I was planning to post some pictures here of a few of my favourite pieces from the first show, but they’re sitting waiting for me in my dressing room while I’m at home in bed! Although, I can give you a heads up to not forget that we have a special page that’s updated just before the show, which features all the on air items including the accessories.

It’s a great way to check out what you missed if you can’t watch the show at 10am on Wednesday. I hope you like the new photo of me that we now have at the top of the page!

The outfit I was planning to wear this week has a couple of my real favourites: a Ruth Langsford jacket and a pair of Clark’s ankle boots. I’d have gone for the cappuccino colour for the jacket and the boots in tan and teamed them with a Together shirt in mustard and some Mr Max trousers in taupe to keep the whole look tonal.

I also have my eye on a Phase Eight jumper, which is knitted in 100% cotton and would be great to wear with a vest or T-shirt underneath now but would certainly take me well into spring and has no post and packing charge to add.

I do hope you can tune in to the show this week, which will be guested by the wonderful Ashling McCloy and I hope even harder that I will be well enough to be there for the second show on the 13th.

We’ll be with you pretty much every Wednesday after that, and I’m excited to bring you the best of what our new season’s fashion has to offer. A small thing, maybe, but something to look forward to. We must make the most of the small things while we wait for the bigger things to sort themselves out.

Wishing you all the best for the first weeks of this New Year. Hang on in there, stay positive and most of all, stay safe and healthy if you possibly can.

Best wishes to you

Love Kathy x

The post Happy New Year to you appeared first on Stories.

I thought I’d have a break from wrapping presents and take a moment to wish you all the best Christmas you can possibly have. This year hasn’t been easy for anyone and Christmas won’t be what most of us had hoped for either.

But please, try to stay positive if you can and feel hopeful for a better year in 2021. The most important thing is to stay safe and I hope you do exactly that.

Stay in touch with your loved ones in whatever way you can and try to find peace in your heart. Sometimes, we have the power to make ourselves feel better, we just have to know how.

I was feeling a bit wound up yesterday and so I ignored my list of chores and took some secateurs out into the garden. It was almost sunny and quite mild, and I enjoyed cutting some foliage to make a couple of table decorations. Making something certainly helped my mood, even if the usual crowds won’t be here to admire them.

If you’re looking for something to spoil yourself with, make sure you join us at QVC on Boxing Day for the start of our End of Year Sale. The TSV will be a gorgeous pair of knee high flat heeled boots (178715) from Marc Fisher, which made me feel like dancing when I put them on…

If they’re not your style, I’m sure you’ll find something else from this huge sale to spend your Christmas gift money that might be burning a hole in your pocket!

I’ll be on air Boxing Day and Tuesday 29th December and then in the New Year.

Take care, look after yourself. Wishing you all the best for Christmas, and a much better 2021. See you on the other side!

Lots of love,

Kathy x

The post See you on the other side! appeared first on Stories.

Christmas time is really all about making memories with our loved ones. Although I know, for most people, this year cannot be the same as usual and will be a much quieter time, I hope we can all find a way to still create something worth putting in the memory bank and labelling ‘happy time’.

I think some of us are finding that the prospect of a simpler festive season has some appealing qualities. Less time, energy and money spent on the trimmings and more focus on some together time with those you can be with.

I usually provide a feast for at least ten people – one year it was twenty two! It is always fun but usually exhausting too.
This year, for the first time ever, it will just be Olley and me. Last year, we had all three children and their partners with us, and this year they will each be with their partners’ parents. We were planning a big pre-Christmas do with them all together but sadly, due to Covid rules, that can’t happen. I’ll be rushing home after work on the 23rd as Bex and Dan are bringing our granddaughters to see us that day on the way to Dan’s parents and I’m hoping Billy and Mel can join us too, if their work allows. Charlie and Maddie are self-isolating to protect Maddie’s family before they join them for a few days.
So a slightly empty Christmas for me, but I’m lucky that I will have a few hours to enjoy watching little Zoe sparkle with delight. She’ll be three in March, so she’s old enough to be excited about Christmas. She loved meeting Father Christmas last week at a Winter Wonderland that Bex and Dan took the girls to. It would have been quite normal for her to be shy, or even slightly scared of him. But she was straight in there with a conversation. And when he asked what she’d like for Christmas, she suggested he might fix the radiator in her bedroom as it makes noises when it warms up in the morning. Aren’t children hilarious?

Santa said he’d have a look at it for her when he swings by on Christmas Eve, so I think Dan has some DIY to do!
I’m looking forward to showing Zoe our Christmas tree – like many people, I’ve collected lots of different decorations over the years and many have a story to tell. So rather than having a stylish colour theme fit for a magazine article, my tree is full of memories that I enjoy being reminded of, and will share with my inquisitive granddaughter.

Wooden stars, a straw reindeer and a slice of tree painted with Santa’s face all came from a trip to Lapland when OK Magazine sent me there when the children were little for a photoshoot – and the photographer was my husband Olley, so we had a magical family weekend. So lucky!

Also, a glass Christmas tree bought on a trip to Bruges Christmas market years ago and a pretty little angel given to me by an Australian friend. And several lovely fabric creations made by my clever Mum – this will be my third Christmas without her and although time softens the loss, I’ll never stop missing her.

But of course, we all carry on as best we can, and that means heading into QVC to bring you the best we have to offer. We always feature the Today’s Special Value towards the end of the 9am Morning Show (providing it hasn’t sold out overnight) and Simon Biagi and I will be bringing it to you on Wednesday and Thursday this week. We have the first Mally cosmetics collection as a Today’s Special Value for over a year, item number 242904. It’s a great opportunity to replenish your make-up bag or grab the perfect gift for a friend or relative.

And if you’re planning lots of video party calls over Christmas, we have the perfect styling tool for your hair on Thursday (launching at 9pm on Wednesday). From Revamp, it’s the Progloss Volume and Wave Hot Ceramic Styling Brush and gives gorgeous waves and enhanced volume. A very special feature is an easy release system – you can retract the bristles for snag-free styling. The brush combines ceramic and ionic technology to give a smooth and shiny finish to your hair, with added gloss provided from the infusion of Progloss super smooth oils, including Keratin, Argan Oil and Coconut Oil. The cool tip, lightweight design and 3m salon swivel cable make it really easy to use, and the adjustable temperature settings, ranging from 150ºC to 210ºC with ultra-fast digital heat, means it it ready to use in seconds.

My hair is really too long at the moment – I had a haircut booked for the day after Lockdown 2 and the earliest I was able to rearrange it for was the end of this week.

I’ve been struggling with it lately – the longer my hair gets the flatter and lanker it looks, and it has a slight wave but usually in the wrong direction! I’m not very good with styling tools, but this is how I got on the first time I used the Revamp – it’s certainly going to help me look presentable until I can get my unruly locks cut!

Wishing you all the best in the run up to Christmas – I hope you feel calm, peaceful and loved. And I really hope that you will be able to create some new happy memories to store away as a source of warmth inside you.

Take care and stay well,
Love Kathy x

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Of course, lockdown 2.0 has meant that I’ve been at home more than usual and, although husband Olley and I haven’t put the decorations up yet (that’s planned for this weekend), I’m well ahead with my online gift buying. Working at QVC makes it easy and I’ve just looked through my recent orders to let you know what I’ve chosen. There might be some ideas that could help you tick a few off your list of presents to buy.

I’m really happy with this Joules Nordic Fairisle Jumper that I got for someone who shall be nameless just in case she reads this! When Olley saw it, he said he thought I should get another for me! It comes in navy as well, so I might treat myself – it will be cosy and stylish to wear when it turns chilly and perfect for a Boxing Day walk.

I’ve allowed one of the gifts I bought to be opened early because I can never resist puppy dog eyes… especially not if they belong to my son Billy’s dog, Jasper. It’s a Cozee Paws Pet Bed, which has Odourology technology to reduce any ‘wet dog’ smells that may result from winter walkies. I think you’ll agree he looks very cute in it.

One of my nieces, a young teenager, has recently become interested in crafting and I think the Wool Couture knit-your-own-scarf kit will be a great choice for her. It’s suitable for first time knitters and comes with everything you need including lovely soft wool, chunky bamboo knitting needles (which help the scarf to grow quickly), plus instructions and a tote bag to keep it all in.

Even though I’m at the QVC studios several times a week and get to see most of what we sell on air, I still find the reviews that QVC customers leave on our website helpful and often inspiring.

I bought a couple of presents after seeing some top-rated items on our website. Check out the reviews for the duo of Luxenoa Ice Shard Candle Holders – out of 50 ratings, 46 are five star! The candle holders are stunning, even without candles in them, as they catch the light beautifully.

Luxuriously packaged, they would make such a special gift – for Christmas or as a wedding, anniversary or housewarming present. I’ve ordered two – I know who one box of two will go to but the other is a reserve and I’m hoping I won’t need to gift it, so I can keep it for myself! I put them in front of a window for one of the photos and they catch and split the winter sunshine in a rather spectacular fashion!

Another popular and well-reviewed item is the Lola Rose jewellery box with 39 out of 42 reviews giving it top marks. They are weighty, lined with soft fabric and look so expensive, classy and stylish.

If you’d prefer a smaller trinket box (three out of three five stars) take a look at this one, or for matching small and large boxes (average score 4.6 from 61 reviews) try this duo. They’re all beautiful.

Finally, this is something I haven’t actually bought as I’ve been lucky enough to be given a sample to try. It’s appearing at a special TSV price from 9pm this Thursday and through Friday if stocks last.

It’s a five-piece collection of skincare from Skinsense and includes the Double Strength Retinol Night Serum, which sells on the SkinSense website for £46, whereas the total price for all five pieces is just under £44. You will also receive the Anti-Ageing Day and Eye Creams, the Overnight Leave-On Mask (I love this!) and the Nourishing Facial Oil (my favourite…)

Skinsense is a range developed by Abi Cleeve of Ultrasun fame and uses the same innovative lamellar technology designed to lock active ingredients into the skin. It’s a no-frills range, which focusses on results, combining highly effective ingredients with a great price.

It’s is a brand that I return to time and time again. I think it’s one of the best value ranges on QVC. When you have a TSV price, along with a 60-day money back guarantee, I reckon you really can’t go wrong.

I’d better go. The doorbell has just rung, and I think my local Hermes courier has left another QVC parcel for me… I must go and give him a friendly wave!

Stay well and positive and do take care. Best wishes to you.

Kathy x

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Another outdoor-based blog this week! We have a pair of boots for Wednesday’s Today’s Special Value from Vionic that could have been tailor made for me (or should that be ‘Tayler’ made…!). The product number is 187340.

Practical and comfy, these hiker-style boots are perfect for walking in the countryside. They’re also very much on-trend fashion-wise, even if you’d never set foot near puddles or mud!

They come in five colour choices: Black and Scotch in smooth leather or Olive, Charcoal and Toffee in soft suede.  All are water-resistant with sealed tape seams, so they’re perfect for a wet British winter. They also feature faux fur on the tongues and ankle cuffs designed to keep the cold droughts out. A side zip fastening also means they’re easy to get in and out of without having to undo the laces to put them on.

I love the look of these boots, but what makes them special for me is the technology of the underfoot. It was developed by a podiatrist, Phillip Vasyli, and is based on his own professional experience of creating thousands of custom orthotics.

As a former athlete, I put in thousands of hours of intense training and exercise during my younger years and now, at times, parts of my body feel a little worn out! I’ve had issues with my feet and knees especially, so nowadays I wear Vionic slippers, shoes, boots or removable insoles most of the time, as they help me to be comfortable when I’m standing and walking.

Thanks to my lovely husband Olley for taking these photos for me!

The boots feature biomechanically-designed orthotic insoles, which help the foot to function properly, realigning the feet into their natural position while creating stability. Your foot is obviously attached to your ankle, which joins to the lower leg and so on, so keeping the foot in the correct position helps the entire leg to work correctly and means you’re less likely to feel discomfort. Even if you don’t have any current problems, it means you’re not storing up issues for the future.

I think it’s a great idea to equip yourself for every chance to get outdoors – it can make you feel so much better. I took this lovely autumn photo while I was in the garden with the boots. Look at the gorgeous holly with acer and beech leaves – colours to lift the spirits!

I think many people would be delighted to receive these Vionic boots as a Christmas gift – they come in full UK sizes 3 – 9 and half sizes 4.5 – 6.5. They’re true to size but you do have a money back guarantee until January 31st, so plenty of time to make sure they fit.

The following day on Thursday, we will be offering something that’s specially designed for giving. It’s a beautiful collection from Shay & Blue in your choice of three fragrances: Black Tulip, Blackberry Woods or English Cherry Blossom. The product number is 240701.

In addition to full sizes of Eau de Parfum, Shower Oil and a matching Hand and Body Lotion, you’ll also receive a 10ml bottle of Tallulah’s Camellia, the newest fragrance from this artisan brand, which won’t be launching officially until next year.

Do try to catch one of the shows at 9pm on Wednesday or through the day on Thursday. Shay & Blue’s founder Dom de Vetta will be with us. He’s a fascinating and inspirational chap who describes the different fine fragrances so eloquently, you’ll almost smell them through the television.

Of course, if you’re after inspiration on gifts for your loved ones, we have so much more to choose from. Check out our line-up of shows on our website here, where you’ll find special gift idea shows at 9am on the weekends right up to Christmas. We’ll do our best to help you make Christmas as easy as possible. Happy Shopping!

Best wishes to you, and do take care.

Kathy x

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