A screen shot of me and Bill Fahey on our last day co-hosting together. November 2004
In 2002, ShopNBC gave me my big break in hosting. Oh boy, was it a tough transition. I went from the endless summer in Los Angeles to the endless winter in Minnesota. My new employer was tumultuous at best and "Minnesota Nice" was well, not so nice. Yet each day as I got off shift at 6 AM, Bill Fahey was there to greet my morning with a smile. His knowledge, warmth, and kindness kept me going even on days when I missed my West Coast home. He worked out next to me on the treadmill at Flagship Athletic Club and told me to go that extra mile. He sat with me at lunch and cheered me up when I was blue. And he made my 3 hours go by so quickly when I filled in for his co-host during the Sunrise hours. A friend here in Los Angeles saw my post on Facebook today about Bill and reminded me of the fun we all used to have....me as a host, she as a viewer. Each morning at 5:45 AM, Bill would drop by the set and hide. We would play, "Where in the World is Bill Fahey?". I know this wasn't ShopNBC approved, but it made me laugh. He would hide behind desks, cameras, the set, just to keep life interesting in the wee hours of the morning. And when this LA gal heard the call to go home to the sunshine and the bright lights of Hollywood, he was the first one there to encourage me to go for my dreams and the last one standing with gifts, a cake, and a hug on my last day on the air at ShopNBC. Bill was my co-host, my mentor, but most importantly, my friend: R.I.P.
Be sure to see some terrific tribute clips and memories of Bill Fahey over at Home Shopping Queen.
To see a fun clip of Bill and I hosting together, check out this clip at the 4:00 minute mark:
