QVC Vendor And Reality TV Tyrant Gordon Ramsay Makes Page Six Again

Last time we wrote about one of QVC’s newest vendors, potty-mouthed chef and reality TV star Gordon Ramsay, we got reamed for our remarks. Well, here it goes again.

Ramsay was back on the New York Post’s Page Six Thursday, with news that a British bank had filed a lien against his home. Seems that the Royal Bank of Scotland had loaned Ramsay $15 million to rescue his faltering restaurant empire, and the house was collateral.

Ramsay’s camp told Page Six that the lien only means that the bank wants notice if the chef tries to put the home on the market. Ramsay’s mouthpiece also said that he only owes roughly $6 million to the bank.

The sandy-haired chef’s restaurant empire has been trimmed in recent years, as he closed or sold off some of his high-end eateries.

HSN Host Colleen Lopez, Designer Wayne Scot Lukas Share An Order Of Fries At Fred’s: Next Time Invite Us

Wayne Scot Lukas

Here’s a Halloween surprise.

Designer/celebrity stylist Wayne Scot Lukas tipped off his Facebook fans Sunday that some of his leftover merchandise on ShopNBC has popped up on clearance at prices that are a steal.

That includes a Lukastyle techno suede jacket for $43 and a twist top, which we really like, for 15 clams.

Lukas, who was a fixture on HSN before moving briefly to ShopNBC, was hanging with HSN host Colleen Lopez recently in the Big Apple. Jersey native Lukas posted some photos of him with the luscious French fries, our favorite, they were chowing down on at Fred’s in Barneys in Manhattan.

Barney’s is so pricey that we hyperventilate every time we walk in there: We can’t even afford a shopping bag in that joint.

Lukas, who stood us up when we tried to stop by and see him in Monmouth (no worries, Wayne) a few months ago, said that Colleen was good and only had two fries. We guess she does not want to add any girth to that great skinny-minny figure she has now.

The chance of us only eating two French fries at a meal is one in a million: Colleen obviously has more willpower than us.

Lukas, by the way, has found a new home at QVC and is doing collections for several of the home shopping channel’s European networks, including QVC UK.

Designer Isaac Mizrahi Is Way Out Of The Closet: Will QVC Shoppers Take Offense?

We were burning the midnight oil last night, and had QVC on while we were writing a story.

Designer Isaac Mizrahi, who has Wednesday’s Today’s Special Value, was on with fat-mouth host Shawn Killinger, who we find frightfully annoying.

But in any event, Mizrahi was talking about how he likes to stay home during the upcoming holidays and relax, with his boyfriend. He said “my boyfriend” at least twice.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, at least in our book. But the only designer on home shopping that we recall being so out of the closet is the late-great Wayne Scot Lukas, when his appearances — filled with double entendres — on HSN cracked us up.

We couldn’t help but wonder if QVC viewers in the heartland, as we Easterners call it, would take offense at Mizrahi. And then we chided ourselves for making assumptions about the rest of America, when a young gay Rutgers University student committed suicide after his scumbag roommate secretly videotaped him kissing a man in their room.

Our own home state of New Jersey shamed us for that anti-gay tragedy: Who are we to cast stones at the Midwest when our own state is homophobic?

As it turns out, there was something really shocking during the Mizrahi-Killinger show late last night.

At one point, at 1 a.m., Mizrahi and Killinger were both in the sack, covered by cotton cashmere flannel sheets that the curly-topped designer was hawking.

“Oh, we’re in bed together, Shawn,” Mizrahi said. The video is here.

Now that picture really disturbed us, for some reason, much more than seeing Mizrahi in bed with his boyfriend would have.

QVC App For iPAD Now Available On The App Store

The QVC App for iPad is now available on the App Store, the home shopping network said Monday.

“Our customers enjoyed a sneak peek of the QVC App for iPad during New York Fashion Week at our pop-up shop in Rockefeller Center,” said Angie Simmons, QVC’s executive vice president of multichannel platforms. “We received great feedback and are now thrilled to make this app available to all iPad users.”

Created specifically for the revolutionary iPad, the QVC App is optimized for the 10-inch screen and includes access to a full widescreen HD feed of QVC’s live broadcast.

As with the QVC App for iPhone and iPod touch, iPad users will enjoy comprehensive search capability and access to full product descriptions, sizing, available colors and additional images within product detail. Users can also view customer ratings and reviews.

The QVC for iPad App allows users to access QVC’s signature programming features through an easy homepage, including its Today’s Special Value (offered at an exceptionally low price – good for that given day, until 11:59 PM (ET), unless it sells out sooner), Items Recently on Air, Current Item on Air and other special promotions.

The QVC App for iPad is available from the App store on iPad or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/.

QVC Announces TV Cooking Show Host Lidia Bastianich’s Debut Date As This Sunday

We first reported that chef/restaurateur Lidia Bastianich was coming to QVC when network honcho Mike George mentioned it during a second-quarter earnings call.

Cooking show host Bastianich will launch her cookware and servingware line, Lidia’s Kitchen, this Sunday at 7 p.m.

“Lidia’s Kitchen combines the beauty of Italy and the functionality of Bastianich’s own cooking style to create a cookware and tabletop collection that is reflective of her practical culinary sensibilities,” the press release Friday said. “After many years working in restaurant kitchens, Bastianich has designed cookware created with simple, easy cooking in mind, with plenty of style and utmost functionality.”

And of course, there was the canned quote from ol’ Lidia.

“I have always wanted my own line of kitchenware and QVC allows me to introduce my products to the whole country,” Bastianich said. “Collaborating with my daughter Tanya to design pieces that can work in any home has been a true labor of love.”

Bastianich designed the collection herself, with attention to practicality and detail.

“The pieces are classic with a modern edge and remind Bastianich of the staples that were in her kitchen as a child in Italy,” QVC said. “Select items from the line include ceramic serving platters in earth tones, pasta pots, terra cotta casserole dishes and steel knives, with prices ranging from approximately $15 to $60.”

John Kelly, QVC’s vice president of merchandisingm chirped, l“We are thrilled to share Lidia’s authentic Italian style with QVC viewers. Her practical, well-designed pieces will appeal to novices and seasoned chefs alike.”

Bastianich’s signature line, “Tutti a tavola a mangiare!” means “Everybody to the table to eat!” Lidia is looking forward to bringing her line of cookware and servingware to tables across the country through QVC.

Bastianich is a popular TV chef,, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business.

Her cookbooks include “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy” and “Lidia’s Italy” – both companion books to the Emmy-nominated television series, “Lidia’s Italy,” as well as Lidia’s Family Table, Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen, Lidia’s Italian Table, La Cucina di Lidia and the release of her first children’s book this fall, Nonna Tell Me a Story: Lidia’s Christmas Kitchen.

Bastianich is the chef/owner of Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. She is also a partner of Eataly, the largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in New York City.

She also produces award-winning wines at Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli and La Mozza Vineyards in Maremma, Italy. Along with her daughter Tanya, son-in-law Corrado Manuali, and partners Robert Quinn and John Baker, the team launched Nonna Foods in 2010 as a platform to distribute an array of both existing and new “Lidia’s” food products.

‘The Insider’ Goes Inside HSN, But Not Too Far

Lara Spencer chatted up Wolfgang Puck at HSN's studios

Yippee, as we’ve noted before, the traditional media has finally figured out that home shopping is not still about selling can openers and cubic zirconia anymore. Jeez, even Oprah Winfrey shops on HSN! (We’ll explain later.)

CNN woke up and made it official when it did a segment on QVC’s large role in Fashion Week in Manhattan this year. And this week “The Insider” sent the vapid and extremely annoying Lara Spencer down to HSN’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla., to do a story on how celebrities are flocking to sell goods on home shopping networks.

The story was a couple of minutes, which for “The Insider” is like an investigative report, even though it stated the obvious to anyone who knows the home shopping industry. But it was a great plug for HSN, that’s for sure.

The segment showed a clip of Liza Minnelli’s disastrous appearance, and there were also interviews with celebrity chef and pot peddler Wolfgang Puck, as well as Bill Brand, HSN’s executive vice president of programming, marketing and business development.

The segment said that HSN started in 1977 on AM radio selling electronic can openers. While there was once a “stigma” to appear on HSN, now celebs are calling the TV network to get on, we’re told.

“This world had changed and it’s been focused on finding those personalities that are popular, that are interesting but also very credible and authentic and are experts in their field,” Brand said to Spencer.

Spencer noted that Puck would be on the air for 10 hours, “not a single minute of it with a teleprompter,” the day she was in Florida shooting her segment.

“Welcome to a very tasty HSN,” Puck told Spencer.

She noted that as Puck was selling his cookware, HSN producers were watching how many people were calling in and buying, and then they told Puck through his earpiece whether to keep talking or move on.

There was also a clip of Sean “Diddy” Combs from his appearance on the home shopping network to sell his fragrance.

“I made it,” Combs said. “I’m on HSN, Ma.”

His fragrance, “I Am King,” sold out in 14 minutes, product that was meant to last for a two-hour show.

Brand also talked about singer Mary J. Blige debuting her new perfume exclusively on HSN. “That was really a first for the business,” he said.

“The Insider” also showed Oprah Winfrey calling in while Blige was on the air on HSN.

“I am supporting her and waiting on my shower gel,” Winfrey told Blige and HSN host Callie Northagen.

“You even have Oprah shopping on HSN, so it’s no surprise that HSN brings in $2 billion a year in revenue,” somebody whose name we didn’t catch said.

As for Spencer, she told us “it is not your grandmother’s HSN.”

No sh-t.

QVC Parent Liberty Media To Issue Third Quarter Results Nov. 5

Liberty Media Corp., parent of QVC, will release its third quarter earnings Nov. 5 at noon, the company said Wednesday.

Greg Maffei, Liberty Media’s president and CEO, will host the call. Maffei will discuss the company’s financial performance and outlook and may discuss the previously announced split-off of the Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz tracking stock groups.

Replays of the conference call can be accessed through 3 p.m. on Nov. 12, by dialing (888) 203-1112 or (719) 457-0820 plus the passcode 4402387#.

In addition, the second quarter earnings conference call will be broadcast live via the Internet. All interested participants should visit the Liberty Media website at http://www.libertymedia.com/events to register for the webcast.

Links to the press release and replays of the call will also be available on the Liberty Media website. The conference call and related materials will be archived on the website for one year.

Where Do You Stand On QVC Host Jayne Brown’s New ‘Do?

We must must have been asleep at the wheel again, but since when did QVC host Jayne Brown change her hairstyle?

Initially, Brown wore her hair straight and shoulder length.

Then she began rocking a short, natural Afro (see photo on her Facebook page).

Jayne's first straight do

We liked that look. Home shopping needs some flava.

Now we’re watching her introduce Thursday’s Today’s Special Value, quite ugly Clark suede boots, and she is back to longer straight hair again. Is is a wig? Is it a weave?

We’re not sure which we like best, the old ‘do or the new one.

ShopNBC Hires Former QVC Exec As VP Of Merchandising Analytics, Whatever That Means

ShopNBC Monday appointed QVC alum David Balliet as vice president of merchandising analytics.

Balliet joins ShopNBC with more than two decades of multi-media retailing experience in merchandising operations. Previously, he held several leadership roles in inventory planning and merchandise operations at QVC, serving most recently as vice president business analysis and reporting.

“We are excited to have Dave join the ShopNBC team,” ShopNBC president Bob Ayd said in a canned statement. “He comes to us with a proven background and leadership in the electronic retailing industry, along with significant expertise in optimizing merchandising operations. We look forward to leveraging his strong business analysis and inventory management capabilities to further drive our business.”

In accordance with the NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 4350, Balliet is being granted inducement stock options as of his first day of employment with ShopNBC, covering the right to purchase 50,000 shares of the company’s common stock. The options will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the company’s common stock on the date of the grant.

QVC’s Creede Silver Sale Is A Big Bust

QVC’s Creede Silver Day this year is a huge letdown, a paltry excuse for what was once 24 hours of programming and millions of dollars of merchandise.

The No. 1 home shopping network is only airing seven hours of Creede Silver TV programming Saturday, instead of round-the-clock fare.

But we are told that Creede Silver Day will be 24 hours online. Big whoop! And we just looked at the online items, and they are nothing to write home about.

To add insult to injury, the Today’s Special Value isn’t even a Creede Silver item. It’s a $125 skincare set from Dr. Denese!

Jewelry geeks, we are being dissed by QVC.