Connie Craig-Carroll, Two Other Hosts Exit HSN

Today was apparently bloody Friday for HSN hosts, with three of them apparently getting pink slips under the network’s new ownership.

Connie Craig-Carroll, who has been a host for nearly 22 years, Robin Wall and Brett Chukerman are all exiting. They each posted the news individually on their Facebook pages.

It’s a pretty big shakeup, but perhaps not unexpected now that HSN is under the ownership of Qurate Retail, parent of QVC. We sympathize, especially with Craig-Carroll. When a company is looking to slash costs, it usually gives veteran employees who are on the top of the pay scale the can. It happened to us twice.

Craig-Carroll left a long goodbye. She pointed out that she had gotten married, had a baby and became a single mom during her tenure at the network, where she has worked since she was 27.

She said she is moving on to her next adventure and will be leaving HSN next month. Craig-Carroll asked people to post their favorite moments or products, and a bevy of HSN vendors lamented her exit.

Chukerman, who has been on HSN for eight years, said he will be departing the network next month as well.

Wall said she had met her husband at HSN nearly 25 years ago, but she has only been a host at the network for 10 years. Her last show is Saturday, June 15, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.

“God has always guided my path so I look forward to where it leads next,” she wrote.

Amen to that.

HSN Debuted Its ‘New Face’ At Big Apple Soiree Tonight

We were busy at work and had to miss it, but HSN threw a big shindig in Manhattan tonight to celebrate the relaunch of its website.

Brett on the red carpet at HSN’s Manhattan party

The festivities took place at the newly renovated Marquee New York on 10th Avenue and and 26th Street.

There was a red carpet outside the affair, and HSN host Brett Chukerman tweeted photos of himself interviewing HSN’s celeb guests. Who they heck they were, we have no idea.

Jersey Girl Lesley Ann Machado Joins HSN Host Roster

Well, we’re starting to see who HSN has hired to replace Chris Scanlon and Alicia Perez. They’ve brought on a Jersey Girl, among others.

We fell asleep on the couch after an exhausting week with HSN on, and woke up at 5 a.m. Saturday to see new host Lesley Ann Machado on with designer Antthony Mark Hankins.

They were both chattering away, and Hankins said they had just met and found out each one was from Jersey. Hankins is from Elizabeth, N.J.

He mentioned they had done some “Jersey talk,” as we all do, and that Machado was from a place “one town over” from where he grew up. Machado is Cuban American, and Union City, N.J., has a large Cuban population.

Here is her HSN.com bio:

Born into a loving and very Cuban home, Lesley hails from New Jersey but has spent most of her adult life in Los Angeles, CA. She recently moved to Florida to be part of the HSN family! As a busy first time mom, feeling prepared and looking the part is always important to Lesley Ann. She even wore false eyelashes during the delivery of her baby. “I wanted to look fabulous throughout!”

We all know that Brett Chukerman, of the racy movies, is also an addition to HSN’s host roster. But we also saw another two names that looked new.

Those were Carrie Smith and Anji Corley.

On Smith:

Although she can claim roots in Phoenix, Nashville and Los Angeles, there’s a good chance Carrie Smith has been to your town. Carrie began her career working as an emcee on various country music tours before transitioning her talents to in front of the camera. In 2011 she set her sites on her favorite network, HSN. Combining her love for shopping and passion for the latest products with her positive presence on screen, Carrie now feels she is right at home.

On Corley:

A New York native, Anji, debuted on HSN in 2011 and is thrilled to help viewers with their shopping experience with flash and flavor! She brings an expertise ranging from interviewing A-list celebrities on TV & radio to transforming the lives of young people through mentoring. This “foodie” savors unique eateries, laughing, traveling and spending time with loved ones.

Does New HSN Host Brett Chukerman Have A Checkered Past?

Chris Scanlon may be gone, but HSN has a replacement.

The newest addition to HSN’s host roster is Brett Chukerman.

One of our Facebook friends charged that Chukerman is an ex-gay porn star. We guess it is all in the eye of the beholder. The former actor was in a few racy movies, that’s true. According to his IMDB profile, he had roles in “Boys To Men,” “Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds,” “Evil Bong II: King Bong” and “The Curiosity of Chance.”

Here’s a description of “Eating Out 2” from IMDB: “After Marc dumps him, Kyle unites with Gwen and Tiffani to land sexually confused art model Troy by pretending to be straight. However, Marc wants Troy, too, and members from a notorious ‘ex-gay’ group are slipping for the both of them.”

Chukerman played Marc in that film classic.

Brett Chukerman

Here’s what HSN says about him:

With a love of live television, Brett jumped off the red carpets of Hollywood to join HSN in 2011. His appetite for pop culture is matched by his love of technology. His intellectual curiosity spans from the latest electronics to the newest ideas in health, fitness, and house wares. He has a secret love for country music, historical fiction novels and cats – a strange mixture for sure, but one that keeps viewers guessing what he’ll say next. Brett loves guiding customers in their quest to upgrade and innovate their lives.

Here is his website, with more details: http://www.brettchukerman.com/about/

It says that Chukerman acted “in a slew of independent films before finding his true passion as an on-air host and presenter.” We guess that is referring to titles such as “Eating Out 2.”

He worked for the Auction Network and did red-carpet coverage of the Oscar’s for Oscar.com.

The bio also says that Chukerman has experience on home shopping networks, on Beverly Hills TV and My V Channel in Great Britain.