Alison Young 'Qualified Beauty Expert' ?!?!?

shopperholic said:

Thanks Lynn, no I've never found her funny either :mysmilie_3:

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I know and sometimes to some of the guest presenters (especially the long-standing ones (such as the Decleor and Elemis presenters)), she sometimes gets ( imho) a bit too close to the knuckle (as it were), by making what I feel are very personal and not needed, it makes the guest presenters go 'off-kilter' for a moment and makes viewing slightly awkward. I know some of the guest presenters know that she can be a bit curt and sharp, but the longer standing presenters can 'take-it' (or are the consummate professionals), but for some of the newer guest presenters it does feel very awkward (and I am surprised that some come back) No whilst she is honest and does have the SOH and does seem to be genuine (when compared to other presenters), she does seem to have another side to her.

In the early days when the did the In The Salon shows the white uniform with a co presenter, she laughed with them about silly stuff. Paul Lavers and Julian especially all seemed to have fun. QVC changed and so did she, its more about pushing sales very very very rarely does even say, "If you have X or Y this is not for you."

I remember the documentary they did about shopping telly QVC behind the scenes compared to IW. In one general beauty show they sold £20,000 worth of product. Now that was years back, the documentary maker was shocked! The producer talking to AY in her ear piece told her how much she had sold. So now it is really all about sales and how much you can shift in an hour. Because the companies can make so much money in one hour(I was told recently by someone who used to work for Benefit. One hour on QVC sold more product in one hour than could be sold in all of Ireland in a month via counters), the guests do not want to upset AY and rock the boat. So over the years she really has become important in their eyes and can get away with stuff normal sales staff could not. The only person who stood up to her(and she was sitting down), was Eve Lom she took no sh*t and refused to be talked over. Eve was at the time the owner of a multi million pound company, which she indeed sold for BIG Money some years back.

i like when she laughs at herself i.e once she was selling some really naff curling tongs that made her hair look like rag dolly anna. she came on tv with her hair looking like she had a very bad electric shock. hysterical. sometimes i think she's laughing at qvc and some of the tat she has to sell. love her or hate her she's in my book a funny lady in the nicest way :mysmilie_3:

All that proves to me though boffy is that she has no integrity, it's good enough for mere customers who she expects to buy the tat that she finds funny, from an equally funny employer. Not to worry though each to their own, we all like different people and things, that's what makes the world go round. :mysmilie_14:

Let's face it, there are no universally liked QVC presenters. Some are more polarising than others.

Even liking AY, I don't think she's perfect.

What I would say is that while Ali pokes fun (unfunny to some) on others, she can take it dished straight back at her. There are plenty of others who "joke" but absolutely cannot deal with being the pokee instead poker.

I don't suppose anyone will alter their opinion, and we wouldn't have lively interaction on here or in real life if we just all agreed on everything other posters said. And even where we do agree there is the fascinating differences in why we come to hold a view.

I remember that programme Donna has mentioned, it was interesting to see behind the scenes.
As for AY and beauty guests, I've often thought that they have to keep on the right side of her, or else they won't be invited back. She probably has quite a bit of power over the beauty department.

Wasn`t there an occasion where she slapped someone on air ? I seem to vaguely remember a long ago thread about it.

I actually have AY to thank for introducing me to this forum, believe it or not. I googled "Alison Young annoying" and up popped a post on shoppingtelly.com! This was about ten years ago, when I first started watching QVC. I couldn't bear her and she continued to annoy me for ages until maybe a couple of years ago. Somehow, I don't mind her now. It could be because I watch far less, or that other presenters absorb all my annoyance and she is a relief.

I do agree that Alison seems able to the flak and laugh at herself, which I like. She's also got a bit of a smutty sense of humour which appeals to me (especially when she can't control her giggles over something that's been said but has to try and carry on). It's a pity about the overdone make-up sometimes (especially when she should know better if she's professing 'expertise'), the odd dress sense and ankle boots, but I'll let her off (for now).

Still don't believe a word she, or any of the others, say when in sales mode!

shopperholic said:

All that proves to me though boffy is that she has no integrity, it's good enough for mere customers who she expects to buy the tat that she finds funny, from an equally funny employer. Not to worry though each to their own, we all like different people and things, that's what makes the world go round. :mysmilie_14:

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Wise words, as ever, shopperholic.

Vienna said:

Wasn`t there an occasion where she slapped someone on air ? I seem to vaguely remember a long ago thread about it.

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Yes! Think it was Alexis of L'Occitane? Then tried to laugh it off when official complaints where made by some viewers. Said they where friends and Alexis knew it as a joke. Something like that. Also have a vague idea she slapped a model for doing something(not in the face).

I don't do beauty and am useless at applying make up as I have ultra sensitive skin and dare not upset the apple cart, but even I can see that her own make up is terrible. In department stores the beauty girls (or heavily made up boys in my Boots) are often plastered but at least it is well done in that modern overdone style whereas AY is 20 years out of date and not in a good way.

Make up, hair and clothes all need a mega makeover. Young people will always go with the latest fad. It's one thing for older ladies to have "your own style" (Joanna Lumley etc) but AY has no style at all.