Former QVC Host Lisa Robertson Opens Up About Stalkers On GMA
Ex QVC star Lisa Roberston broke her silence on Good Morning America about being harassed by multiple stalkers during her long career on the home shopping channel.
In the interview that aired on the ABC show this morning, Roberston told Robin Roberts that the situation understandably freaked her out and that she initially didn’t know how to handle it. “I would lock myself in my house and go to work. I should have educated myself; I should have been more proactive.”
Since exiting QVC, Lisa Robertson declared that she has indeed become more informed and has taken control over her own destiny. No one “should be afraid in their own home; that’s not acceptable.”
Last October, Robertson, 49, stunned her many QVC fans and viewers of the channel in general by announcing that after a lot of soul-searching, she was leaving the West Chester, Pennsylvania-based shopping network as of December 12, 2014, for an unspecified new challenge and new adventure. In case you’re wondering, the initials QVC stand for “quality, value, convenience.”
A former Miss Tennessee and trained classical violinist, Lisa Robertson worked at two other shopping channels before joining QVC in 1995. Over her 20-year tenure on QVC, Robertson hosted PM Style, Friday Night Beauty, Lisa About Style, and The Lisa Robertson Show, plus the annual A Lisa Robertson Christmas, her signature holiday decorating program which aired its final installment on December 12. Through the years, Robertson developed a strong bond with millions of QVC viewers, particularly in the fashion arena.
Robertson recalled that even after going through the emotional process of testifying against one of the stalkers in court, the individual apparently resumed his obsessive behavior after being released from jail.
Looking back on the difficult, stressful ordeal of multiple stalkers, Roberston offered this insight and advice to those who might be similarly situated.
“For a lot of years, it was something that definitely impacted me to a much greater extent that I would have liked…I have learned that my way of dealing with things is to hide. This is not productive. I am working on that. I have also learned that the best way to deal with it is to be proactive. There are amazing resources online, there are hotlines, there are laws, there are people, there are systems. You are not alone if this happens to you.”
The stalker issue was not was not the reason why she quit QVC, Robertson added, although “it was one of the factors that led to the overall list…I truly felt it was time to leave.”
As far as what the future might hold career-wise, the former QVC fashionista continues to be noncommital. “At this point, I’m just taking a minute to breathe…It’s not gong to be forever…I’m not retired,” she insisted.
Following up on the GMA interview on her Facebook page, Lisa Robertson wrote that “I want to thank Robin Roberts and Good Morning America for giving me the opportunity to speak about an important subject that affects over 7,000,000 people a year. I hope it starts more discussions. It could be important to yourself or someone you love.”
[Photo by Matthew Peyton/Getty Images Entertainment]