Hi there,
Twenty years have passed since Program Host Rick Domeier joined QVC on October 10, 1994. Now, he’s happily married with two boys and one of the most recognizable faces and personalities on QVC. “A lot has happened in 20 years,” Rick muses. “All in all, it’s been a wonderful experience.”
I first met Rick shortly after I started at QVC about 16 years ago. I took my mom on the QVC Studio Tour.Rick appeared along the tour route and stopped and spoke to the group, and I remember how excited and impressed everyone was (myself included!). Working with Rick over the years, I’ve always found him to be incredibly enthusiastic, no matter how mundane my requests may be. It’s that infectious enthusiasm that makes him such a joy to work with in the eyes of his coworkers.
Host Dan Wheeler has been working with Rick from the beginning, witnessing his growth from an anxious rookie to a QVC mainstay, and he’s gotten to know him quite well over the years. “We have a mutual respect for each other; we know each other’s strengths. That’s why we work so well together. I consider Rick to be a great friend, not a co-host. I think the world of him.”
Dan, who co-hosted Home Projects with Rick and Dan for more than 10 years and is launching a new show with Rick called Gourmet Nation with the Food Dudes says, “Rick has boundless energy, and we both feel like two big kids who never grew up and never want to. We may get older, but we refuse to grow up.
“Speaking of getting older, we used to do promos for the Home Projects show, and my all-time favorite was when they made us up to look like old men,” laughs Dan. “It was very funny—we didn’t even need a script. Rick’s very quick-witted, so I’ve always enjoyed working with him. One of my fondest memories was when we were celebrating the Home Projects show’s 10th anniversary. They brought out a cake, and Rick picked up a piece and threw it at me, which turned into a big food fight! There was cake all over our faces, all over everyone—we were just laughing.”
Aside from his sense of humor, Rick is also known for his seemingly endless energy. No matter the product or the presentation, Rick gives it his all, a trait his colleagues marvel at and admire. “Twenty years, and Rick is still going 100 mph,” remarks Craig Smith, electronics expert and on-air guest. “His energy is amazing, contagious. I always look forward to an airing with Rick. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get, but you know it will be something great.”
Shawn Killinger, friend and co-host of Anything Goes with Rick & Shawn, agrees. “We call him Captain Midnight becauseyou always see him kicking off a new day with the energy of a human cannonballact! One of my favorite memories of Rick is when I was still a baby host. When he met me, he flashed that camera-ready smile, shook my hand, and gave me a headshot of himself, signed ‘Yourfave host, Rick.’ He’s like my big brother at QVC.It’s a cool,cool thing to get to know him.”
“I’ll never forget when Rick and I did some impromptu Quacker Factory modeling!” remembers Host David Venable. “It was a pullover top, so we each wore the top and matching headbands (a Jeanne Bice trademark) and ran out live on air to help model the clothing. Jeanne Bice couldn’t stop laughing!”
When asked about his favorite memories of the last 20 years, Rick recites a lengthy list. He singles out Joan Rivers (“Working with Joan was a blast”) and Jimmy Fallon (“I worked with Jimmy Fallon! That was awesome!”) as two of his favorite celebrity collaborators. But it’s working with entrepreneurs that Rick finds especially rewarding. “I love working with people who have created a gadget. Seeing the tears in the eyes of these people after their product sells out is just amazing.”
Rick recalls climbing the Great Wall of China, standing among the mountains in Switzerland, broadcasting from Germany, and mentoring new hosts in Italy as some of the many highlights of his two decades with QVC. “I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world. That part of the job has been incredible—the biggest, most pleasant surprise of my 20 years.”
A customer recently wrote to me and shared, “I remember when Rick was told on camera that he was a permanenthost. He said something to the effect that his parents wouldn’t have to help support him any longer. Look at him now!”
If you have a favorite memory of Rick, email it to me at QVCInsider@QVC.com and I’ll post it in a future blog.
Be sure to check my blog in November for a look back at Joan Rivers over the years.
Happy trails!
Troy
QVC Editor
