Stacy London Looking Great on Today
Posted: Monday, July 09, 2007 1:10 PM by Jaclyn Levin
(From Emily Goldberg, Today Assistant)
A few months ago, I blogged about my responsibilities as a Today assistant. Here's some additional info on my job (and this one is pretty cool) – the opportunity to assist the guest hosts for the 9-10:00 o'clock hour.
Last week the guest host for the 9 o'clock hour was Stacy London, co-host of TLC's What Not To Wear and Shut Up It's Stacy, which premiers on TLC in October. If you haven't heard of her yet, the best way to describe her is F-A-S-H-I-O-N. On her show What Not To Wear, Stacy is the absolute go-to-guru for style advice and wardrobe critiquing....I have to admit I tried on every possible outfit combination from my closet (and my roommates) before I first met her.
Energetic, smart and sassy, Stacy's enthusiasm on the show was contagious--and she was a lot of fun to be around. You can tell how many people admired her by the hoards of people who wanted a photograph, an autograph, or even some honest advice on how to improve their look.
Curious to find out how her first week went, I decided to do a Q and A with Stacy London. Below are her thoughts:
Q: The week is over, on a scale of 1 to 10, what do you rate it?
Stacy: I give it an 11!! I don't know if my performance was an 11, but it was an experience of a lifetime and I felt very, very lucky. I learned more and more everyday here, and I can't say enough about the entire cast. Lester is so warm and friendly, he was like Father Christmas, and he kept telling me not to worry and have fun. Ann and Natalie both gave me pointers on how to be a good host and lots of encouragement everyday. They've both interviewed me a bunch of times, so there was something nice and familiar about hosting with them…I never felt like the odd one out. This morning, Meredith came up to me and gave me a hug and told me I was doing a great job!
Q: Any particular challenges that you faced?
Stacy: Everyone makes it seem so easy on TV, but there are a lot of things that go into making a show great. Many people don't know this but all of the anchors have an IFB device in their ear (which means you can hear the director in the control room.) Every night before the show, you get your packet of materials to review because you really have to know your stuff when you walk in every morning. You must be familiar enough with the segment so that you're not just reading lines from the script. I needed to learn how to present the material without seeming over-rehearsed.
Q: Were you nervous at all? Any butterflies?
Stacy: Butterflies yes. They were made of lead! Everyday they got a little bit lighter. I don't know if it ever goes away (especially with live TV which is much different). Live TV is much different because you need to be not only entertaining, but also smart at the same time. Sometimes I was so nervous I doubt I could’ve remembered my name!
Q: You had so much energy on the show--how did you deal with the early hours? Lots of coffee??
Stacy: I didn't really have a special routine. The problem is that I should have gone to bed earlier, but it was really hard to go to bed early!! The energy you saw on TV was pure adrenaline. I also tried not to drink coffee late in the day (just early in the morning). Not going to lie, I did take a nap everyday afterwards.
Q: You covered everything from husking corn to removing calluses...did you have any favorite segments?
Stacy: I did love the chicken and corn segment but my favorite segment was on Friday titled "Fighting in Front of Your Kids." WATCH VIDEO This segment really took me out of my comfort zone. It was a serious topic that we did in the studio rather than outside. This more sedate environment was a real challenge for me. And I do like a challenge. My background isn't in news, it's in fashion, and so to get the opportunity to talk about these serious things was really great. I just wanted to make sure I gave the subject and guest the respect they deserved. So I wanted to make sure that I hit the right note.
The food segments were also great because I don't know how to cook, but neither do a lot of the viewers…so I could talk about grilling and ask questions that many viewers could relate to. Foot problems--believe me, that I do know about because I wear high heels 24 hours a day!
Q: What would you say is the main difference between hosting TLC's What Not To Wear and hosting Today?
Stacy: For one thing, The Today Show is live, all of the segments are timed, and there is no do-over when you mess up. There is also teleprompter and a lot more scripting. What Not To Wear is all ad-libbing, so I'm a writer as well as the host. Also, since I'm very well versed in topics involving fashion, I can talk on and on about fashion… but on Today there is a variety of topics and you have 30 seconds to be tough and witty at the same time. That's new for me.
It really amazed me how all of the hosts on the show are so good at ad-libbing and timing and cutting into commercials. I had to learn how to get the rhythm down in each segment and not chime in while someone was in the middle of saying something serious.
Q: What do you think of the Today Show staffers fashion sense?
Stacy: Well that could use some work. Not the on camera staff, but the off camera crew. I love them but it's time to get rid of the baggy, tapered jean look and denim shorts guys! I have my work cut out for me. Leslie, a stage manager, has been trying to bait me all week with her outfits! She's my next project! Hear that Leslie?
Q: What about favorite moments on the show?
Stacy: Loads of favorite moments this week-- like Lester stealing my line! (I got him back the next day though). Fall Out Boy was AMAZING. Jeff Ranieri was absolutely hilarious! Natalie and I were color-coordinated twins on the last day of the show. We could have been Ann and Lester's back-up singers! I really felt like part of the family this week.
