With her acerbic comments and cutting wit, Joan Rivers will be remembered as someone who pushed comedic boundaries and had the Hollywood A-List quaking in their boots about what she would say next.
But when I first met Joan at 5am on the set on her E! show Fashion Police, she couldn't have been more friendly and warm. Placing a sheriff badge on my top, she said to me: “Now, you’re officially one of Joan’s Rangers!”
Immaculate, with perfectly style blonde hair and flawless makeup, sparkling with a gigantic diamond necklace, Joan exuded the look and energy of someone half her age. She told me she worked out every day – at least half an hour on the treadmill followed by free weights and she admitted: 'I'm that moron who always walks up the stairs – I won't use the elevator'. She maintained that life was too short to diet and was quick to tell me she was an unstoppable workaholic.
Although filming for the Fashion Police Emmys and VMA special started 6am, she had been up writing the show all night and had come up with catty one-liners whilst sitting up in bed with her beloved daughter Melissa, 46, in her LA mansion.
Poignantly and as it turns out, prophetically, Joan told me: “I’ve had periods in my life when I wasn’t famous and no one would give me a show so now I never take a break. I’ll sleep when I’m dead…”
During breaks in filming, Joan couldn’t resist taking the microphone and teasing the live audience with stories from her life – including sharing the same hairdressers with Jackie Onassis and hanging out with Elvis. She even joked that her close friend Cher was a “slut” and a “whore”. Noticeably, her co-stars Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic were in non-stop stitches watching her.
But even more palpable was the connection between Joan and her daughter Melissa – who is a producer on Fashion Police. Between takes the pair would banter with Melissa teasing Joan: “Mummy stop! Start again with the next cue, your’re getting it wrong!” A laughing Joan would fire back: “Just f**k off!”. Joan later talked about her incredible bond she had with Melissa and how proud she was of her daughter.
The comedian spoke excitedly about gearing up for UK tour, set to start next month. She showed no signs of stopping her feisty hurricane approach to life, right until the end and will be sadly missed by all who adored her.
Read my full interview with Joan in Closer Magazine, out 9th September