QVC Host Mary Beth Roe Speaks Out About Leaving Network After 37 Years

After nearly four decades of viewers welcoming her into their homes through their television screens, QVC personality Mary Beth Roe is preparing for her final broadcast this Friday, reflecting on her lengthy career and the emotional farewell ahead.

The 65-year-old shopping network veteran, who joined QVC in 1987, shared insights with Us Weekly about her upcoming retirement celebration scheduled for March 21.

“There are some things planned that I have no idea about, and that’s what scares me because I don’t like a lot of surprises,” Roe admitted. “But I’m sure there’ll be good surprises. However, I went to the person who’s planning that show and said, ‘Here are some of the people that I want there.’”

Her final broadcast, titled My Time with Mary Beth — Retirement Celebration, has been thoughtfully curated to include brands and guests that hold special significance to Roe. She specifically requested that her longtime friend and QVC home decorating expert Valerie Parr Hill participate in the farewell show. “It will all be products that I’m familiar with, that I like the brand, I like the person who is the guest,” she explained to Us Weekly, noting that the goal was to ensure she would be “surrounded by people I love.”

Despite being offered a live studio audience for her send-off, Roe opted for a more intimate setting, concerned about becoming overwhelmed with emotion. “I love our customers and I love meeting our customers. But then I started thinking about how I may just have a meltdown, an emotional breakdown, and I thought, ‘I don’t want to do that from an audience,’” she said.

Roe initially announced her retirement plans in June 2024, describing it as a “tough decision” guided by her faith and personal priorities. She cited family as a primary motivation for stepping away from her broadcasting career. “I have four grandkids, and I don’t want to regret missing out on their lives because I spent another year or two working,” she explained.

The timing also felt right professionally, as she expressed confidence in the current hosting team at QVC. “I always said to myself I will never leave my team until I feel like my team is strong and cohesive and just a great team of hosts, and it is right now,” Roe explained.

The retirement celebrations have already begun, with a weekend gathering of past and present QVC personalities, producers, and vendors honoring Roe’s contributions to the network. Fellow host Shawn Killinger shared a tribute on Instagram following the event, praising Roe as “entirely pure of spirit, heart, intention,” and noting how rare it is to find “one who always has time for a kind word, encouragement, a laugh, a cry, a prayer.”

As her final week unfolds with special prime-time programming, Roe hopes to leave a lasting impression as a “heartfelt host” who adhered to the philosophy that “product is king, customer is queen and hosts come third.” Her parting wish reflects her signature positivity: “I always wanted to be a light in the darkness, and whatever the darkness might be, just to lift up people’s days.”

Viewers can watch My Time with Mary Beth — Retirement Celebration on QVC Friday, March 21, at 8 p.m. ET.