Everything You Need to Know About David Venable (2024)

From Good Housekeeping

If you're ever feeling down, just spend a couple of minutes watching David Venable. Considered "QVC's Resident Foodie," the 53-year-old host of In the Kitchen with David is known for his great cooking tips and helping customers stock their kitchens with the coolest gadgets. But really, it's his infectious personality, "happy" dances, and "yummy" faces, that have made him the most beloved QVC host ever.

And get this: The man so many people trust to recommend products and recipes is the same onscreen and off. And really, that makes us love him even more.

He's a Southern boy and proud of it.

David's North Carolina roots are at the core of everything he does - and well, cooks. Southern delicacies such as shrimp and grits and homemade biscuits are in the regular rotation on his show.

Even better, he showed his pride for his alma mater - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill – when he invited the Clef Hangers, an all-male a capella group that he was part of during his college days, to perform a Christmas carol live on air.

Although he now calls Philadelphia home, he infuses Southern tradition into his day-to-day life, mainly through the dishes he crafts in the kitchen. (But if you ever make your way to Philly, you might catch David at his favorite spot, Rittenhouse Square!)

He started working at QVC 25 Years Ago.

No, David never thought he'd be selling kitchen gadgets on TV for a living. He studied journalism in college with the intention to cover hard news. After reporting local news in West Virginia and Pennsylvania for a few years, David took a job at QVC and decades later, he now has his own weekly show (and a massive following).

For David, working for an e-commerce giant was the best decision he ever made."When I was at UNC, I had no idea TV shopping existed. I just wanted to be in TV news. But if I wasn’t open to going where live TV might take me, I might never have found QVC," he told Philadelphia Magazine. He credits his long career to his ability to build relationships with his coworkers - he actually considers them to be family - and his loyal viewers. "Getting into e-commerce and TV, it’s all about communication and being who you are. Letting someone get to know you opens the door to people feeling comfortable about what you have to say."

His "happy dance" is an internet favorite.

Okay, true foodies know that sometimes you can't help but celebrate a delicious a meal ... by busting a few dance moves. David has a created a dance of his own - and people love it (obviously).

He credits his love of cooking to his mother.

If you regularly tune into In the Kitchen with David, you probably know about his mother, Sarah. Not only has he given her a shout-out on her birthday and Mother's Day, but he's also shared her famous banana pudding recipe with viewers.

His mother taught him to be savvy in the kitchen, which he says was a necessity since she worked a full-time job and was a single parent raising three children. Beyond the kitchen basics, his mother taught him to dream big: "I was raised by a single mom, and I’m the youngest of three kids. We were always encouraged to work hard toward our goals. Whenever I had a pie in the sky idea, my mother never thought anything was out of reach," he told Philadelphia Magazine.

He loves Ina Garten (same David, same).

When you host a cooking show like David, you meet all of the biggest names in food. But for David, meeting Ina Garten, his culinary hero, was his be-all and end-all. "When I was meeting her for the first time, she put me at ease," he told Philadelphia Magazine. "She was so excited to be on my show. She made me feel like my little show was a big deal." Oh, and he obviously performed a "happy dance" when Ina appeared on his show a few years back. We wouldn't expect anything but.

He's the author of two successful cookbooks.

It only seems fitting that "The Man Who Helps America Cook" would pen a few cookbooks of his own. His two releases, Comfort Foods That Take You Home and Back Around the Kitchen, have sold more than 500,000 copies.

He's the go-to kitchen gadget guy.

We all turn to QVC to see the latest and greatest products - and David knows his stuff. In 2014, he sold more than $250 million worth of egg poachers, frozen crab cakes and backyard smokers, according to The New York Times. It's simple: He knows what people want and how to sell it to them - in a matter of minutes.

Rachel Ray witnessed this firsthand. In one overnight marathon she sold $4 million in cookware - and she says it's all because of David. "He is so insanely sincere when he goes to work," she told the New York Times. "David doesn’t go to work to sell. He goes to work to be enthusiastic." The access to top-of-the-line gadgets and record sales are simply a perk of the job, not the priority.

So, what product takes the top spot? "The best gadget in my kitchen is the Deni 49-blade stainless steel meat tenderizer ($30, amazon.com)," he told Philadelphia Magazine. "I have hundreds and hundreds of gadgets, but it’s the one I use most consistently."

He's good friends with Ree Drummond.

In fact, she wrote the forewords for one of his best-selling cookbooks. "Whether he's throwing an elegant dinner party, hosting a couple of friends for Sunday brunch, or just whipping up a simple supper on a weeknight, there's kindness and care behind the food David cooks," Drummond wrote in Back Around the Table. "In a way, I guess you could say David Venable's food is his ministry! And in that sense, I am a faithful follower."

Tune in for In the Kitchen with David, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET and Sundays at Noon ET. (Or leave QVC running 24/7 to catch David talking about the best kitchen gadgets and cookbooks on the daily.)

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