There was a documentary on Channel 4 way back, seems it is on Youtube. It was about shopping channels, showing QVC as the big one and IW as the newbie.
IW had nothing to sell on the first show. Debbie Flint was hated by the wife of the original owner, who called her C U Next Tuesday.
So the fire happen and when IW returned she was not on air any longer. Paul Layers was held to his contract and not released, but now allowed on the channel. He had to wait until his contract ran out before getting another job.
Debbie Flint was on another channel which was very short-lived before going back to QVC.