‘The interesting thing about Phyllis is that she has a number of really dull and boring virtues, but she is far from dull and boring,’ says Trina McQueen. ‘She is extremely well organized, completely straightforward and trustworthy; she is reliable, so on that side of it she sounds like a Girl Guide. But in fact, she has a great sense of humor, she’s a little bit naughty and there’s a nice edge to her.’

In addition to her ability to deliver strong, passionate messages and her talent for speaking on her feet, McQueen says Yaffe’s sense of humor came in handy when in 1995 Yaffe and McQueen found themselves traveling across the country defending the new specialty channels. McQueen was launching Discovery and Yaffe Showcase in what McQueen refers to as ‘the absolute most disastrous launch in the history of Canadian, and perhaps worldwide, television.’

‘It was great to have somebody who took her job seriously but didn’t take herself or other people seriously. She was able to go on these talk shows, deliver a message that was very strong, even passionate, but then when that was over she was ready to kick back, relax and have fun with the whole thing.’ MMS