Former QVC Host Antonella Nester Shares How Faith Carried Her Through Breast Cancer and Being Fired

Former QVC host Antonella Nester will never forget the chapter in her life when she almost lost everything.

“I lost my job. We lost our house. I got diagnosed with two cancers,” Nester shared on the Tuesday, April 28, episode of the “StRest” podcast. “[My husband] had a heart attack. … and I laugh because if I don’t, I’ll cry.”

In a new interview with fellow QVC star and podcast host Kerstin Lindquist, however, Nester — who has now overcome breast cancer and leukemia — recalled how faith kept her pushing through life’s biggest twists and turns.

“I’ve talked to God my whole life. He’s always been a big part of my life,” she explained. “One of the biggest gifts that my mom and dad gave me is my faith. I went to Catholic school for 12 years, church every Sunday.”

When Nester’s husband was hospitalized for a heart attack following her own health scares, the home shopping veteran found herself talking angrily to God in a parking lot.

“I was like, ‘Are you kidding me right now?!’” she recalled. “This is my prayer. It’s me talking to him.”

Soon after, Nester said she received a supportive text message from her college roommate, Colleen, who she hadn’t heard from in 10 years. In the text, Colleen applauded the former QVC host for being open about her health struggles on Facebook and wanted to remind her to “stay strong, be faithful, and God loves you.”

From that moment on, Nester said her anger towards God disappeared and her outlook on the future changed for the better. As she described to listeners, it was an example that “God will text message you.”

“I got back on the phone with God,” she said. “I said, ‘I’m really sorry. I know you’re with me. I know you’ll take care of us.’”

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After taping the podcast, Lindquist opened up about how special it was to reunite with her former QVC colleague. (Lindquist said goodbye to the shopping network in February 2025 after 13 years with the company to pursue other projects.)

“She talks about being angry with God — and carrying guilt over that for years. Until now,” Lindquist wrote in her newsletter. “If you’ve ever felt shame over how you handled a situation, if you’ve ever wrestled with disappointment, fear or even anger toward God, this conversation is for you. As she sits in the sun on her boat and shares her story, you can see the transformation. A life no longer rooted in title or security, but in faith.”

Lindquist added, “Her story, her struggles, her healing will bring you hope for even your darkest times.”