Reference books suggest that Joan Rivers was born in 1933. Or 1935. Though given the cosmetic surgery she has had, some parts of her may be considerably younger.
What we do know for certain is that she was born Joan Molinsky in Brooklyn and for the past 30 years she has been America's queen of acidic backchat. She is aggressive and sharper than a stiletto but frequently makes herself the butt of the joke: "As for my sex appeal - I was stood up by Bigfoot."
Over here Rivers might be best remembered for her dubious Eighties chat show, Can We Talk? in which Peter Cook played her sofa sidekick, but unadulterated adult stand-up is her forte.
She is certainly a tough cookie - in 1987 following the cancellation of her television show in America, her husband committed suicide - but she has rebuilt her career to become a living legend. Not that she is averse to a little diversifying.
Her latest show is called Broke And Alone, although these days she is certainly not the former. Thanks to a tidy sideline selling her own line of jewellery on the QVC home shopping channel.
