Bio
Lisa Whelchel is an American actress best known for her role as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner in the television series The Facts of Life, from 1979-1988.
Since the series ended in 1988 she has appeared only twice on screen: in the direct-to-video movie Where the Red Fern Grows: Part 2 (1992) and in the TV special The Facts of Life Reunion (2001).
Whelchel became a Born Again Christian at the age of 10 (according to her website) and has since devoted her life to the pursuit of Christian teachings.
She writes books of anecdotes and advice that provide guidance on various topics which she feels should be handled in a manner appropriate to the teachings of Jesus.
These include topics such as child rearing and motherhood. She is also a staunch advocate of homeschooling.
In 2004, Whelchel wrote about placing a drop of hot sauce on her children's tongues as a means of discipline for lying, using language she considers inappropriate, or biting.
Whelchel was quoted in the media as saying that she considers 'hot saucing' an effective punishment, and that discipline involves setting limits, which will result in pain when the limits are crossed.
In May 2006, Whelchel unwittingly appeared (along with her Facts of Life co-stars, Nancy McKeon and Mindy Cohn) on a gay and lesbian radio station called SIRIUS OutQ (where she was interviewed by gay comedian Frank DeCaro).
This caused ripples of controversy through her primarily Christian fanbase, some of whom considered her voluntary appearance on the show a silent endorsement of homosexuality.
Whelchel stated she did not know it was a gay station until halfway through the interview.