Fierce, inspirational and at times slightly deranged... but we'll save the against-all-odds story of getting to work this morning for another time because we've got an exclusive look at another odds-defying figure. Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work is an acclaimed warts-and-all documentary that pulls back the curtain on the legendary stand-up, doyenne of US telly and all-round force of nature.
While she's not as well known on this side of the Pond (her **Shrek 2 **cameo was replaced with - yikes - Kate Thornton for the movie's UK release), Rivers' story is filled with triumph, adversity, survival and the odd trip to the botox clinic. As you can see from this clip, the 75 year-old's close-ups are mini miracles of modern science.
Documentarians Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg show Rivers dealing with personal tragedy to deliver brilliantly acerbic stand-up. Check it out when Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work is released on DVD on November 15.