Following the departure of Rita Sullivan on a round-the-world cruise in 2009, Norris Cole employed a series of assistants at The Kabin who unfortunately, were not cut out for the job. Sheila Wheeler, the first newly-appointed assistant was sacked by Norris due to her incessant wittering (although her dismissal rendered her speechless) and she was quickly replaced by Joan. At her "interview", Norris was impressed with her Curriculum Vitae and the quality of paper that had been used, but soon after offering the position it became apparent that Joan was the exact opposite of Sheila and could hardly get a word out of her - it was her mother's belief to "only speak when you'd got something worth saying".