Martha Stewart & Dolly Parton Bond Over the Beauty of "Older Women": "You Go, Girls!"
With Martha landing Sports Illustrated and Dolly dancing with the Dallas cheerleaders, these It Girls have still got it.
Lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart, co-host of NBC's new competition series Yes, Chef!, has been killing it for decades, whether that's in a swimsuit in Dominican Republic or whipping up a recipe in the kitchen. In a 2023 episode of her hit podcast, Stewart engaged in a heartfelt conversation with country music icon Dolly Parton about the joys of embracing one's age.
Stewart invited the country music legend and her younger sister, Rachel Parton George, to discuss their cooking book on The Martha Stewart Podcast. The trio delved into various exciting topics, culminating in a cheerful chat about Stewart's 2023 Sports Illustrated cover, wherein Parton was keen to hype up Stewart for her badass confidence.
RELATED: Yes, Chef!: Martha Stewart & José Andrés Talk "Partying" & Cooking Together for New Series
Read on for some endearing highlights from Stewart and Parton's conversation.
Martha Stewart talks the joys of growing older with Dolly Parton
During their chat, Parton and Stewart got to talking about the exciting milestones they've accomplished later in life.
"You are always impeccably made-up," Stewart complimented Parton.
"Well, we like looking purdy," Parton quipped with a smile.
"Yeah, you do, and you've looked purdy for a really long time, ladies," Steward told the women. "It's really nice."
RELATED: Martha Stewart's Secrets to Not Having Health Problems at 83: "I Don't Take..."
"Well, actually, you've been looking pretty good, I might bring up," Parton interjected while bringing up Stewart's Sports Illustrated cover and her own 2023 Dallas Cowboys' halftime show appearance. With Stewart in a swimsuit on magazine covers at 81 and Parton in a bedazzled Dallas Cowboys cheerleader get-up at 77, these dynamite women aren't showing any signs of slowing down.
"Your swimsuit cover!" Parton gushed. "I think it's amazing that you and I are older women, and I'm doing Dallas cowgirl outfit, and you're on the cover of [Sport's Illustrated's] swimsuit [issue]. I'm like, 'Wow, you go, girl!'"
"You go, girls!" Rachel cheered for them both.
Martha Stewart's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover
While she's shattered many ceilings throughout her multi-decade career, in 2023, Stewart made history by being the oldest person to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
"Usually, I'm motivated by pay," Stewart teased during her Sports Illustrated interview. "But this time, I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age can still look good, feel good, be good, blah blah blah."
Stewart continued: "When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit, I thought, 'Oh, that's pretty good; I'm going to be the oldest person, I think ever, on the cover of Sports Illustrated.' And I don't think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic and that I better look really good."
"I want other women — especially women — to feel that they could also be on the cover of [a] Sports Illustrated issue," Stewart told the publication while expertly posing in the Dominican Republic. Lest we forget that Stewart began her career as a model before becoming a globally beloved lifestyle mogul, and she delivered those fierce looks in spades for her swimsuit cover. Check out the full photoshoot here.
RELATED: Dolly Parton & Reba McEntire's Twangy Harmonies Duetting "How Blue" Are Masterful
"When Sports Illustrated called this year to ask if I would pose in a bathing suit on the cover, I paused for about one minute and said, 'Oh, why not?'" Stewart told AARP in 2023. "My daughter, Alexis, was very kind — she just said, 'Cool. Go for it,' which was a lot nicer than 'That's crazy, Mom.'"
"They only gave me two months to get in shape, and I took it on as an assignment," Stewart continued. "I immediately cut out bad foods, worked out, worked on my arms, and on elongating my muscles. And the shoot came out great. People told me it made them feel good about themselves, and that's important to me. If you take care of yourself, you can live an active, healthy, long life."
Watch the series premiere of Yes, Chef! on Monday, April 28 at 10/9c on NBC.
