She’s only been in the online dating game for six days, but Martha Stewart has already become one of the internet’s most eligible bachelorettes at the age of 71.
The media mogul created her Match.com profile just last week, and has already garnered more than 20,000 page views and 1000 messages under her alias ‘thegoodlonglife’.
But despite the overwhelming response, the TV host and famed homemaker is still being picky.
She told the US Today show that she had narrowed her choice down to five potential dates, and was still choosing who to meet with.
“There are two that I could have coffee with,” she said, adding that she wasn’t worried about those respondents who weren’t genuine, or had money on their minds “because I don’t have to answer them”.
The grandmother-of-two is seeking a younger man, aged between 55 and 70, who is a non-smoker.
Height is important, an extra inch on top of the divorcee’s 5’9″ is among her list of demands, and lucky suitors must earn at least $150,000.
Despite the use of an alias, which she has borrowed from her new book, it’s not difficult to identify the veteran TV celebrity.
“You may recognise me from my pictures. Yes, it’s really me,” her profile reads.
“I’ve been curious about online dating for a long time, but, like lots of people, have been reluctant to take the leap. I’m just now getting around to it for a couple of reasons. After recently writing and publishing my new book, Living the Good Long Life, I was reminded how central good relationships are to happiness and longevity. Also, I’ve always been a big believer that technology, if used well, can enhance one’s life. So here I am, looking to enhance my dating life.”
The grandmother of two, who has been divorced, said she had joined Match.com in an effort to find her ‘next Mr Right’.
“There’s a lot of men who are very nice who have never been married,” she told the Today Show.
Though she hasn’t considered marrying again, Ms Stewart, who has been single for the past couple of years, said she loves dating and is ready to meet somebody new.
“I’m always looking, are you kidding, all women are always looking,” Ms Stewart said.
“I had a longtime boyfriend. That ended a couple of years ago and I haven’t found the next Mr Right.
“I’d like to have breakfast with somebody. I’d like to go to bed with somebody. Sleep with somebody.”
Online dating is more popular than many think among older users, but Match.com executive Tom Yagan said the reaction to Ms Stewart’s arrival on the website was “definitely atypical”.
“There’s no question that Martha is one of the most popular members ever to join Match,” he said.
He wished Stewart all the best in her quest for a younger man, but warned she shouldn’t expect to find a soulmate.
“I think finding a soulmate for you might be a little bit difficult, but I think first dates are easily doable,” he said.
Spokesperson for Australia’s largest online dating service RSVP, Jane Andrews, says online dating is more popular among older users than most people think.
“The assumption is that it’s the younger generation getting online to find a partner, but the over-50s make up about 20 per cent of our membership base,” she said.
“We’re finding when people have come out of relationships — they might have been married before — they really know what they want and what they’re looking for the second or third time around.
“It allows them to be very choosy and selective, and very specific about what they want.”
RSVP has launched a group for mature online daters called Over 50 and Fabulous, which has about 30,000 members.
