The two men Martha Stewart met through Match.com left her wanting to go on more dates, with them and others, the domestic diva said Thursday.
“It broke the ice. This got me to sort of think about dating as a nice thing to do on a regular basis,” she told Matt Lauer on TODAY.
Stewart selected Larry and Stan among more than 1,000 people who responded to the personal ad she posted on Match.com in April. The media mogul received more than 20,000 page views within days after loading her profile on to the site.
“They did a really, really nice job of being dates,” said Stewart, who would “absolutely” go out with either one for a second date.
Larry is an executive in the international steel trade. He considers himself a romantic, loves traveling, movies, museums, and holding hands, according to his Match.com profile.
Stan is a filmmaker who shoots independent features and commercials, including ones that featured Stewart for Kmart many years ago. He plays numerous sports, and enjoys gardening and meeting people in interesting places “spiced with fun," according to his online profile.
Stewart, 71, was introduced to both men live on the TODAY show before going out with each of them on separate dates at New York restaurants.
She met Larry for drinks and Stan for dinner. Neither man appeared nervous, despite a camera recording their conversation.
She said she’s already had follow-up conversations with Larry — although more for professional reasons rather than private ones.
“We’re already talking business. This is how things do deteriorate. With Larry, we’re talking business,” she said. “You never know what happens if business is good.”
Match.com chief executive Sam Yagan said Stewart’s experience is typical for online dating.
“It gets you out there and it kind of gets the ball rolling,” he said. “Whether you meet someone through the online dating site itself or just getting yourself out there, your friends now know you’re ready to go.”
Stewart agreed. She said since publicizing her efforts to find dates, her friends have come forward to help.
“Other friends have surfaced, which is great. My lawyer came up with a really great idea the other day — a fix-up,” she said.
Yagan said women especially have responded to Stewart’s dating efforts and have been inspired to give Match.com a try.
"They’re saying, ‘I’d been nervous to try online dating. I’m not tech-savvy, but to see someone like Martha, who I’ve been watching for years, made me want to do it,’” he said.
Stewart said she's ready to make another go.
"I could do a thousand dates with all the people that have responded," she joked, before telling Lauer: "You have to chaperone every one of them."