Despite leading TODAY’s eighth annual All-Star Thanksgiving with her roasted turkey in parchment on Thursday, Martha Stewart says she’s canceled Thanksgiving.
That’s right: The queen of Thanksgiving is not hosting the holiday this year.
“Oh, I gave up Thanksgiving. I canceled,” she told Kelly Clarkson on Thursday’s prerecorded episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Stewart had initially intended on hosting, but nine of her guests canceled because someone got sick.
“So I decided, I called up my chef friend and I said, ‘We’re not doing Thanksgiving,’” Stewart shared.
She explained to Clarkson that she had already cooked 14 turkeys for her TV show and still had to make one more on TODAY.
“I am turkeyed out,” she said.
Instead of hosting, Stewart will be doing somewhat of a Thanksgiving tour, visiting “about five different homes to taste different courses” after friends invited her to their festivities.
“Oh, my God, those friends must be so stressed out,” Clarkson said.
“Oh, I hope so,” Stewart replied with a laugh.
“If you were coming to my house, I would for sure lie and say I cooked it and have somebody else do it,” Clarkson joked.
Stewart has been a fixture on TODAY for over 40 years, celebrating many a Thanksgiving with us by sharing her tried-and-true tips — which is why we crowned her queen of Thanksgiving last year.
“I think I probably cooked ... 60 Thanksgivings at least, maybe more,” Stewart told NBC’s Harry Smith in 2020. “‘Cause I got married when I was 19, and I did my first Thanksgiving … when I was 20 years old.”
So, we get it — the queen deserves a break, to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast cooked by anyone but herself.
Last year, in a friendly feud with Mariah Carey, the queen of Christmas, who consistently releases a video on Nov. 1 declaring “it’s time” for Christmas, Stewart said during a November 2022 appearance on Hoda and Jenna, “You cannot give up Thanksgiving.”
“Just because you don’t like turkey? I love turkey, and many, many other people love turkey,” she continued. “So, do not think that we are going to give up Thanksgiving just because you say so.”
In response, Carey tweeted at the time, “Dearest Martha!! NEVER will I give up Thanksgiving!! But we can still start getting into the festive spirit now! P.S I’d love to have you at my Thanksgiving dinner although I’ve yet to be invited to your Thanksgiving extravaganza! And THAT is MAJOR! Esp if Snoop’s coming!”
Here’s hoping Carey’s home is one of the stops on Stewart’s Thanksgiving tour.
