#Martha Stewart’s Advice for Ending a Lengthy Party

Martha Stewart is an expert at holiday party planning, so of course, she has perfected the art of shutting down a festive event that goes on a little too long.

The lifestyle icon recently stopped by “The Drew Barrymore Show” to share some of her favorite holiday recipes, like spicy candied popcorn.

While she prepared the sweet and savory snack, host Drew Barrymore asked Stewart about her tips for holiday party etiquette, including how to getting rid of lingering guests who can’t take a hint.

“Martha, if you’re throwing a dinner party and it’s like, that time, and you want everybody to leave, what’s a great way to get people to leave out of the dinner party?” Barrymore asked.

Stewart replied, “Frankly, I just say ‘I’m going to bed.’”

As the audience laughed, Stewart confirmed it’s her go-to move. But, she has had to resort to more extreme methods for guests who continue to linger. 

“Just turn the lights off. Set off the fire alarm,” she suggested when Barrymore asked what to do if the initial plan fails.

Stewart added, “One night, I had the fire department show up. Nobody would leave. We just put the fire alarm on.”

When the audience gasped, the television personality revealed she was joking.

“Not really,” she said. “We did have a malfunction in the furnace and all the fire department showed up. The fire chief came in. He told everybody, ‘Get outside.’ It was like zero outside, and he made everybody go out without their coats.”

“That’s one way to get rid of them,” she playfully concluded. 

The 82-year-old dished out plenty of advice about a variety of topics, such as regifting. Stewart warned the audience to keep track of who they receive presents from because she once made the mistake of regifting a present to the person who first gave her the gift. 

She gave Barrymore a few dating tips, as well. As the two chatted about the actor’s love life, Stewart casually revealed that she recently met someone. 

“I got knocked out of my socks last week by somebody,” Stewart said in a clip from the episode, gushing that the person was “very attractive.”

But, she was tight-lipped on any further details. 

“It wasn’t exactly appropriate, but it was good for a night,” Stewart shared before the audience erupted into applause. 

“Nothing happened, we didn’t go home together or anything, but it was just like a little flirtation,” she continued. “It’s nice.”