Martha Stewart reveals foolproof method for ending a dinner party

‘Just turn the lights off. Set off the fire alarm,’ Stewart jokes

Martha Stewart has learned over the years exactly how to start, and end, a dinner party.

On a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Stewart was preparing some holiday-themed finger food, such as spicy candied popcorn, while Barrymore asked her questions about hosting and general holiday etiquette - including what to do about guests who have overstayed their welcome when the party is over.

“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?” the talk show host asked.

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

Although the lifestyle icon did say this method is the one she uses the most often, she added that some guests have been fairly stubborn and she does have another method if the first one doesn’t work.

“Just turn the lights off. Set off the fire alarm,” Stewart suggested. “One night, I had the fire department show up. Nobody would leave. We just put the fire alarm on.”

After the audience was shocked to hear this, Stewart explained that she was only kidding. “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 concluded.

During her segment, she also gave advice on gifting. This included a warning to keep track of who gave you what gift, as she revealed she’d unfortunately made the mistake of accidentally re-gifting a present to the person who first gave it to her.

The lifestyle expert even talked about dating when Barrymore asked her why she can’t meet someone who “knocks me off of my socks” and “is hot”.

“I got knocked out of my socks last week by somebody,” Stewart said. “Very attractive,” she added.

As the actress appeared shocked by this response, Stewart continued saying, “Don’t you meet a lot of guys, where do you go at night?”

“Home ..." Barrymore reluctantly replied.

“Don’t you go out to dinners and parties and stuff? Your friends have to be sitting you next to eligible young men,” Stewart said.

Barrymore explained she is “not living that life,” before pleading: “Martha, how do I do it?”

“To start, you have a lot of friends, and they should be inviting you to eat,” Stewart said.

She then clarified how helpful her friends actually were: “They didn’t do that for me either, by the way. I had to do it myself.”

Barrymore then transitioned into asking for more details regarding the mystery person that knocked Stewart’s socks off. “It wasn’t exactly appropriate, but it was good for a night,” Stewart said.

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

The 82-year-old has previously mentioned that dating isn’t a current priority for her, and her schedule makes it very difficult. “You have to make time for certain things. My garden is very important,” Stewart said, also adding that she makes time for her grandchildren as well. “It’s the best. I have two amazing grandchildren.”

“I know a lot of eligible men,” she told E! Online in March. “I think they really want a woman who will take care of them, so I’m still not quite in that position where I can take care of a man full-time because I work too much.”