Martha Stewart is shining like the golden sun on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
The 81-year-old is the oldest cover model to strut her stuff for the magazine — and the queen of thirst traps underwent some hardcore prep to look her best.
The lifestyle master unveiled her cover during Monday’s “Today” show, revealing how she prepared herself for the sexy swimsuit pics.
Stewart divulged that she was approached for the shoot in November 2022 and would be taking the snaps this past January.
“To be on the cover at my age was a challenge. And I think I met the challenge,” she told hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.
The New Jersey native opted to get herself into shape by simply exercising and focusing on eating healthy.
“I didn’t starve myself, but I didn’t eat any bread or pasta for a couple of months,” Stewart said.
“I went to pilates every other day and that was great; I’m still going to pilates every other day ’cause it’s so great. And I just, I live a clean life anyway — good diet and good exercise and healthy skin care and all of that stuff,” Stewart explained.
She then got candid about how her appearance at the age of 81 is “a testament for good living.”
Stewart also doesn’t care about growing older and testified how age shouldn’t define one’s life.
“I think all of us should think about good living, successfully living, and not aging. The whole aging thing is so boring. You know what I mean?” the Martha Stewart Living CEO said.
She even attributed her age-defying beauty to her genes and her mother, Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra.
“My mom was my role model,” Stewart said. “After four kids, she was still wearing a two-piece bathing suit. And she still had two more after that and she was still wearing a two-piece bathing suit, so that’s pretty fabulous. My genes are good.”
Stewart was photographed for the fashion spread in 10 swimsuits by Ruven Afanador in the sunny Dominican Republic.
The cookbook author also joined stars including actresses Megan Fox and Brooks Nader, as well as Grammy-winning transgender singer Kim Petras, for the sports publication’s multiple covers.
“When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good, I’m going to be the oldest person I think ever on a cover of Sports Illustrated,’ ” she told the magazine. “And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic.”
The TV personality continued: “Age is not the determining factor in terms of friendship or in terms of success, but what people do, how people think, how people act, that’s what’s important and not your age.”
Aside from being a celebrity chef and world-famous entrepreneur, Stewart has also cemented herself as a leader in thirst trap technique.
Last December, she posted another sultry photo on Instagram showing a close peek at her dolled-up face looking “snatched.” She also sported fluffed-up blond hair and rocked large gold earrings while taking a mirror selfie.
Stewart first posted a saucy viral snap in the summer of 2020, in which she was relaxing by her pool in East Hampton, New York, and fans went wild.
