Living My BEST LIFE at 64
THE VETERAN TV PERSONALITY SAYS THAT LIFE AND LOVE ONLY GET SWEETER WITH AGE
She’s a newswoman, a longtime TV personality, a wife and mother and now Katie Couric is the first woman ever to guesthost Jeopardy! Katie, who is scheduled to appear on the popular quiz show from March 8 to 19, is excited. “She has been hooked on Jeopardy! for as long as she can remember,” says a friend. “She also thought the world of Alex Trebek.”
Breaking glass ceilings is all in a day’s work for Katie, 64, who feels proud to still be working in TV, a medium which is not particularly kind to older people. “Only 15 percent of media images feature people over the age of 50, and when they do, the vast majority of those images are sort of stereotypes of older people,” Katie notes. “It’s rare that you see a woman who is aging naturally on television, and the fact that it’s so rare makes it shocking when you do.”
That’s a shame because Katie believes that accumulated experience only makes people’s lives richer. “When she was younger, Katie cared too much about what other people thought of her. Not anymore,” says the friend. “She truly believes that with age comes wisdom.”
HAPPY AT HOME
Likewise, Katie’s personal life has entered a very contented phase.
She remains close to her two daughters, Ellie, 29, and Carrie,
25, from her first marriage to Jay Monahan. “She can’t wait to become a grandmother,” confides the friend.
Katie’s marriage to John Molner, whom she wed in 2014, also remains strong. “He’s got this incredibly dry and wry sense of humor, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Katie gushes. “He’s just fun to be around.” Adds the friend, “She knows she’s lucky. Katie counts her blessings every day.” —Reporting by Rick Egusquiza