A Chat With Steve Doocy
The 54-year-old best-selling author and Fox News host on marriage, family and the news biz
What inspired you to go into broadcasting? “I was in journalism school at the time of Watergate, so I was eager to follow in the footsteps of Woodward and Bernstein and hold public offi cials accountable for their misdeeds—make contact with oddly named news sources: ‘Who was that on the phone, honey?’ ‘Deep Throat. Don’t worry, it’s work-related!’ ”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? “ ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.’ I heard that from a magician on a cruise ship. Who knew the guy sawing the girl in half could be so insightful?”
What’s on your nightstand? “I have three alarm clocks and a Coleman camping flashlight so I can shower, shave and get ‘camera ready’ at 3:30 a.m.”
Tell us about your family. “My wife, Kathy, appeared in the TV commercials for Mattel’s Chatty Cathy doll. She also was the first woman with her own show on ESPN, and she’s the mother of the three greatest kids in the world, Peter, Mary and Sally. She has a necklace with
their initials: PMS.”
Why do you choose to live in Bergen County? And why Wyckoff? “To be close to the childhood home of the Jonas Brothers (on Franklin Avenue past Rosie’s Tonsorial Parlor, down by the Dairy Queen).”
What can’t you live without? “Air, water and cable TV.”
Is it OK to get all one’s news from the Fox News Channel? “Many people do, and it is the No. 1-rated news channel in America. I watch the other channels sometimes, on the way over to the Food Network.”
If you weren’t a journalist, what would you be? “I was pre-med for awhile, so I’d probably be a doctor. Except that I don’t like blood so much, and I still can’t tell the difference between the pancreas and the spleen—so if yours needs removing, don’t call me.”
What made you fall in love with your wife? “She’s a California girl who makes me laugh out loud. She’s also hot and really cool.”
What makes your marriage work? “After 25 years, I know that marriage is a constant dance of compromise. Both parties must be willing to tango every day. Also, knowing that my wife is right about everything is very humbling.”
When was the last time you cried? “Last night, watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
What made you write about marriage and fatherhood? “They say the best books are written from experience, and having been married more than 20 years to the same gal and having three kids who are still on speaking terms with me, I had plenty of stories to tell.”
What’s your secret to staying happily married? “Being best friends, so you’d rather be with your spouse than anybody else. Sure we may be walking the dog in the afternoon, but what we’re really doing is gossiping about our neighbors.”
What’s your recipe for combining a happy family with a demanding job? “Family comes first, unless Miley Cyrus is a guest on the show. Then the kids get to come to work to meet her and politely ask if Miley will record their voicemail message. (She did, and you can hear it on Sally’s phone if you call.)”
What book has most changed your life, and how? “The Road Less Traveled, because as the first line states, ‘Life is difficult.’ ”
What’s the biggest misconception about your TV work? “That I’m loaded because I’m on TV. At least that’s what my butlers tell me people say.”
What healthy-eating rules do you and your family follow? “Eat clean during the week and splurge on the weekend with cheese, chocolate and crème brulée for breakfast. I’m kidding—that’s what O’Reilly does.”
See Steve Doocy on Fox & Friends, 6–9 a.m. each weekday on the Fox News Channel.
