Sally Jessy Raphael does not seem to be aging at all. Over the weekend, the daytime talk show host marked her 90th birthday among her family and friends, and she was as energetic as ever. A picture from the party captures her posing happily in her red glasses between her grandsons, Max and Kyle.
Sally could not hide her excitement, especially when she recounted the birthday brunch experience to PEOPLE. She noted that even though her loved ones were constantly in awe of her youthfulness despite being 90, she did not feel old. Then she opened up about the rest of her birthday plans.
Sally Jessy Raphael’s birthday brunch
For Sally Jessy Raphael, age is just a number. The 90-year-old is continuing her birthday celebration on a girls’ trip to Paris after spending a wonderful weekend with her best people. She posted some pictures on social media, enjoying her birthday period with fans online.
In an Instagram post, the TV personality shared a glimpse of her journey to Paris with a picture of her holding some snacks, which she wrote was a gift from the airline. Later, the daytime talk show host shared another snap of herself in Paris, admiring the serene environment from her hotel. She captioned the post, “Ah, Paris… it’s so good to be back!”
Early career
Sally Jessy Raphael has achieved many things. In 1983, she started her show, the Sally Jessy Raphael Show, making her the first woman to host an audience-participation, issue-driven talk show. In 1989, Sally Jessy Raphael won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host and was nominated 10 times in different categories.
The Sally Jessy Raphael Show performed well until competitions arose, including the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986. Other competitors emerged, forcing Sally’s show to divert its focus from human interests to family issues and relationships.
Reflecting on this, the nonagenarian recalled changing her focus because the producers wanted it and wished she had enforced her values instead of complying with what they wanted. When the show ended after two decades, Sally did not stop advancing her career. She hosted other talk shows and made guest appearances.