“Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy inched his way down a line of excited Villagers in the wee hours of Friday morning, stopping to take selfies with everyone who wanted a photo with the longtime television host.
“That was great!” said Village of Bonita resident Becky Smith, who was standing at a barricade outside RJ Gator’s in Lake Sumter Landing with her husband, Rodger. “We are such huge fans of ‘Fox & Friends.’”
Doocy is in The Villages for a Friday night event at Barnes & Noble in Lake Sumter Landing, where he and his wife, Kathy, will sign copies of their new cookbook titled: “The Happy Cookbook: A Celebration of the Food That Makes America Smile.”
But on Friday morning – long before the sun came up – the 20-year co-host, who at one time was an Emmy-Award-winning features reporter in Washington, D.C., and for the NBC Television Stations Division, was busy mingling with Villagers while appearing in live segments throughout the three-hour “Fox & Friends” broadcast.
He opened the show by having the crowd outside RJ Gators sing The Villages’ age-old theme song. He handed out a few signed copies of his new cookbook. And he interviewed select Villagers who were allowed inside a barricaded area to have breakfast about their views on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, including Republican stalwarts Fred Briggs, president of the Villages Homeowners Advocates; and Roger Kass, a past VHA president.
“This really is cool,” said Village of Buttonwood resident Susan Kelly, a member of Villagers for Trump. “It’s a fun event and I like being involved with politics,” she said, adding that she supports Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Doocy eventually hopped into a University of Kansas-themed golf cart and made a “surprise” visit to Community Development District 6 Supervisor Peter Moeller’s Village of Caroline home to make breakfast for him and his wife, Mary.
“They didn’t know we were coming,” Doocy said, as he walked into the Designer home where “Fox & Friends” was playing on a big-screen television set and whipped up a variation of Eggs Benedict from his cookbook.
“This is a great place to live and be active,” Peter told Doocy, adding that he’s aware many other Fox News personalities – Brian Kilmeade, Bret Baier, Greg Gutfeld, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, to name a few – have seemed to enjoy visiting Florida’s Friendliest Hometown as well.
For Villagers Laurie and Lou Lublin, of the Village of Osceola Hills, the morning couldn’t have been much better.
“Oh my gosh, we wouldn’t miss ‘Fox & Friends,’” Laurie said with a huge smile, while bagging about her selfie with Doocy that was taken moments earlier. “We watch it every day. And to be here live is the best.”
Lou agreed.
“We see them when they go to the restaurants and we thought that would be real cool to be down here and see how it works live,” he said. “So we thought we’d come down and see. It’s very enjoyable.”
“It’s perfect!” Laurie added quickly.
As for the vote on Kavanaugh, both Laurie and Lou, who moved to The Villages a year ago from Rochester, N.Y., were direct and to the point.
“I want to vote right now,” Laurie said. “He’s in. And these other people better get their acts together.”
“It’s long overdue,” Lou added. “The Democrats dragged it out another week and they’re still crying about it. So now it’s time to vote.”
The Lublins said they also hope to spend a few minutes with Doocy tonight during his Barnes & Noble book-signing event, which starts at 6 p.m.
“We hope we can get in,” Laurie said.
“If we’re still awake,” Lou added with a chuckle. “We got an early start. This is a little earlier than we normally start.”
