Photography by Brandi Stage Portraiture
Brace for a shock: Jaimee Dorris, the polished, professional news anchor that viewers have come to know and love, doesn’t believe in perfect balance.
“Life is messy, beautiful and always changing,” says the popular TV personality. “Instead of chasing balance, I focus on being rooted in what matters most: my faith, my family, my health and my joy. … Greatness doesn’t come from balance; it comes from unbalance, from knowing when to go all in and when to let go.”
“Life is messy, beautiful and always changing,” says the popular TV personality. “Instead of chasing balance, I focus on being rooted in what matters most: my faith, my family, my health and my joy. … Greatness doesn’t come from balance; it comes from unbalance, from knowing when to go all in and when to let go.”
Dorris knows a thing or two about letting go. The lead up to Jan. 31, her last day on WLOX’s “Good Morning Mississippi,” stirred a powerful mix of emotions and even a little self-doubt as she questioned whether she was making the right decision.
“Letting go of something you love, even when you know it’s not right for you, is agony,” she admits. “Right now, I have no idea what’s next. But I’ve been here before — standing at a crossroads, choosing between comfort and self-growth. Every time I’ve leapt, God has caught me. I trust He will again.”
As she unwinds in her downtown Bay St. Louis cottage, she’s ready for a new chapter — one centered around home, family and the next big adventure. Her serene home environment offers a refuge as she navigates life’s transitions.
THE PERFECT BLEND OF OLD AND NEW
A fitting reflection of Dorris herself, her early 1900s home has traditional charm while evolving with the future — half hippie, and half Hollywood.
“Just like my home, I blend peaceful comfort with bold style,” she says, “always moving forward.”
“Just like my home, I blend peaceful comfort with bold style,” she says, “always moving forward.”
When she and her husband Joel, were house shopping for their blended family, which includes five children, Dorris envisioned the perfect mix of old and new: a historic property in a charming downtown with towering oak trees, sidewalks and a vibrant art scene.
“I wanted to be able to walk to shops and for my son to ride his bike to school,” she recalls. “We made that dream a reality — and we were lucky to get in before real estate prices skyrocketed!”
Renovations the previous owners made after Hurricane Katrina nearly doubled the home’s size and created a swoon-worthy master suite.
“Yet, they stayed true to the original aesthetic,” Dorris says, “making it feel like two homes seamlessly woven together.”
She made a few changes after moving in, including painting the cabinets white and replacing the carpet with repurposed hardwood flooring. Nonetheless, she was careful to retain the cottage’s character and preserved its wood floors, vintage windows, transoms and a 60s-era bathroom — while also adding modern updates like an electric-vehicle charger.
The home has been the setting for countless precious memories, and Dorris can still hear the sweet sound of her children’s laughter reverberating in the yard as they chased each other and fought endless Nerf wars.
“Now, those same boys are grown; instead of racing around outside, they gather around my dad’s wheelchair, helping him up the stairs on holidays,” she says. “The house has stayed mostly the same, but life has moved forward in the sweetest way. It’s a beautiful reminder of how time flies.”
HER PERSONAL OASIS
Given her high-profile career, home has served as Dorris’s ultimate sanctuary. Visitors often are surprised by how calm and quiet it is when they enter — “almost like a library.”
“I’ve always loved a peaceful, distraction-free space, with no TV, no music and minimal clutter,” she says. “I want my home to be a break from the chaos of life, and I think it does a great job at that. Plus, I have a lot of indoor plants, which add a sense of calm and tranquility to the space. It’s my personal oasis.”
Dorris’s Coast roots run deep, as evidenced by the photos she has of her grandfather, Eldridge Helwick — a pioneer who brought the first TV broadcast to the Coast in 1949. In the 1930s, the self-made entrepreneur fixed radios and was known to ride his bike across the old Bay Bridge.
“His blood runs through my veins,” Dorris says proudly. “When I walk past historic homes in Bay St. Louis, I often wonder if he watched some of those homes being built, maybe even my own Bay cottage.”
MASTER BEDROOM: THE SACRED SANCTUARY
No space in that cottage is more sacred to Dorris than her master bedroom, which she has dubbed her “lair” or her “goddess palace.”
“It’s cozy, luxurious and soothing; it’s where I go to rest, recharge and just be,” she says. “It’s where I write, think, dream, cry, pray and even transform. It’s my personal haven.”
The space is a dreamy mix of neutrals with just the right amount of luster. Dorris had the sofa, a lucky marketplace find, reupholstered in plush velvet, and the bed is outfitted in high-quality linen and piled high with pillows.
“Joel always jokes that he loves sleeping ‘in a woman’s bed’ because everything is very girly — and he’s right!” she jests. “But I believe every woman should create a bedroom fit for a queen. Why splurge on fancy hotels occasionally when you can wake up in a beautiful oasis every single day?”
Her bedroom also is the place where she can simply be herself away from the ever-present cameras. Besides her anchor role, Dorris dabbled in vlogging before taking a bold leap — executive producing and hosting her own TV show, MS Congeniality TV, which aired for three seasons. In 2020, she stepped onto a different kind of stage, winning Mrs. Mississippi American and placing in the top 15 at the national pageant in Las Vegas.
Despite Dorris’s bubbly public persona, she’s not immune to private struggles.
“People don’t see me break; they don’t see the silent battles, the fear, the nights I cry in uncertainty …,” she says. “Right now, I have no idea what’s next in my career, and that is terrifying. It’s easy to trust God when the path is clear, when you see the next step. But when you don’t? That’s when faith is the hardest.”
‘THE BEST IS YET TO COME’
One thing Dorris is sure of is that every twist and turn, every high and low, has shaped her into the woman she is. She loved anchoring Good Morning Mississippi and took great pride in bringing energy and a fresh, lifestyle-focused approach to the local morning news.
“Announcing my departure opened the floodgates of love and support from thousands across America,” she shares. “Until that moment, I had no idea the impact I had made.”
While she’s stepping away from the newsroom, Dorris isn’t relinquishing the spotlight. Her focus is now on making an even bigger impact, and while the storytelling medium may change, her purpose remains constant.
“I love bringing light, joy and inspiration to people; whether through TV, social media or another platform, I know I’m meant for this work,” she says. “The best is yet to come.”