--- title: Reba McEntire Is KFC's First Female Colonel Sanders description: Reba McEntire is the first female celebrity and first musician to play KFC's Colonel Sanders canonical: https://time.com/5120101/colonel-sanders-reba-mcentire/ author: Flora Carr article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-26T13:29:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T22:34:27.000Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: KFC Just Announced Its First Female Colonel Sanders og:description: Reba McEntire is the first female celebrity and first musician to play KFC's Colonel Sanders og:url: https://time.com/5120101/colonel-sanders-reba-mcentire/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt37f6aa41677a4347/6988f98886f68e36586e80ad/reba-mcentire-colonel-sanders.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Celebrity Sightings In New York - November 17, 2017 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: KFC Just Announced Its First Female Colonel Sanders twitter:description: Reba McEntire is the first female celebrity and first musician to play KFC's Colonel Sanders twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt37f6aa41677a4347/6988f98886f68e36586e80ad/reba-mcentire-colonel-sanders.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # KFC Just Announced Its First Female Colonel Sanders > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: KFC Launches Online Retail Destination [Watch (HLS stream): KFC Launches Online Retail Destination](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nNY5y23o.m3u8) (0:36)  _Published 2017-07-13. KFC launched an online retail destination so you can dress up in your favorite fried chicken apparel and decor._ by [Flora Carr](https://time.com/author/flora-carr/) ## Flora Carr Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:34 PM UTCPublished: Jan 26, 2018 1:29 PM UTC  Reba McEntire is seen at set of 'Access Hollywood Live' on November 17, 2017 in New York City. Reba McEntire is seen at set of 'Access Hollywood Live' on November 17, 2017 in New York City.MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin—GC Images by [Flora Carr](https://time.com/author/flora-carr/) ## Flora Carr Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:34 PM UTCPublished: Jan 26, 2018 1:29 PM UTC [KFC](http://time.com/4881777/kfc-lawsuit-sexual-assault-teen-employees/) has launched a new campaign featuring its first ever female Colonel Sanders, with country star Reba McEntire in the iconic role of the franchise’s founder. The new commercials will begin next week, featuring McEntire dressed in Colonel Sanders’ famed white suit and donning a moustache. While a number of celebrities, [including Rob Lowe](http://time.com/4509513/rob-lowe-on-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/), have taken on the role of Sanders, McEntire is the first female celebrity and the first musician to play the part. “I thought the transformation was really funny,” McEntire told the Associated Press. “I got a big kick out of it.” > [](https://twitter.com/kfc/status/956696407808688129) “I’m Colonel Sanders, the same as always,” McEntire croons, tongue-in-cheek, in the ad. “I’m definitely not a woman.” McEntire, who grew up in Oklahoma, said she was first approached by KFC in December. “I said, ‘Holy smokes!,'” she said. “KFC has been a part of my life forever.” Commenting on the casting, KFC’s new chief marketing officer Andrea Zahumensky said: “I think this is going to be our most-loved Colonel yet.” McEntire, who also appears as herself in the commercial, will star in the ads until the end of April. > [](https://twitter.com/kfc/status/956694464193380352) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5120101/colonel-sanders-reba-mcentire/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5120101/colonel-sanders-reba-mcentire/"},"headline":"KFC Just Announced Its First Female Colonel Sanders","datePublished":"2018-01-26T13:29:48.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T22:34:27.000Z","description":"“I’m Colonel Sanders, the same as always... 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