---
title: "Business Insider: KFC Just Revealed Reba McEntire Will Be its First Female Colonel Sanders"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/213b5abb-b479-432e-8f4d-7a5ad06bba44
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/business-insider-kfc-just-revealed-reba-mcentire-will-be-its-first-female-colonel-sanders-2705365
category: "Chicken"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Chicken"
published: 2018-01-26T18:13:57.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:09:57.118Z
image: https://1851franchise.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewimage.1851franchise.com%2Fauthor%2Fcad5b051d37b6da1000b8500f25d84054276.jpg&w=3840&q=75
---

# Business Insider: KFC Just Revealed Reba McEntire Will Be its First Female Colonel Sanders

**TL;DR:** KFC has announced Reba McEntire as the latest celebrity to play the role of Colonel Sanders, the first female to do so. She will be the face of KFC's Smoky Mountain BBQ chicken.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-01-26. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/business-insider-kfc-just-revealed-reba-mcentire-will-be-its-first-female-colonel-sanders-2705365).*

## Story

There’s a new Colonel Sanders in town, and she’s bringing something new to the table. Business Insider notes that KFC announced that Reba McEntire will be the latest A-lister taking on the role. She’s going to be the face of the Smoky Mountain BBQ chicken, which is KFC’s latest addition to its Southern chicken lineup.

McEntire’s appearance as the Colonel comes after celebrities like Billy Zane, Darrell Hammond and Norm McDonald have taken on the role. And according to McEntire, she’s excited to be a part of it. McEntire told Business Insider, “It’s something that, in a way, you can kind of poke fun at yourself by dressing up as the colonel. But, in a way it’s very respectable because he’s been a part of our growing-up years.”

KFC is equally excited to have McEntire on board, especially as the first woman to step into Colonel Sanders’ shoes. “We really look for someone who embodies the values of Kentucky Fried Chicken,” said KFC CMO Andrea Zahumensky in an interview with Business Insider. “You think about an entrepreneurial spirit. Our colonel is a showman through and through.”

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- KFC (company)
- marketing campaign (topic)
- brand ambassador (topic)
- celebrity endorsement (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/business-insider-kfc-just-revealed-reba-mcentire-will-be-its-first-female-colonel-sanders-2705365). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/213b5abb-b479-432e-8f4d-7a5ad06bba44).