When Reba McEntire sits down to Thanksgiving dinner this year, she’ll be the first to admit she has a lot to be thankful for. The award-winning singer/actress/author and entrepreneur has been busier than ever in 2024, and doesn’t look to be slowing down as she heads into the New Year.
Reba returned as a judge for season 26 of The Voice alongside Gwen Stefani, Michael Buble and Snoop Dogg. The Country Music Hall of Famer is also recording new music. Her most recent single, “I Can’t,” will be included on a new album due out next year.
Reba also has a new hit TV show, Happy’s Place, airing Friday nights on NBC, for which she also serves as executive producer. “They can expect a lot of laughing and a lot of heart,” Reba tells FIRST for Women of the show (see her as our cover girl here!). It also stars her boyfriend Rex Linn, friend and former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman, Belissa Escobedo, Tokala Black Elk and Pablo Castelblanco. “It’s just an eclectic group of people that have a blast.”
“I play Bobbie. My daddy owned a tavern in Knoxville, TN called Happy’s Place,” Reba says. “When daddy dies, I find out I have a half-sister that I didn’t know anything about, and she didn’t know anything about me. So how do we deal with that?”
Since debuting October 18, Happy’s Place has been getting rave reviews and fans are enjoying seeing the talented redhead back on the small screen heading a new show. (Her previous sitcom, Reba, still airs in syndication.)
Reba’s secrets to letting go of stress
The Oklahoma native has had a hugely successful career and is grateful for every opportunity, but isn’t immune to the stress that comes with a busy life. “I am stressed and don’t get it all done,” she admits. “Time management is very important, and it helps to get lots of rest. When I’m not working, I do rest. I chill out. The older I get, the better I take care of myself.”
She says sleep is key. “The thing that gives me more energy than anything is sleep,” she admits. “I do like to lay down, put my calming music on my speaker and just put my eye mask on and sleep. That’s what I love to do. I try to get seven or eight hours. That’s the norm.”
Reba’s holiday worry hack
Getting rest during the holidays is a challenge for most women, but Reba has a tip. “Delegate, that’s how you relieve the stress,” she says. “I know so many women who want to do it all themselves. That ain’t me. That’s why I go to Alice’s house and Susie’s house for Thanksgiving,” she says of her two sisters. “We all delegate. Everybody brings something. Nobody is held responsible for the whole kit and kaboodle. We all clean up. We all help, and it makes it more fun, and it doesn’t make Alice dread Thanksgiving for the next year.
“I look forward to the gathering together,” she says of spending time with family, and encourages other women to enjoy their loved ones and not stress. “Don’t sweat the small stuff and if everything is not clean and perfect and your china don’t match, get the paper plates out, that works every time.”
Reba McEntire on finding love again with Rex Linn
She also just enjoys spending time with her boyfriend Rex Linn. “Don’t give up,” Reba says, urging others to always stay open to love. “I wasn’t looking. I was ready to be single for the rest of my life, hang out with my girlfriends, be my own person, but then Rex came into my life and I’m so grateful. We’ve known each other since ’91, but when we were both working on Young Sheldon in January of 2020, he texted me and said, ‘Let’s go out to dinner afterwards,’ and I said, ‘Alright,’ and we’ve been a couple ever since.”
After being in LA working on Happy’s Place and The Voice, Reba says she’s looking forward to being home in Tennessee. “I plan to park it and be there for Christmas,” she says and adds that she plans to be spending some time in the kitchen. “Rex loves to cook, so we get in the kitchen and we cook. We love it!”
Reba admits she has a few favorite dishes that will likely be on the table during the holidays. “I love banana pudding! Marissa brings that,” she says of her son Shelby’s wife. “I like to do either a chicken dish or a spinach strawberry walnut salad. A friend of mine used to make that all the time and it’s so good.”
In addition to food, family and fun, faith plays an important part in Reba’s holidays. Actually, her faith informs her life all year long. “Faith is everything to me,” says Reba. “I’ve been a believer all my life. I’ve never known a time when I didn’t believe and have faith in God that He’ll help me through whatever problems I have. He’s the first one I talk to in the morning and the last I talk to at night. When I’ve got an issue, I need some help with, it’s not a problem at all to close the door and just be with Him.”
