Kellie Pickler on Romance, the Military, and Reality Shows: 'They're Not All Bad'

Jihan Forbes
·Associate Editor
Kellie Pickler — singer, actress, reality-TV star, and new face of Zales. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kellie Pickler — singer, actress, reality-TV star, and new face of Zales. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kellie Pickler loves okra, the armed forces, and, well, love.

The singer, who first found fame back in the aughts as an American Idol contestant, has since carved herself a path as a country music and reality-TV star. Now Pickler, 30, is all about spreading love — for Zales, that is, as she’s teamed up with the jewelry retailer for its “Our Day” ad campaign, highlighting stories of romance and special days that couples hold dear.

It’s a perfect match for Pickler, who stars alongside husband Kyle Jacobs in the CMT reality series, I Love Kellie Pickler. Because who better to front a campaign about love stories than a woman who invites the world to witness her romantic life? We caught up with Pickler at Yahoo Studios to chat about this and more.

Yahoo Style: What’s your favorite thing to do with your husband Kyle?

Kellie Pickler: I love traveling with him and seeing the world with him. But I also love just being home on the couch with him.

What is one of the best trips you’ve taken together?

We’ve had a lot of great trips together, but one that really sticks out is our trip to Rosemary Beach in Florida, back in June of 2010 — June 15th, to be exact — which is the day that he proposed to me. It was actually my grandmother’s birthday. My grandmother raised me, and she’s no longer with us, so that was always a hard day. But it ended up being one of the most beautiful days. And now, it’s our day. He had no idea. So, it’s like we got her blessing. It was a really, really, really special day.

One of the most special days in my life will always be June 15th…It is my grandmother’s birthday and it’s also the day my husband Kyle proposed. On that date in 2010, Kyle and I were in Rosemary Beach, FL on what he told me was just a “vacation”…That evening, after a romantic dinner, we took a sunset stroll on the beach…Little did I know, he had secretly planted a small wooden box in the sand…It looked like it had washed up from sea, but upon opening it, I found a true treasure…Inside contained a journal that Kyle had written for me, a seashell with my Grandmother’s name “Faye” written on it, and a beautiful engagement ring. After Kyle got down on one knee and me screaming “YES!!!”, we watched the sunset slowly paint a colorful end to a beautiful day…What was so incredible is that Kyle didn’t realize that THAT day, was also my grandmother’s birthday. It was like my beautiful angel, the one I call mom, was giving us her blessing… So, Kyle and I like to celebrate June 15th as a couple…Still and forever crazy in love…It’s #OurDay What’s your #OurDay ? Share it today with @ZalesJewelers #Ad

A post shared by Kellie Pickler (@kelliepickler) on Mar 22, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT

You’re super busy these days, also voicing a character on Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine. How has that experience been for you?

It’s so much fun, I love animation. Plus, I’ve been told that I sound like a cartoon character, so I just have to go in, read the script, and have fun with it.

What are you looking forward to this spring?

Gardening! I love to plant everything! Okra, beets, kale, squash, cucumbers. I love flower gardening, as well. Okra is my favorite, though. I love me some okra!

What’s a misconception people have about reality shows?

I think people have this idea when you hear “reality,” that there’s drama and random people in our home. And I’m like, “No, it’s actually really fun!” We get to video our memories that we make together, our special moments, and look back on it. It’s so much fun. Reality shows: They’re not all bad! We definitely keep it positive and fun. We get to shine a light on things that matter to us, things that we’re passionate about, like the USO [United Service Organization].

Yes, you’ve actually done 11 USO tours! What have you learned from them?

It’s truly a blessing to be part of, and it’s life-changing. Every time I come home from a trip, I feel in some ways guilty for everything that I’ve ever taken for granted. I’ve been blessed to see firsthand exactly what these men and women do, the sacrifices that they make for all of us to sit here and be talking today. I have a great deal of respect for anyone who serves or has served, and their families. There are so many amazing stories, and I’ve met some of the most incredible people who are still a part of my life. We were in Baghdad for Christmas, and a gentleman that I was having dinner with on the [base] was a little antsy because his wife was about to go into labor at any time. He was saying how he hated that he couldn’t be there and he was trying to figure out if they could Skype so he could at least experience it. And I thought gosh, you know, I don’t even think about those things. So I enjoy all the stories people share with me, and I learn a lot for sure.

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