Who is Dolly Parton’s sister Stella?
The country music star’s sibling will take part in Celebrity MasterChef 2018.
The sister of country music singer Dolly Parton has been confirmed for the new series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Stella Parton has been named in a 20-strong line-up that includes Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews and England cricketer Monty Panesar.
She will be hoping to impress the BBC One cooking competition’s judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode.
How old is she?
Stella Mae Parton was born on May 4 1949 in the city of Sevierville in Tennessee.
The 69-year-old is the sixth of 12 children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr.
She is three years younger than Dolly.
What does she do?
Like the Jolene singer, Stella is an award-winning country and gospel music singer and songwriter.
Outside of her music she has acted in television and film and appeared on stage in many touring Broadway musicals.
Stella also owns a consulting business offering advice on stage presence, hair, make-up and wardrobe techniques as well as video coaching.
She has shared her expertise while participating in social projects, including working with women who have been the victims of domestic violence.
She has served as a national spokeswoman and ambassador for US charities including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the American Cancer Society.
What are her career highlights?
As a singer Stella is best known for a series of singles that appeared in the US country music charts in the 1970s.
Her biggest hit was 1975’s I Want to Hold You In My Dreams Tonight, which peaked at number nine.
In 2016 she released a tribute album to her sister Dolly called Mountain Songbird.
In 1979 she appeared in an episode of TV series The Dukes Of Hazzard.
Stella played a woman pretending to be a police officer to settle a score with a prisoner who Bo and Luke were transporting to Hazzard County to stand trial.
What are her cooking credentials?
Stella has appeared on cooking programmes in the US and has had three cookbooks published.
One of her books, State Fairs And Church Bazaars, includes instructions making dishes popular in the southern US states.
Recipes include cracklin’ bread, fried chicken, sausage jambalaya, fried green tomatoes and milk gravy.
The new series of Celebrity MasterChef will air on BBC One in the summer.
