The Robertsons are back and better than ever.
While Willie and Korie Robertson, stars of the original “Duck Dynasty,” stepped back into the spotlight with their grown children for “Duck Dynasty: The Revival,” the couple said the fact their kids actually wanted to return to television proved something important.
The cameras didn’t “ruin” them.
“There was a point where everyone said, ‘Yeah, we’re ready, we wanna to do it,’ which was kind of, I think, fulfilling for Willie and I to be like, ‘OK, we didn’t ruin them by putting them on television when they were teenagers,’” Korie told Fox News Digital.
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“It’s always a little scary because you’re like, ‘Oh, we decided to have a reality TV show about our family’s life when our kids were little.’ And the fact that they wanted to do it again … that felt good. But we never wanted to put any pressure on anybody. And it was just a very unanimous decision.”
“Duck Dynasty: The Revival” focuses on Willie and Korie’s adult children — John Luke, Sadie, Will, Bella and Rebecca — and their seven grandchildren.
While the couple’s daughter Sadie grew up in front of millions, she’s now connecting with fans in an entirely new season of life, this time as a wife, soon-to-be mother of three and a faith-driven voice for her generation.
“She’s always been open about her life, her struggles, the good, the bad,” Korie told Fox News Digital. “That’s what people connected to.”
Recently, Sadie and her husband, Christian Huff, pulled back the curtain on a difficult week for their family and how their faith carried them through the chaos.
“She and Christian just did a podcast about a tough week. Someone broke into their car, their babies were sick, they ended up at the hospital — and what God was teaching them through it.”
WATCH: ‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STARS WILLIE AND KORIE ROBERTSON PROUD THEIR KIDS WEREN’T RUINED BY REALITY SHOW FAME
As Sadie faced a difficult time, Korie said, she couldn’t be prouder as a mother of the way her kids are choosing to live out their faith, both onscreen and off.
“I’m proud of her — and all of our kids — for being lights in the world and saying, ‘We’re not perfect … but here’s what God’s teaching us in it.’ And hopefully we’re doing that through the show, too.”
But returning to the spotlight came with its share of challenges for the tight-knit family.
Willie, 53, and Korie, 52, admitted reviving their on-camera lives was based on a careful, faith-filled decision.
The couple told Fox News Digital returning to television just shy of 10 years later meant confronting their fears of jumping back into the spotlight with modern pressures, family concerns and a lot of prayer.
WATCH DUCK FAMILY TREASURE ONLINE | STREAM FOX NATION
“It’s exciting and a little scary too. … You’re putting everything out there,” Willie said. “Especially now — social media and all this. There’s times I’m like, ‘Oh no.'”
The “Duck Dynasty: The Revival” star shared his biggest concern for his adult kids — and their spouses — many of whom didn’t grow up under the constant glare of television cameras.
“For their spouses … they’ve never been in a spotlight like that,” Willie said. “Most of them are in their 20s. I’m glad we didn’t have a show in our 20s. … You’re still trying to figure out who you are.”
WATCH: ‘DUCK DYNASTY’ STARS WILLIE, KORIE ROBERTSON: KIDS TAKING CENTER STAGE IS ‘A LITTLE SCARY’
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After the original “Duck Dynasty” ended in 2017, the family fielded plenty of offers for a reboot. But Korie said they turned them down — for years.
Korie told Fox News Digital the decision to return to television was prayerful and carefully considered.
“There were people asking us off and on … and there were times when we were just like, ‘No, we’re not. It did not feel right,’” she shared. “We spent a lot of time in prayer — individually and as a whole family — asking, ‘Do we want to do this again?'”
As the answer eventually became unanimous, the entire family signed on, not to recreate the past but to document a new chapter for themselves and their growing family.
“Duck Dynasty: The Revival” focuses on the next generation of the Robertson family, and several things have changed since the early days of duck calls and camouflage.
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“We’ve lost family members, and people get older. … The show has changed,” Willie told Fox News Digital.
The “Duck Dynasty” patriarch, Phil Robertson, died May 25 after battling Alzheimer’s. He was 79.
Phil was famous for launching the Duck Commander hunting company that became the focus of his A&E show. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in December 2024.
After the death of Phil, the Robertson family told Fox News Digital they felt a mix of sorrow, gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose.
“I think it’s a combination of some sadness, just, we miss him, but also joy and happiness from what he believed … where he was going and all the things he was able to accomplish in his life,” Willie said.
WATCH DUCK DYNASTY ONLINE | STREAM FOX NATION
While Phil battled Alzheimer’s in his final years, he had prepared his family for what was coming. Willie said it helped ease some of the heartbreak.
Even in mourning, the Robertsons leaned into what they’d always known best — faith and family.
At the center of it all, Willie and Korie said Phil’s unwavering devotion to his faith is the legacy they’ll continue to carry forward and hope future generations follow suit.
“He was this man who lived down on the river, didn’t own a cell phone or a computer,” Korie told Fox News Digital. “What God did with his life … he was just truly passionately sold out for Jesus. For all of us, it’s brought even more of a boldness to our faith.”
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As for the Robertson legacy, Willie and Korie emphasized it wouldn’t exist without Phil.
“There would never have been a ‘Duck Dynasty’ show. There wouldn’t have been a company had his life not changed. This family would not have stayed together. It’s all responsible [for] his faith and his life change — he and Mom [Miss Kay] — to keep this family together.”
“Duck Dynasty: The Revival” airs Sundays on A&E with the season finale scheduled for Aug. 3.
The Robertson family is in production for the second season of the hit show with a premiere date to be announced soon.
