Even Kelli Finglass didn’t know about it… that’s impressive, to say the least. The hit Netflix show America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is airing the third season on Netflix right now, and the show takes viewers from the first audition all the way through the end of NFL football season for the Cowboys, giving fans an inside at how the DCC organization runs. I loved the original iteration on CMT Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, though it’s fun to watch the entire process in this new show as opposed to just seeing the ruthless audition process. They’ve definitely tampered down some of the wild commentary, but cheerleader director, the aforementioned Kelli Finglass and Head Choreographer Judy Trammell are tough critics, and those girls who do ultimately make the team certainly earn it. It’s incredible how demanding their job is, and most of them also juggle other full-time jobs to make ends meet, though I think the pay and things of that nature has gotten a lot better since the show has become much more popular. This season follows the 2025–26 DCC squad, starting with the high-pressure auditions, where 30 veterans fought it out for just six open spots, and the season takes viewers from that point, all the way through game-day performances during the NFL season, and it even features guest judge in country superstar and Texas native, Miss Kacey Musgraves, which was a fun addition. Around the shows release, Kelli, Judy and Charlotte Jones, who is the daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer for the organization and is highly involved with the cheerleaders too, have been making their media rounds to promote the show. Of course, playing the Cowboys game at halftime has become an important tradition, and they always pull out all the stops to get a big star to put on a big show. Aside from the Super Bowl halftime show, it’s the biggest concert that happens during an NFL game all year. And of course, playing the Cowboys game at halftime has become an important tradition, and they always pull out all the stops to get a big star to put on a big show. Aside from the Super Bowl halftime show, it’s the biggest concert that happens during an NFL game all year, and the cheerleaders are always involved and make the show that much more exciting. During an interview for People, Kelli and Charlotte talked about their careers with the Cowboys and all the memories they’ve made with the cheerleading team, and Kelli’s favorite performer they’ve ever had the pleasure of working with for almost 30 years since they started doing the halftime show is of course the one and only Mrs. Dolly Parton. In 2023, Dolly put on a show-stopping performance that I don’t think anyone saw coming, as she trotted out onto the stage during halftime wearing the iconic Dallas Cowboys cheerleading uniform that barely anyone can really pull off, much less a woman who is now 80-years-young… but most people aren’t Dolly Parton, obviously. Kelli explained that they had no clue she was wearing the cheerleading uniform until she stepped out to go onstage… she said they had sent Dolly’s designer, Steve Summers, some samples of fabrics and crystals, but there was no indication they were making Dolly her own DCC uniform. Of course, their jaws were on the floor just like everyone else in America: “Probably go Dolly Parton, because it’s Dolly Parton, and she came out in a cheerleader uniform, which was, as you know, kind of a surprise to all of us. We’d sent some crystals and some fabrics and some inspiration ideas to her designer, Steve Summers, but when she popped out with that uniform, I think all of us, our mouths dropped. And she rocked it.” The whole country felt the same way, I think… Charlotte added that Dolly did drop a few clues beforehand, but they had no clue she was going to go all out on that level dressed like a DCC, and of course, it’s become probably the most iconic Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show of all-time: “She rocked it… so they day before, this was our first clue. The day before, we were on the satellite media tour, and so she’s sitting and she’s all bedazzled in her cowboy silver outfit, blue stars and everything. And she’s doing her media thing, and someone asked her, ‘You look so cute today, what are you wearing tomorrow?’ And she goes, ‘Boy, when my husband sees what I have on tomorrow, he’s gonna fall out of that Lazy boy.’ I just died laughing. Because what she had on then was pretty spectacular, I was like, oh my gosh, what are you wearing? She goes, you’ll all find out. And she showed up unbeknownst to us in full-on Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader attire. Amazing. She broke the internet.” That’s putting it mildly… iconic doesn’t feel like a strong enough word for it, honestly. She’s one-of-a-kind and on one else comes remotely close: Dolly Parton FULL Thanksgiving Halftime Show#NFL #AmericanFootball pic.twitter.com/hC6v38fa2v — Crypto.Man (@hoangcrab_) November 24, 2023 Dolly’s manager, Danny Nozell, later told Billboard that the outfit was all Dolly’s idea, and no one else knew anything about it… and yes, they all “fainted” when she walked out of the dressing room and they saw her for the first time: “Dolly didn’t tell or show anyone that she was going to dress as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader until it was time to go to the stage. It was completely her idea. She waited until right before she went to stage and came out of the dressing room to show us all. When she came out, myself, the security and my staff fainted. I couldn’t tell the difference between Dolly and the cheerleaders. That is the genius of Dolly, and people are still talking about it.” In today’s world that is so social media-focused and out there in terms of what’s surprising anymore, Dolly created a moment here that had the entire world watching, which is hard enough to do, much less when you’re “passed the peak” of your career (I think she’s the exception because in so many ways, Dolly has never felt more relevant), which made this so much more impressive. The Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders 45-10, but no one was talking about the game… they were all talking about Dolly, because she’s the queen of everything and she always will be. The full interview with Charlotte and Kelli is available below. The post “Our Mouths Dropped” — Kelli Finglass Confirms Nobody Knew Dolly Parton Was Gonna Wear A Cowboys Cheerleader Uniform For Iconic Halftime Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.