For Duck Dynasty‘s Robertson brood, reality TV is as much a part of the family business as the duck calls that made them rich. Even Phil and Miss Kay‘s oldest son, Alan, gave in and joined the show in 2013. Not everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, though—six seasons in, Uncle Si‘s wife, Christine Robertson, remains the lone holdout. Now, in the brand-new Duck Dynasty collector’s issue of Us Weekly, the 66-year-old A&E star reveals the real reason his homemaker wife doesn’t appear on the show.

“I always told people, ‘She’s got better sense than the rest of us.’ But that ain’t the real reason,” Si exclusively tells Us of Christine, 67. “Sometimes we film 12 hours a day, and she’s just not healthy enough to go through the rigors of that.”

He adds, “But, ah, it ain’t no big deal. She wants no part of it anyway. She’s been married to me for 43 years. The last thing she needs is to watch us on a TV show.”

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Si himself is wary of being in the public eye, too. Though he stresses how grateful he is for Duck Dynasty fans, the Louisiana native doesn’t always love being the center of attention. “Celebrity life is not all it’s cracked up to be!” he shares. “If I had a choice to go somewhere or stay home, I’d stay home. I’m a homebody. Christine’s the same.”

That wasn’t always the case. “Both of us was party animals, I guess you’d call us,” he tells Us of what drew him to Christine more than four decades ago. “We enjoyed going out and dancing, so we had a good time when we were dating.”

For much more from Uncle Si and the rest of the Robertson family—including exclusive photos and interviews with Miss Kay, Korie, and the kids—pick up Us Weekly‘s Duck Dynasty special issue on newsstands, or order it online at bn.com.

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