Minn. dad lends voice to Aflac duck

COLUMBUS, Ga., April 26 (UPI) -- A father of three from Minnesota has been chosen to replace comedian Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of the Aflac Duck, the insurance company said.

Dan McKeague, 36, lives in Hugo, a suburb of Minneapolis, with his wife and kids. He is the sales manager for radio stations KQRS and Love 105 in Minneapolis, and also is vice president for the board of directors of the non-profit Children's Safety Centers in St. Paul.

Gottfried was fired after he made jokes online about Japan in the wake of its recent earthquake and tsunami.

Aflac said it spent a month looking at about 12,500 live and online auditions by celebrities, actors, professional voiceover artists and individuals from the general public before choosing McKeague to replace Gottfried.

"I have long admired people who can act and make the most of their voice and have tried to emulate them," McKeague said in a statement Tuesday. "I want to thank Aflac for the incredible honor of voicing the greatest icon in corporate America and representing a company that not only leads its industry but also leaves a positive social imprint in every community it serves."

McKeague's first ad was posted Tuesday on the Aflac Duck's Facebook page.