When Toddlers and Tiaras first aired on TLC, it was something totally different that no one really knew how to process. Did it make us bad people that we watched these young girls get doused in makeup and spray tans? Probably, but it was also a legitimate form of entertainment.
Those days are all in the past now, as the girls went on to grow up and the network decided to shift their focus. But what happened to all those toddlers in those tiaras? Gone are the days of flippers and hair extensions. These girls are all grown up, now.
Let's start off with the one we all know.
Alana Thompson a.k.a. Honey Boo Boo
TLC decided to focus on Honey Boo Boo and her family when Alana Thompson became a viral sensation.
The Thompson family was...well, they were entertaining. From Mama June to Sugar Bear to Pumpkin, every member of the family brought something totally ridiculous to the table. That show came to an end in 2014 after it was revealed that Mama June was dating a convicted child molester.
As for Alana, the 12-year-old girl has left the pageant circuit and is a full-time supporter of her mom. The former pageant star still appears on television on Mama June's new TV show, Not to Hot.
So what about the other girls?
Madison "Tootie" Berg
Berg was hardly a toddler when she appeared on the show, and that made a lot of competitor's parents angry. It probably didn't help that Berg and her mom were also sass-machines who ran their mouths whenever possible. Tootie was 10 years old when she competed, so it's hard to believe they included her on a show with the word "toddlers" in it.
Now, the 19-year-old beauty queen is still competing in pageants and even won Miss Teen Mississippi in 2017. She also is a cheerleader at Belhaven University.
MaKenzie Myers
One of the youngest Supreme Queens, Myers was just four years old when she appeared on Toddlers and Tiaras. The young pageant beauty was a crowd favorite which translated to the judging scores as well. Hailing from Louisiana, Myers seemed to come from a relatively normal family and had a good head on her young shoulders.
Now, Myers is relatively off the grid. She's living a normal (and private) life and doesn't even have public social media pages. The most recent photo of Myers came off her cousin's Instagram page.
Eden Wood
If it's not Honey Boo Boo, then Eden Wood is the most popular contestant to come out of Toddlers and Tiaras. Her mother was the most controversial of all of them, taking her daughter on so many auditions that she couldn't attend school anymore. However, the stage-mom also claimed that she wanted her daughter to have a normal life.
"She's such a normal kid, and I don't want her to lose that," Mickie Wood said. "And if we can't have this dual existence I wouldn't be doing this. I don't want a tragedy. I don't want a child star. I did not seek out Toddlers [&] Tiaras. Somebody in New York had seen Eden's involvement in pageants and contacted us."
The seven year old couldn't "quite read yet" according to her publicist at the time, which made a lot of people question her mom's motives.
Now, however, Eden Wood has gone on to defend pageants with appearances on The View, Good Morning America, and The Talk. The 12-year-old is still trying to break through in showbiz, and is described as "an honor student, making straight A's, a cheerleader, studying dance and guitar, playing drums in the marching band." She is also scheduled to walk in New York Fashion Week.
Ava Bartello
Fans of the show will remember Bartello as "the girl who threw a massive temper tantrum because she won Grand Supreme, not Ultra Grand Supreme." Hey, we've all been there.
Bartello is now 12 years old and is extremely active on social media. The young starlet has a YouTube channel where she vlogs a lot and shows off what she's purchased that week during her shopping trips. The life, right?
Kayla Hatton
It's super weird doing a "where are they now" segment for someone who would still qualify as a toddler, but here were are. Hatton was the spunkiest of all the pageant girls, which considering she was only 15 months old when she started is pretty crazy. Now, she's a cheerleader at her school...and honestly I didn't even know elementary schools had cheerleading programs.
Taralyn Eschberger
The redheaded pageant contestant was always referred to as the "perfect princess" which didn't always sit well with everyone. She had her own reality TV show called Little Miss Perfect, but it didn't last long.
Now, Eschberger is still pursuing a career in show business. Her Facebook page describes her as "a pageant pro [who enjoys] modeling, acting, singing, dancing and playing the piano, guitar and drums."
Paisley Scott
If you didn't watch the show, this is probably the only contestant you've heard of. Scott was the talk of the town when her mother dressed her up as Julia Roberts's hooker character from Pretty Woman. Yep, you read that right. The toddler donned a revealing white blouse, tight mini skirt, and thigh-high boots.
That controversy seemed to blow over fairly quickly, and now Scott is pursuing an acting career. She's appeared on Fox's Red Band Society and in horror movies like Exeter and Beacon Point.
How many of these girls do you remember?
