After a premiere season full of jaw-dropping revelations about some of the most iconic shows in reality television history, Dark Side of Reality TV is closing on a creepy note with an episode dedicated to TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras, which ran from 2009 to 2013 in its original form and aired a sequel in 2016.
The series followed a group of pint-sized pageant contestants and was so controversial during its run that it even took a two-year hiatus. Still, it was successful enough to spawn a series of spinoffs, including one of TV’s most infamous creations Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
The Dark Side of Reality TV finale features several alums of the show and their mothers, including former contestant Ever Rose Sims, who appears on this exclusive sneak peek at the episode, saying, “I’m pretty sure the only reason they picked me was, ‘Wow, she’s seven, and she’s on a diet. Let me follow her.’”
Her mother, Wendy Dickey, is also featured in the clip and claims, “I really felt like that TLC was trying to stir the drama to make more money off of the show. It’s like they were searching for things, little cues that would make it I guess have more views… And I didn’t like that. I didn’t.”
RelatedThe Cast of ‘Toddlers & Tiaras: Where Are They Now?’ (PHOTOS)
Other contestant moms who appear in the special include Kayla Sims, Kelly Lyerly, and Darcy McHenry. Also contributing to the episodes are former TLC exec Jack Tarantino, psychologist Tomi-Ann Roberts, and former pageant pros Annette Hill and Elisabeth Hardy.
The logline for the episode reads, “TLC’s tantrum-filled pageant show was controversial from the start, but were these overbearing mothers living out their dream or that of the producers?”
Dark Side of Reality TV, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Vice TV
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