ET was with June "Mama June" Shannon in 2012 when Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was originally picked up.
ET was with June "Mama June" Shannon in 2012 when Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was originally picked up. Now, after the show was abruptly canceled by TLC following reports that Mama June was romantically involved with a convicted sex offender, we've gone back to the vault to take a second look at our first encounter with the family.
"We don't consider ourselves celebrities," Mama June told ET two years ago.
NEWS: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Gets Canceled
But only a few short months later, the show became a massive pop culture phenomenon, hurtling the family into stardom. When asked by ET whether they would ever consider moving from Georgia to Hollywood, Mama June said, "No, we don't fit in
there."
The series starred Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, then age 6, and was a spinoff of TLC's child pageant reality show, Toddlers & Tiaras. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo also featured Alana's three older sisters (Lauryn "Pumpkin" Shannon, Jessica "Chubbs" Shannon and Anna "Chickadee" Shannon) as well as their father, Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson.
TLC has reportedly shot an entire new season of episodes, even as the series' ratings fell -- but the network will not air them.
"Supporting the health and welfare of these remarkable children is our only priority. TLC is faithfully committed to the children's ongoing comfort and well-being," the cable network said in a statement.
NEWS: Mama June Reacts to Disturbing Allegations
Mama June denied that the report was true via Facebook, writing, "It isn't true. I promise my kids r #1 priority over anything else and I would never put them in danger, period, over this or anything else. They r my life. This is my past. I left him 10 yrs ago for it and I wouldn't go back."
Following the cancelation news, Mama June posted a message for her fans, saying, "We just want to thank from the bottom of our hearts the support that we've had from our fans since May 2012. ...The experience has been awesome to us. The girls have been able to do things that they would not normally have had to do."
Sugar Bear's brother, Lee "Uncle Poodle" Thompson, also reacted to the cancelation via Facebook post.
Watch the video to see Mama June and Honey Boo Boo in 2012.