'Honey Boo Boo' Stars Only Earn $2k Per Episode
The stars of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" may have soared in the ratings, even toppling the Republican National Convention, but their paychecks are staggeringly small and certainly much less than those featuring at the RNC 2012. Reports state that the cast members, aka the Thompson family, are only paid a total of $2,000 per episode - a tiny amount in the industry for such a popular show.
TLC has been home to some of the most beloved and interesting reality shows. "19 Kids & Counting" introduced the world to the Duggar family, while America watched the romance dissipate between "Jon & Kate." Now, of course, the Thompson family, led by mama June and her precocious daughter Alana, aka Honey Boo Boo, has taken the country by storm.
It has been reported that the family makes a mere $2,000 per episode, which is a significant decrease from the other families such as the Duggars and Gosselins. According to one report, the Duggar family was paid between $25,000 to $40,000 per episode in 2009. A different report, however, stated that the Duggar family netted $95,000 per episode.
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The Gosselins made approximately $75,000 per episode. So why does the Thompson family receive so little for their work? One reason could be that the show is still relatively new; even though its ratings are high, the show is only in its first season, which is a growing year.
Many of the parents of "Toddlers & Tiaras" simply want their children to be on TV and gain national attention, which leaves TLC available to dictate the salaries of the tiny stars.
"'Toddlers & Tiaras' does not pay their kids. They survive off of finding unique stories that draw in viewers. They don't even pay for the families' entry fees into the pageants. But the moms do it because it's good exposure for their little girls, and that's exactly what they want," an anonymous source told Radar Online.
