Honey Boo Boo Alana Thompson Talks about Turning 16, Her Real Identity, and Her Plans for the Future

Alana Thompson, now almost 16 and saving up to buy a car, is looking forward to people calling her by her real name, because, according to her, she’s no longer the loud child beauty queen that the world knew. She’s also not very sure she likes that version of herself.

Outside of the world of reality television, Alana is a public high schooler, has dreams of being a neonatal nurse and is looking forward to getting straight A’s.

“My mama did not name me Honey Boo Boo. My name is Alana,” the teenager reminds everyone, including her new schoolmates.

Alana Thompson Talks about Her Future and Growing Out of the Child Beauty Queen Persona

On August 28, Alana Thompson will turn 16 – the age that feels like a delicate line between childhood and young adulthood, the age when you have the chance to get your driver’s license, and of course, the end of high school starts to closely loom ahead.

“I want to be the best I can be, and I want to make my money, and I also want to make straight A’s, so I just try my hardest,” Alana says of her plans for the future.

The reality TV star and child beauty queen originally burst onto our screens on TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras” in 2012. The show partly followed then 6-year-old Alana Thompson and her mother, June, on the children’s beauty pageant circuit.

Later that same year, Alana and family got their very own show titled “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”. Alana was soon widely recognized as the witty kid with the catchphrases and the bubbly go-go personality.

The show followed the family on their adventures, competitions and even explored their normal family life. Alana also admitted that there were times when she would just lay in bed and wish it all to stop.

But these days, she’s no longer saying “Honey Boo Boo” catchphrases, though she recognizes that they’ll still be here for a long time as they were broadcast on national television.

For Alana, Honey Boo Boo is in the past – the kid she used to be – but Alana is her future. “They are completely two different people,” she tells Teen Vogue. “I would say that I do like this Alana now, rather than the younger Alana.”

Alana Reflects On Her Mother’s Drug Use and How It Has Affected Their Relationship

To this day, Alana is still a reality TV star, though she’s no longer the center of attention. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo was cancelled in 2014 after it came out that Alana’s mother, June Shannon, dated a convicted child molester, whose victims allegedly included one of Alana’s sisters.

In 2018, Alana made an appearance on Dancing With the Stars: Juniors. A year prior, a reality show featuring her mother’s transformation, Mama June: From Not to Hot, premiered. It was later rebranded as Mama June: Road to Redemption, on which Alana currently appears.

In 2019, Alana’s mother was arrested for possessing a controlled substance and for drug paraphernalia charges. Alana’s sister Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, 21, was given legal guardianship over her.

“A lot of folks in this world do not realize how many people are actually really affected by drug and alcohol [use],” Alana says. “It’s very, very hard. It’s something I’d wish on nobody, for real.”

While forgiveness helped mend her relationship with her mother, Alana shared that her mother admitting she was wrong also played a part.

“When my mama got real bad with her [drug use], I didn’t know where I was going to end up,” Alana says. “I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come.”

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