’19 Kids And Counting’: Mama June Says Duggars Are Schmoozing With TLC Execs, Being Coached
The future of 19 Kids and Counting looks pretty bright if you believe what “Mama” June Shannon has to say about the Duggars.
During a recent interview with the Wrap, the former Here Comes Honey Boo Boo star dropped a little insider info about TLC’s dealings with the stars of 19 Kids and Counting. TLC canceled Honey Boo Boo mere hours after reports surfaced claiming that Mama June was dating a convicted child molester, and the sketti-cooking extreme couponer is shocked that TLC hasn’t treated the Duggars the same way by dropping them like a piping hot, deep-fried pickle.
As many 19 Kids and Counting fans know, the show is currently in limbo. TLC pulled reruns of 19 Kids from its schedule after Josh Duggar confessed to molesting four of his sisters and one other girl, but the network hasn’t announced that its most popular series is going to be cancelled. In fact, Mama June claims that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are still being treated like valuable stars by network execs.
“They’re kind of like backing them. They have a lot of high exec people hanging out with them.”
Mama June believes that TLC coached the Duggars before their big Fox News forgiveness fests with Megyn Kelly. According to the former Honey Boo Boo star, her family was always fed a script to follow before giving interviews.
“They’re telling them what to say, or what to do, or not what to do. Because that’s how they worked with us. ‘This is what you’re gonna say, you’re gonna stick to it.'”
Mama June said that members of her family weren’t even allowed to issue their own statements after their show was axed — TLC wrote their cancellation responses for them.
These behind-the-scenes goings-on might seem shady to some, but they’re a ray of hope for 19 Kids and Counting fans. If what Mama June is saying is true, it sounds like TLC is actively trying to save the Duggars’ show. However, CNN is telling a slightly different story. According to a recent report, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar had to hire their own PR person to help them prep for their Fox News interview. They’re reportedly working with Chad Gallagher, a longtime adviser to GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
TLC might be treating 19 Kids and Counting differently than Here Comes Honey Boo Boo because it’s a bigger moneymaker for the network. According to the Hollywood Reporter, 19 Kids is the network’s top-rated show, so it’s understandable why TLC is so reluctant to let it go.
There was some speculation that TLC might cancel 19 Kids and Counting and replace it with a spin-off show focused on Jill and Jessa Duggar. However, the Inquisitr recently reported that the network has nixed this idea.
Do you think TLC should bring 19 Kids and Counting back?
[Image credits: TLC/YouTube, Larry Busacca/Getty]
