Whoever is in charge of programming at TLC deserves some sort of award. What that award is, exactly, is unclear, but said person continues to order the craziest content that truly no other network could even fathom airing. We love TLC for that exact reason, and we'll continue eating up the insanity as long as they let us. And while we start watching these shows for the unbelievable premises, we keep watching because of the people. We become invested in their lives and want to know more. Luckily, many of the TLC shows run for incredible lengths of time, so we're able to keep tabs on our reality stars for years and years. But the network has been around for so long now that we've inevitably lost some of our favorite shows.
But thanks to social media and occasional news stories about these people, we can still keep a pulse, however faint, on TLC alums. Here's what's up with some once-popular TLC stars you don't hear about anymore.
Viewers were first introduced to June Shannon aka Mama June on an episode of the bygone television series "Toddlers & Tiaras." The country quickly became obsessed with Shannon's daughter Alana Thompson, and TLC capitalized on the intrigue and gave her family their own reality show, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" (named for Thompson's moniker), that documented her pageant life, as well as her life at home with Shannon, her father Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson, and her sisters.
The show ended for a variety of reasons, and Shannon eventually landed her own spin-off series, "Mama June: From Not to Hot," which showed her weight loss journey, but since that aired on We TV, loyal TLC fans didn't hear much about the pageant mom aside from what was reported in tabloids. In addition to her weight loss, Mama June has had significant turmoil with her children. She no longer has custody of Thompson, and the relationships with her other daughters are strained, as well. All the drama has been documented on "Mama June: Family Crisis," again airing on WE TV, and one episode of the show features Mama June attempting to see her daughters in hopes of fixing things. "All I want is a relationship with them, and hopefully this shows them I'm willing to go to whatever lengths to make this happen," Shannon says, as reported by ET.
Alana Thompson has been through a lot in the public eye. She's been on television since she was a child, and details of her personal life, including her strained relationship with her mother and her boyfriend's DUI arrest, have been tabloid fodder for well over a decade. But things are looking up for the former TLC star. Thompson graduated high school in 2023, and she shared the news on her Instagram account. "Despite all the challenges and curveballs, that were thrown my way. I still did it, and I never gave up," she said of her accomplishment.
The entire Shannon-Thompson family was in attendance for Thompson's graduation ceremony, including her mother, June Shannon. Per a Facebook post created by her alma mater, Thompson's post-graduation plan is to study neonatal nursing. "I look at my diploma now and it still feels a little surreal for me to be graduating high school ... if nobody is proud of me I'm proud of my damn self," Thompson said.
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The mid-to-late aughts brought about an unexpected interest in the lives of tattoo artists. Such an interest led viewers to get to know Kat Von D, a tattoo artist who starred on "Miami Ink" and later had her own spin-off called "LA Ink," both of which showed the day-to-day operations of tattoo artists. Von D's spin-off didn't last long, but she stayed relevant by launching her own makeup brand, KvD Vegan Beauty née Kat Von D Beauty, which became uber popular thanks to cult-favorite products like its Tattoo Liner (and we have to agree with the cult -- that eyeliner is amazing).
In 2020, Von D sold her shares of her beauty brand, and in late 2022, she announced her plans to relocate from California to Indiana. The decision came after learning that a home in Indiana, which is reportedly haunted, was for sale. "When it went on the market, I told my husband, 'Let's go see it. I've never spent any time in Indiana, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out ... We just fell in love with it. We fell in love with the town and the nature," she told Fox News. In addition to moving to Indiana, Von D published her first children's book, "Leafar and the Magical Treasure Chest," which was inspired by her son.
TLC fans in the 2000s absolutely loved "What Not to Wear." Not unlike "America's Next Top Model," the series might be considered problematic in today's lens (though not quite to the level of Tyra Banks's brainchild), but it drew a major audience at the time it aired, and viewers loved the hosts. One host, Clinton Kelly, started his career as a writer, and he gained mainstream fame when he replaced Wayne Scot Lukas in Season 2 of "What Not to Wear." When the show ended, Kelly turned his attention to other personal projects, and those who weren't following him on social media lost track of him.
Like many of us, Kelly leaves a digital trail. Per his Instagram account, he can be found traveling, eating, drinking, and spending time at his home in Connecticut. Kelly invited Rachael Ray into his home in 2023, which he's been continually redecorating and redesigning since he moved in. "I have to be honest with you, I design for myself. I don't care what anybody thinks about anything that I put in my house. If it makes me happy, it goes in my house. If you don't like it, you're not invited," he told the outlet.
The other half of the bygone TLC show "What Not to Wear" is Stacy London, a former style editor and celebrity stylist. The series ended in 2013, and a lot changed in London's life after she was no longer hosting a television show. Some of those changes included career changes, like becoming editor-at-large of Shape magazine and contributing to The View for a season, but the biggest changes in London's life were personal.
In late 2019, London publicly addressed rumors that had been circulating about her love life. The stylist posted photos of her and her girlfriend on Instagram with a long caption noting, "I want to be clear here that with Cat I felt I owed us the chance to be private since this is my first serious relationship with a woman and I'm sure there will be some hoo ha about that ... I used to date men. Now I date her. That's it."
London documents her happenings on her Instagram page, but she's got a lot going on professionally, too. In fact, London is still dishing out style tips, even partnering with AthletaWell to share pieces every woman needs in her closet. Jeans, sweaters, and trench coats were among the items London labeled essential.
For a solid 10 years, America couldn't get enough of the Gosselin family of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" fame. Known for having two sets of multiples -- one set of twins and one set of sextuplets -- Jon and Kate Gosselin allowed cameras into their home to document the good, the bad, and the ugly, including their daily lives with eight children; moving into a beautiful, enormous home; and, ultimately, an acrimonious divorce resulting in a bitter divide between the children.
After the divorce, Jon exited reality television, but Kate remained on camera. The show became "Kate Plus 8," and after its cancellation, she landed her own spin-off, "Kate Plus Date." Kate hasn't entirely left the reality television stratosphere, as she appeared on 2023's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test," but it's likely not her only job as she gained licensure to practice nursing again in 2021. As for her and her children, Kate's relationship with two of her sextuplets is reportedly still tenuous. In 2023, she attended her children Hannah and Collin's graduation ceremony, the former of whom she speaks to some and the latter of whom she does not speak to at all, as they both have lived with Jon since their custody battle. "Jon was surprised that Kate had decided to come just because she has been absent for a lot of their lives, so he wasn't expecting that she'd show up to graduation," a source told The Sun.
While Kate Gosselin made an effort to stay on television, her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, pursued his passions instead. Post-reality television life, Jon began DJing on the side, and in 2022, he realized another dream by releasing a hip-hop single and announcing he created a full-length hip-hop album. "Everybody wanted me to write a book, so I was like, 'Okay, I'll write a book.' But I'm not like a 'book person.' But what if I did -- I've been deejaying for so long -- what if I lyricized the book?" he said to Dr. Oz, as reported by ET. Gosselin has also been doing his part to give back, even committing to attending, in a strange turn of events, a charity event that "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars Margaret Josephs and Rachel Fuda committed to, as well.
Jon is also ready to find love again. He and his longtime girlfriend Colleen Conrad broke up in 2021, and with his children ready to enter the real world, Jon knows what he's after in a romantic relationship. "I want stability and a nice person," he told Dr. Oz. "I need someone to roll with the punches, though ... that someone has to be able to adapt." We'll stay tuned to see if he finds someone both stable and flexible.
Reviewing former TLC shows and stars is like taking a walk down memory-of-niche-interests-lane. Buddy Valastro entered the zeitgeist thanks to our collective vested interest in bakers who can turn anything into a cake, an interest multiple networks have continually cashed in on. The "Cake Boss" himself delighted viewers with his insane baking talents, as well as his sweet family dynamic. "Cake Boss" was on the air until 2020, and not long after it ended, Valastro suffered a terrifying injury. The baker mangled his hand while he was trying to fix his in-home bowling lane, and the incident resulted in multiple surgeries for Valastro to use his hand again.
The accident coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on Valastro, and it led to significant weight gain. "After COVID, I was just home -- doom and gloom -- and eating. I mean ... COVID was just miserable in that way," he told People. "I just woke up and I was like, 'This is almost the heaviest I've ever been.'" The realization inspired Valastro to work on his fitness, and he committed to living a healthier life. "It took me nine months to lose weight, and I've been maintaining it now because I lost it nice and slow. It wasn't a crash diet or anything like that," he says. "I just tried to be more disciplined during the week," he added.
"Long Island Medium" is one of the longest-running shows in TLC history. The star, Theresa Caputo, fascinated fans with her spirit readings, and after 14 seasons, the show ended. Caputo didn't exit the limelight when her show ended, though. Much like the spirits she communicates with, Caputo is still in the ether. Well, maybe not the ether, but she is in El Paso and other cities around the United States for her live shows where she conducts readings for audience members. "People will ask what it's going to be like, but it's literally like watching 'Long Island Medium' live. I come out on stage and give a quick little speech on how I connect with the dearly departed and what people can expect for the next two hours," she told the El Paso Times.
Giving readings is still very much Caputo's calling. As she told the outlet, "Someone might come to the show and might feel that some messages might be universal. And that's the thing that I love about readings. They have me relay things in a way that everyone can connect with it and apply to their healing and grieving process." When Caputo isn't giving live readings, she's spending time with her family or recording episodes of her podcast, "Hey Spirit! With Theresa Caputo."
It would be nearly impossible to rank TLC's catalog of shows -- past and present -- from most to least shocking, but one could make a very strong case for "Breaking Amish" to be near the top. "Breaking Amish" introduced viewers to a group of young adults who grew up in the Amish and Mennonite communities but wished to live in what they describe as the English world. One of the most compelling cast members was Kate Stoltz, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native who wanted to pursue a modeling career. Watching the entire group navigate the English world was intriguing enough, but there was something particularly interesting about watching an Amish woman attempt to enter an industry that's about as different from her upbringing as possible.
Against all odds, Stoltz found success in the modeling industry, even booking a feature in Maxim. Her success allowed her to eventually pursue another passion -- fashion. Stoltz now runs her own luxury clothing brand, Kate Stoltz New York. Stoltz still models, mostly for her own brand, and she paints canvas paintings.
Of all the "Breaking Amish" stars, Jeremiah Raber was perhaps the most eager to leave his past life behind. Raber divorced his first wife and left his three children to pursue a new life in the English world, and his journey has been nothing short of fascinating. Unlike some other former TLC stars, Raber is still on-air. The Amish-turned-English reality star has been part of the "Breaking Amish" spin-off "Return to Amish" since its first season in 2014. Despite his television tenure, Raber's comings and goings aren't as widely documented as they were when he first entered our screens. Perhaps the initial intrigue of the show's premise has worn off.
Much of Raber's life is also documented on Instagram. The reality star proudly shows off his own ventures outside of television including his fragrance line and Tupperware business. Not all of Raber's life makes the 'gram, however. Raber rarely posts about his on-again-off-again love Carmela Raber. His post from May 2022 with Carmela indicates the two are no longer together, but footage from season 7 of "Return to Amish" shows the couple together and trying to get pregnant.
Everyone's favorite Amish couple is still going strong. Abe and Rebecca Schmucker met on Season 1 of "Breaking Amish," and by the season finale, they were married. Their journey continued through the entirety of the show, and they even joined the cast of "Return to Amish" for a few seasons. The Schmuckers aren't on reality television anymore, and they seem to be living a relatively normal life. Rebecca is active on Instagram, and she uses it to show her followers her family's travels and daily lives. In February 2023, Rebecca posted a photo of her and Abe saying, "My favorite person," including the heart-eyes emoji.
Abe and Rebecca also stay busy raising their two children. On her eldest's 11th birthday, Rebecca posted a photo of her daughter noting, "You are my favorite bookworm, you are more sarcastic than me which is scary sometimes but you are so fun!" And just before her youngest's 8th birthday, Rebecca shared a photo and said, "I feel so blessed to have two healthy and happy girls but my goodness they are almost half grown up! I love being a mom and they really make my life so much better!"
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