I starred in Toddlers & Tiaras – mum spent £63k on makeup and fake tan, but by seven I had retired for a normal life
EDEN Wood was a household name by the age of four, thanks to her extravagant stage presence and glitzy pageant outfits features on TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras.
But the now 18-year-old admits that it wasn’t an easy feat, competing against other girls for the title of ‘Grand Supreme’.
The former ‘pageant superstar’ and her mum Mickie Woods have revealed what really went on behind the scenes – including the huge amount they spent on fake tan, makeup, and professional photos.
However, that doesn’t seem to have scared her off, as Eden now plans to compete for the grand title of Miss America.
The blonde bombshell began her journey on stage at six months old, before being cast in her first movie role at the age of three.
Then, after her fourth birthday, the tot became one of the main faces featured in the reality series that followed girls competing in child beauty pageants.
During an episode shared on YouTube by TLC, Mickie estimates how much she’d spent on the toddler’s pageant career by the time she was just four years old.
She said: “Probably around $65,000 or $70,000.”
Mickie and Eden’s manager, Heather Ryan added: “Nikki doesn’t penny pinch when it comes to pageant stuff.
“Now she’s spent enough on wardrobe and pictures to pretty much feed every child in Botswana.”
This revelation attracted plenty of attention online, with the clip from an episode of Toddlers and Tiara’s gaining more than 4,800 reactions and 401,495 views on YouTube.
In the comments, people shared their reactions, with one writing: “I cannot believe something like this still exists. Totaly insane and giving these young girls a very bad example of what life is about.”
“Seventy grand only at the age of four??? as a teen pageant girl, this mom better be ready to shell out even more if her daughter continues in pageantry and starts dressing herself in sherri hill and jovani gowns,” commented another.
A third added: “I feel sad that her childhood is getting taken from her!”
Someone else put: “It’s sad that the best day of her life was the day she did well in a pageant and not the day she was BORN! And I’m not even going to go into how obscene it is that she’s wasted, yes, WASTED, that kind of money.”
But after winning more than 300 beauty queen titles, Mickie decided it was time for her daughter to hang up her crown and retire – at just six years old.
In an interview with ABC, Mickie, from Arkansaw, US, shared what their pair were turning their attention to next, stating: “Why not see if we can’t have a Hollywood contract, a reality show, a spot on a Disney program. It’s the American dream. It’s her destiny.”
But now it seems Eden is now ready to throw herself back into competing, revealing that she plans to go after the title of Miss America in the future.
Commenting on her of her recent TikTok reels, a fan said: “So are you gonna compete for Miss America?”
Eden, known online as @edensofficial, replied: “I hope so.”
In another reel, Eden shares pictures of her as a youngster, and now, suggesting she hasn’t changed at all in the 10 years since her pageant days aired on TV.
She wrote: “Not much changed.”
In the comments, fans shared their reactions, with one writing: “Little Eden is an ICON.”
“I named my daughter Eden Grace after seeing you on Toddlers and Tiaras,” commented another.
A third added: “i used to watch you so much as a child omg now i’m 21 and feel old.”