In 2012, a six-year-old girl purportedly drew more viewers than the Republican National Convention. That girl was Alana Thompson, better known by her stage name, “Honey Boo Boo.” When Thompson first burst onto the scene in an episode of TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras with her larger-than-life personality and seemingly endless supply of country catchphrases,

Alana 'Honey Boo Boo' Thompson tells PEOPLE about the ups and downs of her relationship with Mama June, especially during her mother's addiction.