Scott Gries / Lifetime

Tough talking "Dance Moms" instructor Abby Lee Miller used to be even tougher.

Think "Dance Moms" instructor Abby Lee Miller is mean now? Well that's nothing, according to the controversial reality TV star.

In an interview with In Touch Weekly, Miller talked about her even meaner past, and explained what motivates her to lash out at the young dancers she works with now.

"My kids that are here in New York City, working professionally, think I should have done the show 25 years ago," she told the magazine, "when I was really mean."

As for the outbursts viewers see on her show today, Miller claims that milder rage is really just her way of making sure kids get the message.

“I want them to be better -- I want them to win," she insisted. “When I tell a child something the first time, I’m nice. The 15th time, I start to get aggravated."

And then?

"By the 30th time, they’re doing 100 push-ups and I’m screaming at them," Miller said, "and of course, that’s what they put on TV."

They do indeed.

What do you think of Miller's methods? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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Getty Images, AP file

Abby Lee Miller and Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson.

"Dance Moms" instructor Abby Lee Miller is known for her tough-talking ways when it comes to dealing with young dancers on her Lifetime show, but she also has harsh words for another kid. When asked about TLC's rising reality star Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, Miller didn't hold back.

"She needs to get in shape," Miller said of the 7-year-old during an interview with TMZ. "She needs to be at a dance studio; she need to be training; she needs to work on her turnout -- the whole nine yards."

Miller hasn't been the only one to remark on the tyke's physique lately. On the season finale of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," Alana herself worried that she was too "chunky" to fit into her latest pageant outfit. And "The View's" Joy Behar recently said that she believed the youngster would "grow up to be a big fat woman."

That's an awful lot of commentary about one kid's weight. But in the case of Miller, it seems to come with some degree of empathy. After all, she admits she's not so happy with her own shape either.

"I'm a little frazzled because I was watching the reunion of 'Dance Moms,' and I didn't like my hair and I didn't like my two chins," she told TMZ.

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Lifetime

"Topless Showgirls" episode of "Dance Moms."

If you thought the little girls dressed as strippers or costumed as Madonna (complete with the famous cone bra) were inappropriate on "Toddlers & Tiaras," you probably haven't been watching "Dance Moms" this season.

On March 6, Lifetime aired the episode titled "Topless Showgirls" in which the little dancers appeared to dance -- you guessed it -- topless on a showgirls-type performance. According to instructor Abby Lee Miller, the act was a fan dance. "You cover your body with the fans so you give the illusion that you're nude underneath the fans," she explained on the show. "C'mon. We all know you have tan bras on and tan tights on. ... Everyone in the industry knows the girls are completely covered and everything's harmless."

Sounds lovely -- for an adult. For pre-teen girls, maybe not so much. "My outfit was pretty tiny," young dancer Mackenzie told the cameras. "I could fit this on my American Doll."

Lifetime has confirmed to TODAY.com that it has since decided to yank the episode. Not only will "Topless Showgirls" never air on the network again, it won't be available online either. (If you're really curious, Gawker has a clip available.)

What do you think of Lifetime's decision to remove the episode? Good move, or too little too late? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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