Cleo Smith’s mum claims the kidnapped four-year-old ‘LOVES the attention’ of her newfound fame

Cleo Smith’s mother has claimed her daughter ‘loves’ her newfound fame, although she is still yet to understand why strangers recognise her in the street. 

The four-year-old was abducted from a tent on October 16 while on a weekend family holiday at the Blowholes campsite in Western Australia.

Cleo quickly became perhaps the most well-known four-year-old in Australia and within two weeks her smiling face would become famous around the world as thousands joined the hunt to find her. 

After her 18-day ordeal, footage of a detective carrying her out of abductor Terence Kelly’s home to safety along with audio of the little girl telling officers ‘my name is Cleo’ rapidly went viral as the world rejoiced over her miraculous rescue. 

Since being reunited with her mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon, the family are often greeted in public by members of the community who closely followed their extraordinary story – and will likely be tuning in for their tell-all interview on Sunday, which bagged them $2million.

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Ms Smith said her daughter is coping extremely well with the attention. 

‘She loves it,’ Ms Smith said. 

‘We were in Perth and someone went up to her and said “hi Cleo”, and she was like “Hi! Hello!’ 

But while excited by the affable encounter, the toddler was also slightly confused.

‘We walked away, and she was like, “Mum, how does she know my name?”‘

The update on Cleo’s wellbeing were revealed in a preview of a 60 Minutes segment that will air on Sunday as Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon share their family’s story for the first time. 

Channel Nine reportedly offered the pair a $2million contract for the exclusive tell-all interview, which is believed to be an Australian television record. 

The deal is also believed to include a Stan mini-series or documentary and stories across their websites and newspapers. 

Although the toddler is reportedly relishing the limelight, Daily Mail Australia last month exclusively revealed Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon were considering changing their daughter’s name to shield her from the publicity. 

The couple sought advice from other parents whose children have been unwittingly thrust into the spotlight after suffering comparable ordeals.

They inquired into how young victims of high-profile crimes recovered psychologically, including whether they underwent professional counselling and if their parents considered that process worthwhile. 

‘They’re worried about the repercussions of the media and so forth down the track,’ a source previously told Daily Mail Australia. 

‘They’re worried about people making the connection later on down the line.’ 

Forensic psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said it was a ‘big call’ to change a child’s identity.

‘There’d have to be fairly compelling reasons for that,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I understand they don’t want publicity, they don’t want to draw attention to themselves, they want to blend into the community.

‘But that has to be considered in the context of the age of the child, the child’s sense of identity at that age.’

It remains unclear whether Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon are still considering taking that course of action, but based on the details so far shared by her parents, it seems the toddler is handling her celebrity status well – at least for now.  

In another snippet of the program, Ms Smith also revealed, despite Cleo’s traumatic experience, she was upbeat and very exited to see her parents when they were first reunited. 

Ms Smith said her daughter’s first words when police took the toddler to her family was ‘Hi, mummy!’. 

Mimicking her daughter’s enthusiam, Ms Smith replied: ‘Hi baby!”. 

Ms Smith also told seasoned reporter Tara Brown she felt ‘powerless’ after waking to find her eldest daughter missing from her tent. 

‘I had to hope that she was close to me, but she wasn’t,’ Ms Smith said.

‘It was just nightmare after nightmare.’

The sensational interview is expected to recount the toddler’s disappearance and the successful search efforts and investigation that led to her recovery on November 3. 

While her parents will relay their hellish experience, Cleo is not expected to front the cameras.

The deal is the highest amount paid for a television interview since Channel Nine paid Beaconsfield mine disaster survivors Brant Webb and Todd Russell $1million each in 2006 to recall their two weeks trapped in the underground mine. 

Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon’s decision to speak has sparked controversy, with WA Police – who are still in the process of prosecuting Cleo’s abductor Terence Kelly – describing the TV special as ‘highly inappropriate’. 

It is understood police will not be providing any information to 60 Minutes or taking part. 

Several officers close to the investigation told the publication the timing of the mini series is ‘highly inappropriate for any episode to be airing prior to completion of the judicial process’.

The episodes are also set to be aired on streaming service Stan while the case remains before the court. 

One source told the Western Australia it was ‘almost contempt of court’ for the program to air. 

The deal has also caused a stir within the ranks at Nine after WA-based reporters were denied the chance of sitting down with the family, in favour of Brown. 

Due to the state’s border closures, Brown, who lives in Sydney, was unable to travel to Western Australia and was forced to conduct the interview over video calls. 

The cost of the segment, which is reportedly a quarter of 60 Minutes’ annual budget, further stoked outrage after the network recently underwent budget cuts.  

The four-year-old’s story captured hearts around the world who braced for the worst outcome and celebrated when she was extraordinarily found. 

Bids for the sensational story began almost immediately after Cleo was found, with nine beating Channel Seven’s Spotlight program to secure the deal. 

Cleo was holidaying with family on October 16 at the Blowholes campsite, about 80km north of Carnarvon, when she vanished from her tent.

She had woken about 1.30am and asked for water but when her parents got up at 6am the little girl was gone.

An land, air and sea search failed to find any trace of Cleo. Five days after she went missing police announced they believed Cleo had been abducted and offered a $1million reward. 

On November 3 police found Cleo alive and well inside a locked house at Carnarvon just minutes from her family home.

Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, was arrested nearby as Cleo was reunited with her parents and the nation celebrated what was described as both a miracle and outstanding police work. 

Kelly, who was not known to Cleo’s family, pleaded guilty to a single charge of child stealing on January 24. 

The case will now be adjourned to the Perth District Court on March 20, where he will eventually be sentenced but ultimately avoid a criminal trial.

Kelly is yet to enter a plea to other charges.

My Name Is Cleo will premiere on February 6 at 8.30pm on Channel Nine and 9Now.