Zendaya Reflects on Her Stressful Experience on Dancing With The Stars

Actress Zendaya recently opened up about her experience on Dancing With The Stars. She participated in season 16 alongside dancer Val Chmerkovskiy in 2013, finishing as the runner-up to the winning pair, Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough.

During her appearance on Entertainment Weekly’s The Awardist podcast on October 3, Zendaya shared that she hasn’t watched Dancing With The Stars since her time on the show. The 28-year-old actress explained that she generally doesn’t watch shows of that format, stating she was not “the target demographic,”although she mentioned that her grandma enjoyed them.

Moreover, Zendaya revealed that the taxing nature of the overall experience contributed to her reluctance to revisit the show, particularly since she was just 16 years old at the time.

“I also think it was a very stressful experience. I was like, I don’t think I’m gonna be watching this anymore,”Zendaya remarked.

Zendaya began her television career in 2010 with a role in Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, portraying Rocky Blue, a background dancer on a local show. Following her appearance on Dancing With the Stars, her acting career flourished, leading roles in blockbuster franchises like Marvel’s Spider-Man, the Dune saga as Chani, and the HBO series Euphoria.

Zendaya’s Dancing With The Stars partner congratulated her on her Emmy win

In 2020, Zendaya became the youngest-ever Emmy winner for a leading role, receiving the award for her performance in Euphoria. This significant achievement prompted her former Dancing With The Stars partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, to share a heartfelt Instagram message on September 21, 2020.

In his post, Val expressed pride in having taught “a brilliant young woman”eight years prior, reflecting on their journey together on the dance reality show. He noted the emotional toll their loss had on them and how he encouraged Zendaya in the aftermath.

Val captioned the post:

“Devastated by the loss I remember telling her that one day you’ll be winning an Oscar and part of the reason why will be this feeling of defeat you feel right now. A few L’s will teach you lifelong lessons you’ll turn into dubs real soon.”

He ended his message by congratulating the actress on her Emmy win and wishing her continued success in her future endeavors.

What has happened in Dancing With The Stars season 33 so far?

Season 33 of Dancing With The Stars has released two episodes, with the third set to air on October 7, 2024. This schedule adjustment comes as a result of the Vice Presidential debate between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz being broadcast on CBS on October 1.

The current season features a lineup of celebrities including Danny Amendola, Jenn Tran, Joey Graziadei, Dwight Howard, Chandler Kinney, Phaedra Parks, Ilona Maher, Brooks Nader, Stephen Nedoroscik, Eric Roberts, and Reginald VelJohnson, all competing for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing With The Stars.

Notably, Anna Delvey and Tori Spelling were also contestants but were eliminated in the second episode during the double-elimination round. Tori and her dance partner, Pasha Pashkov, scored a total of 36 points over two weeks with their Rumba, while Anna and her partner, Ezra Sosa, received the same combined score of 36 points.

Following her elimination, Anna Delvey made headlines by stating that she learned “nothing”from her participation on the show. She later discussed her time on the series during her appearance on Tori Spelling’s misSPELLING podcast, expressing that she “felt like the biggest loser”in the show’s history.

Dancing With The Stars season 33 is hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, with episodes 3 and 4 premiering on October 7 and 8, 2024, available on ABC and Disney+.

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