'Don’t Think I Was...’: Here’s Why Zendaya Never Watched Dancing With The Stars Since Being On The Show
Zendaya shared her thoughts on her time competing on Dancing With the Stars during the most recent episode of Entertainment Weekly's The Awards podcast. Take a look below to listen in!
Popular actress and singer Zendya surprised us with her latest confession! The star reflected on her experience competing on Dancing With the Stars in the latest episode of Entertainment Weekly's The Awards podcast.
She revealed that she hasn’t tuned into the long-running dance competition series since her time on it, and she has a good reason for that.
"I have not watched Dancing With the Stars since I was on," Zendaya says, laughing. "I didn't really watch Dancing With the Stars before I was on Dancing With the Stars" she added.
She also revealed that she didn't think she was the target demographic for viewers either as she found the show quite stressful. However, she admitted that her grandfather loved watching the show.
For those who are unaware, at just 16, Zendaya competed in season 16 back in 2013. At the time, she was a Disney Channel star known for her roles in Shake It Up and K.C. Undercover. She came close to winning the mirror ball trophy, finishing as the runner-up alongside dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy, while Kellie Pickler and partner Derek Hough took first place.
Today, she happens to be a celebrated actress, who won two Emmys for her role as Rue in HBO's Euphoria and is garnering Oscar buzz for her portrayal of tennis coach Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino's sexy sports drama, Challengers.
The déjà vu moment came when her former dance partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, had predicted her Emmy win. When Zendaya won her first Emmy in 2020, Chmerkovskiy congratulated her on Instagram, sharing his belief that she would one day win an Oscar:
"Nearly eight years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a brilliant young woman how to ballroom dance on @dancingabc. After giving it every ounce of our effort, we came in second. Devastated by the loss, I remember telling her that one day she’d be winning an Oscar, and part of the reason would be this feeling of defeat she felt right now," he added, as per EW.
Even though the Emmy isn't an Oscar yet, he has always believed she was super talented and special. Chmerkovskiy said that he was proud of her.