Zendaya, the acclaimed 28-year-old actress, recently shared her reflections on her time on Dancing with the Stars, revealing that she still feels a sting from her experience on the show over a decade ago. Despite her impressive second-place finish on season 16 of the popular dance competition, Zendaya admits she won’t be tuning in to the show anytime soon.
In a candid interview with W Magazine, Zendaya opened up about the pressure she felt as a 16-year-old competing on live television each week. “I felt that loss. I was only 16 years old, and it was highly stressful,” she confessed. The Challengers star, who was partnered with Val Chmerkovskiy, elaborated on the intensity of the experience, highlighting the daunting nature of performing live under scrutiny.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(787×470:789×472)/zendaya-dancing-with-the-stars-tout2-100424-2ace333c398840d8bb87b39cdb77b93a.jpg)
Zendaya showcasing her dance talent on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 16.
Looking back, Zendaya expressed a wish that she hadn’t taken the competition so seriously. “I wish I’d enjoyed it a little bit more and just was like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ You know what I mean? But I was stressing myself out. I really went through it on that.” This sentiment underscores the immense pressure young performers often face, especially in high-stakes environments like reality television competitions.
The season Zendaya competed in saw Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough take home the mirrorball trophy, a result that still seems to resonate with Zendaya. She admitted that the lingering disappointment is a reason why she no longer watches Dancing with the Stars. However, Zendaya does indulge in other reality TV shows, confessing a fondness for the Netflix dating series Love Is Blind, which she jokingly calls a “guilty pleasure.” She finds the interpersonal dynamics on Love Is Blind fascinating, remarking, “It’s brutal. I’m like, ‘Dang, you guys know you’re on camera?'”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(665×0:667×2)/zendaya-dancing-with-the-stars2-100424-9cb36f0321c74fd494181b3548f82493.jpg)
Zendaya and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy performing on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 16.
Zendaya’s recent comments echo previous statements about her stressful DWTS experience. In an earlier appearance on Entertainment Weekly‘s Awardist podcast, she mentioned she hadn’t watched the show since her own participation. She explained that prior to being on Dancing With the Stars, she wasn’t an avid viewer, suggesting it wasn’t necessarily geared towards her demographic at the time, contrasting it with her grandmother’s enjoyment of the show.
Interestingly, Zendaya is not alone in having mixed feelings about her time on Dancing with the Stars. Several former contestants have voiced opinions suggesting the show might be geared more towards entertainment than pure dance competition. Danica McKellar, a season 18 contestant, described the series as “a reality show, not a dance competition” in a conversation with Cheryl Burke’s podcast. Similarly, Antonio Sabáto Jr. has called the show “rigged,” implying that factors beyond dance ability might influence outcomes.
Zendaya’s honest reflections provide a glimpse into the pressures and emotional rollercoaster of participating in a high-profile competition like Dancing with the Stars. While her experience was undoubtedly formative, her candidness about the stress and lingering disappointment offers a relatable perspective for many who have competed or performed under pressure.
