Popular American singer and actress Zendaya hasn’t watched “Dancing With the Stars ” since 2013. The California-born actress blamed it on her hectic experience participating in the program’s 2013 edition. Zendaya, whose full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer, made the revelation on October 3 during her appearance on the Awardist podcast.
Zendaya went on to explain how exhausting her time on the show was. Speaking on the Entertainment Weekly-owned podcast, the multiple award-winning actress described her experience working on the show and why she has shied away from watching it afterward.
“I have not watched ‘Dancing With the Stars’ since I was on,” she confessed with a laugh. She also explained that the show has never been her thing. “I didn’t really watch ‘Dancing With the Stars’ before I was on ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ I don’t think I was the target demographic. My grandma loves ‘Dancing with the Stars;’ that’s her bag.”
In addition, Zendaya stated that she experienced a lot of stress during her time there. This experience further diminished what was left of her interest in the program. “I also think it was a very stressful experience. I was like, I don’t think I’m gonna be watching this anymore,” she said.
During the 2013 edition of the show, Zendaya, alongside her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, dazzled viewers with impressive performances. Zendaya, who was 16 then, and Chmerkovskiy slugged it out for the ultimate prize, the mirrorball trophy. Their fiercest rivals were “American Idol” former contestants Kellie Parker and Derek Hough.
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What Are Zendaya’s Best Movies and Shows?
After her “Dancing With the Stars” (DWTS) performance, Zendaya resumed work on her acting career. Before the show, she had made a name for herself through her role in top-rate movie projects. She starred in the much-celebrated Disney Channel 2010 show “Shake It Up,” where she played Rocky Blue.
After DWTS, Zendaya was called up to play a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movie “Spider-Man” Trilogy as Michelle Jones or MJ. However, her involvement with this top job didn’t come without some bumps. Some movie enthusiasts were worried about an African American playing what many regarded as a white character.
Ultimately, Zendaya gave her critics a reason to rethink as she nailed her role. Some commentators referred to her as a “scene stealer,” referring to her awesome performance. The California-born actress also played Chani in the 2021 movie “Dune” and Rue Bennett in HBO’s 2019 drama series “Euphoria.”
The major awards began to pour in in 2020 when she bagged her first Emmy for her performance in “Euphoria.” This recognition excited her DWTS partner Chmerkovskiy, who penned a touching social media post to his former ballroom dance mate.
Amongst many sweet words, Chmerkovskiy wrote, “It isn’t an Oscar yet, but I always knew you were special. Our season on DWT, and now your continued success since has brought me ridiculous amount of joy. I’m so proud of you, Z!”
Are Zendaya and Tom Holland Still Dating?
Yes, Zendaya and Tom Holland are still an item. The pair who were cast together in 2016’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” have continued their romance to date. Although they initially kept their relationship under wraps, they finally made it public in 2021, and their bond has continued to wax strong.
They’ve gone on quite several major public outings. In January, Holland, opening up about their activities, disclosed that they watched “Spider-Man: Homecoming” together. He disclosed that they watched the movie again to “relive” that memorable moment they shared on the screen.
In March 2024, Zendaya and Tom Holland were sitting in the stands during the BNP Paribas Open finals in Indian Wells, California. They also both sang along to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” which was playing over the stadium’s speakers.
Also, on August 3, Zendaya showed support to her partner while he played in Romeo and Juliet. It was Holland’s final night at the Duke of York Theatre in London’s West End production. Zendaya came into the venue holding a bouquet alongside the massive moral support her presence provided.
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When Was Zendaya on Dancing With the Stars?
Zendaya was on DWTS’s 16th season in 2013, hosted by Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet. She paired with Val Chmerkovskiy to impress judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba.
The show featured 12 celebrity contestants paired with professional dancers. In addition to Zendaya and Kellie Parker, the show featured reality TV star Lisa Vamderpump, professional boxer Victor Ortiz, reality TV personality Sean Lowe, NFL player Jacoby Jones, Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamil, and Olympic gymnast Alexandra Raisman.
Dorothy Hamil and her partner Tristan MacManus were the first to leave the competition. The top three partners were Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff, Zendaya and Chmerkovskiy, and Kellie Parker and Derek Hough.
Did Zendaya Win Dancing With the Stars?
Unfortunately, despite her impressive performances, Zendaya didn’t win DWTS. She ended up in second place as Kellie and Derek beat her to the top prize after 20 grueling episodes. Contestants were to learn and showcase several dance styles all through the ten weeks of the competition.
Zendaya and Chmerkovskiy put in lots of hard work and dedication to get to the finals. Based on her confession about why she hasn’t watched subsequent episodes, she has probably not recovered from the grueling nature of the competition.
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