Zendaya Reflects on Stressful 'Dancing with the Stars' Loss at Age 16

The actress reveals lingering feelings about her 2013 second-place finish and the challenges of competing on live television as a teenager.

Zendaya, now 28, admitted she still feels some animosity about losing 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 16 in 2013 to Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough.
At just 16 years old, she described the experience as highly stressful, citing the pressures of performing live weekly and taking the competition very seriously.
In retrospect, Zendaya wishes she had approached the show more lightheartedly and enjoyed the experience rather than stressing herself out.
She has not watched the show since her participation, acknowledging that she was never a fan of it before competing and now associates it with the stress she endured.
Her partnership with Val Chmerkovskiy was marked by mutual respect, with both emphasizing hard work and perfectionism during their time on the show.