Drake Bell Admits He Felt Pressure After Leaving Nickelodeon

Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell recently opened up about the pressure he and his co-star, Josh Peck, felt to be responsible young adults after their show concluded in 2007.

Bell, who rose to fame starring in productions like “Drifting School” and “Home Improvement,” joined the Nickelodeon family in 1999 when he was cast in “The Amanda Show.” After that, the actor transitioned to other shows on the network, like “All That” and his show with Peck, “Drake & Josh.”

During a candid interview about life after his hit television show, which aired four seasons and 56 episodes from 2004 to 2007, Drake Bell explained that he found adjusting to the real world difficult, considering he wasn’t taught about certain topics when he was younger.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Bell explained that navigating life after his television show ended in 2007 was a challenge.

At 21, the actor struggled to decide which direction to take because he didn’t have anyone directing him.

“You’re thrust to the world, and no one’s telling you what to do,” Bell, now 38, said. “You’re thrown to the wolves, and you’re expected to make the right decisions, do the right things without any guidance.”

Bell revealed that he and his “Drake & Josh” co-star, Peck, who also appeared in “The Amanda Show” and “All That,” felt required to “be good role models” for the young viewers who watched them. Consequently, this caused much “stress” for the performer, who then explained he was still figuring out life for himself.

“You’re like, ‘Whoa, I don’t even know … do I buy fabric softener? Does that go in the washing machine?’ You have to know everything about taxes, bank accounts, car loans, insurance, mortgage payments, and [rent]. I don’t know what I’m doing!” he said.

Although they co-starred in their eponymous show on Nickelodeon together, Bell and Peck experienced their own challenges as friends. In the past, Bell sparked controversy after revealing Peck hadn’t invited him to his wedding to Paige O’Brien.

However, he cleared things up during a previous interview and said he believed life got in the way of their friendship before revealing they speak “a lot.”

“Both of us becoming fathers has had a huge impact on our relationship,” he said. “We hold a very special place in each other’s hearts. We do have an incredible love for each other.”

In the 2024 Investigation Discovery documentary “Quiet on Set,” former Nickelodeon stars opened up about their alleged experiences of abuse, racism, and mistreatment on Dan Schnieder’s sets. The latter is known for creating several popular children’s television shows, including “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” and, of course, “Drake & Josh.”

Bell was one of the victims who shared their experience, and in one interview, the actor detailed a moment to producers where he felt “trapped” and “had no way out.”

“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to [Brian Peck, a convicted sex offender who used to work for the network in the early 2000s] — I opened my eyes, I woke up, and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation,” Bell, who was 15 at the time of the incident, said in the documentary.

“The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really,” he said. “Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.”

After the documentary aired in March 2024, Peck initially stayed silent, which many brought attention to, considering their previous dispute. However, after noticing the negative pushback, Bell told his fans that Peck reached out to him to offer support. He also reminded his followers that processing the information “is very, very difficult.”

“But I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive. But he has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this. And has been really, really great. So just wanted to let you guys know that and to take it a little easy on him,” he finished.

Weeks later, Peck made a public statement and explained that he “reached out to Drake privately” after finishing the documentary. He ended by offering his “support” to the survivors “who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets.”