“You naturally have insecurities at a young age,” Lovato said
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NEED TO KNOW
- Demi Lovato appeared on the Tuesday, March 3 episode of Keke Palmer’s podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer
- During her interview, she acknowledged the difficulty with finding success on the Disney Channel at the same time as Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus
- “You naturally have insecurities at a young age,” Lovato said
Demi Lovato continues to open up about the realities of child stardom.
Lovato, 33, spoke with fellow former child actor Keke Palmer on her podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, about life in the spotlight. During the Tuesday, March 3 episode, Lovato candidly discussed rising to fame alongside Disney Channel peers Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.
Palmer, 32, asked the Sonny with a Chance alum about navigating a situation where the network was “always pitting” the stars against each other, trying to crown “the number one girl.” Lovato joined Disney Channel in 2007 with the TV-short series As the Bell Rings, as Cyrus began starring in Hannah Montana (2006-2011) and Gomez on Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012).
Lovato, who uses she/they pronouns, prefaced her answer by explaining that she and Gomez were friends prior to their time on Disney Channel, “We actually were on Barney together, and so I felt this safety when I came into the Disney Channel having a built-in friendship there already.”
She added that she was so “grateful” at the time and “will always be grateful for the friendship that I have and continue to have" with Gomez.
As she continued, the Here We Go Again singer confessed that it was “challenging” to deal with comparisons to Cyrus and Gomez. “You naturally have insecurities at a young age,” Lovato said. “So you start comparing yourself to other people.”
“But one thing my mom instilled in me was, ‘There’s room for everyone. It’s not a competition,' ” the Don't Forget singer said. “That’s what I really stuck by. That’s what kind of got me through that period. I was always rooting for everybody.”
Credit: K Mazur/TCA 2008/WireImage
After they departed Disney Channel, the two stars went on to have successful pop music careers, with each applauding one another’s work. More recently, in September 2025, Lovato complimented Gomez and her husband, Benny Blanco’s latest album, I Said I Love You First, saying they did a “really, really great job.”
“I love the songs on it,” Lovato said during a Watch What Happens Live episode, and noted that she really enjoyed "Bluest Flame."
Meanwhile, a couple of months before, Gomez celebrated Lovato and Cyrus’ hugely successful careers.
“From the Jonas Brothers to Miley [Cyrus] and Demi [Lovato]," Gomez said on the Therapuss podcast. "It's good to see them all do their thing."
Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty
During Lovato’s March 3 interview, she told Palmer that she has mixed feelings about her time on Disney Channel. “There's so many emotions that come to mind when I think about that period of time in my life,” Lovato said.
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“Those were the years that started it all for me, and I have very fond memories,” she said. “Some not so fond memories of the struggling that I had when filming those shows."
Lovato added, "You know, having struggled with an eating disorder while on camera was really challenging. I struggled with my mental health very much so, but ultimately, like, very fond memories. I made friends that I will have for the rest of my life."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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