Demi Lovato appeared on the Tuesday, March 3 episode of Keke Palmer’s podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer. During the interview, she acknowledged how difficult it was to find 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 about life in the spotlight. In the 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 one another, trying to crown “the number one girl.” Lovato joined Disney Channel in 2007 with the short-form series As the Bell Rings, while Cyrus was starring in Hannah Montana (2006–2011) and Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012).
Lovato, who uses she/they pronouns, began by explaining that she and Gomez were friends before their Disney Channel days. “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 “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 admitted 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.” After leaving Disney Channel, all three went on to successful pop careers, often praising one another’s work. In September 2025, Lovato complimented Gomez and her husband Benny Blanco’s album I Said I Love You First, saying they did a “really, really great job.”
“I love the songs on it,” Lovato said on Watch What Happens Live, noting she especially enjoyed “Bluest Flame.” A few months earlier, Gomez had celebrated both 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.” During Lovato’s March 3 interview, she told Palmer she has mixed feelings about her Disney Channel years. “There’s so many emotions that come to mind when I think about that period of time in my life,” she said.
“Those were the years that started it all for me, and I have very fond memories,” she continued. “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, very fond memories. I made friends that I will have for the rest of my life.”
