The former Nickelodeon co-stars reunited on Peck’s “Good Guys” podcast for an in-depth, two-part conversation.
Drake Bell (38) recently sat down with his former “Drake and Josh” co-star Josh Peck (38) for a sincere conversation about their fallout. Bell and Peck started working together on “The Amanda Show”, where both were regular cast members in the early 2000s. That show helped establish their comedic chemistry, which led to the creation of their own spin-off, “Drake & Josh”.
This marked their first public discussion since Bell’s revelations in the 2024 documentary “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV”, where he disclosed being sexually abused by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck during his teenage years.
Abuse allegations
The Investigation Discovery documentary series revealed the toxic and unsafe environment that hid behind the scenes of popular Nickelodeon shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Calling for better protections for child actors, the docuseries became a major talking point after exposing patterns of abuse, misconduct, and exploitation involving both child actors and production staff.
The biggest revelation was Bell coming forward publicly for the first time to reveal that Brian Peck, a Nickelodeon dialogue coach, sexually abused him during his time on the network. Peck was convicted in 2004 and served time, but the full story and Bell’s identity had remained under wraps until this series.
Bell revealed on the podcast that they filmed the pilot for “Drake & Josh” shortly before Brian Peck’s arrest. Josh Peck expressed his support and empathy, stating that he was unaware of the situation at the time and commended Bell for his courage in sharing his story.
“I didn’t know any of this at 14, and in watching the documentary, at 38, as a father, as a grown-up, so much was revealed to me.” Peck said.
Friendship and fallout
Bell and Peck also reflected on their time filming together, acknowledging both the positive moments and the challenges they faced. The “Hug me, brotha!” duo had a very public fallout due to their personal struggles; the biggest turning point happened when Peck got married in June 2017, and didn’t invite Bell, who found out through social media. He then tweeted: “True colors have come out today. Message is loud and clear. Ties are officially cut.”
In later interviews, Josh downplayed their friendship, saying they hadn’t been close for years. This came out as a shock to fans, who assumed they were still good friends. While they may never be as close as they once were, they seem to have buried the hatchet for now as shown in their candid conversation.
