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It’s been 21 years since Drake & Josh premiered, and to this day, it’s still considered one of the biggest shows on Nickelodeon. Since it was such a hit, fans may find it hard to believe that Drake Bell once thought the series would be canceled. His fears stemmed from the uncertainty of his abuser Brian Peck’s investigation during the early days of Drake & Josh.
Drake Bell Thought the Brian Peck Investigation Would Jeopardize the Show
Drake Bell opened up about his anxiety surrounding the show’s future in a candid discussion with Josh Peck (no relation to Brian Peck). The singer appeared on his former co-star’s Good Guys podcast to talk about their life as child stars. During the late 90s and early 2000s, the pair worked together on various programs on Nickelodeon. They met for the first time on The Amanda Show in 1999 and then went on to play brothers in Drake & Josh in 2004.
Since the latter marked the first time either of them headlined a TV series, Drake said he was so excited to film the pilot episode. Of course, he also hoped the show would be greenlit for multiple seasons. However, he feared one thing threatened his dream from becoming a reality: the Brian Peck investigation.
Drake Bell said his sexual abuse case against the former Nickelodeon dialogue coach was going on during the early Drake & Josh days. At the time, the actor didn’t know if the details surrounding the investigation would go public. If it did, he thought the ensuing controversy could lead to the series’ cancellation and end his and Josh’s dreams of having their own show. “Is Josh going to look at me and be like, ‘Bro, you took our dream away?'” Drake said. “Like, are we going to lose our show?”
The uncertainty over the whole situation made Drake so stressed that he experienced hair loss. “Dude, I was losing my hair,” he told Josh. “Like, I had these giant scabs on my head.”
He Called Brian Peck A ‘Monster’
Brian Peck’s presence on the Drake & Josh set only made things worse. Drake said it was like having a “monster” constantly following him around. Unfortunately, he had to keep what he knew about Peck a secret. “I know that this guy’s about to get arrested,” Drake remembered thinking. “I know that sh*t is about to hit the fan, and nobody in here knows it.”
Hearing Drake Bell’s story put things into perspective for Josh. His co-star said that he had no idea any of this was going on when they were on Nickelodeon. However, looking back at things now, Josh has come to understand why they were once distant. He did suspect that something was off with Drake at the beginning of Drake & Josh. As a naive teenager, he just assumed Drake didn’t like him. He never could have guessed what was really going on with him behind the scenes.
Going Public With ‘Quiet on Set’
Shortly before Drake & Josh premiered, Brian Peck was arrested for child sexual abuse in 2003. During the podcast episode, Josh recalled him suddenly disappearing from the set one day. He remembered asking Drake if he still talked to him, to which the actor responded, “No. Brian’s a really bad guy.” At the time, Josh didn’t pry any further.
It was only with the release of Quiet on Set that Josh learned the extent of Drake Bell’s abuse. The docu-series, which was released in March 2024, revolved around the toxicity behind children’s TV. In the third episode, Drake opened up about being sexually abused by Brian Peck. Since Peck’s victim was kept hidden for over two decades, Drake’s story came as a huge surprise to fans.
Despite everything that happened, Drake Bell said he still has so many great memories from being on Nickelodeon. He called Drake & Josh his “safe place” since he could “goof around” with Josh every day. Drake said he had so much fun and loved the fact that he made a lot of people laugh. He even got emotional talking about the impact of the show.
Watch Drake Bell and Josh Peck’s reunion on the Good Guys podcast below.
