Drake Bell Says He Was 'Thrust to the World' and 'Thrown to the Wolves' After ‘Drake & Josh’ Ended

Drake Bell didn't have the easiest readjustment after former Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh ended.

The actor-musician recently spoke to People about the aftermath of the series, which starred him and Josh Peck from 2004 to 2007. Also on the show was Miranda Cosgrove, who had her own spinoff, iCarly, from 2007 to 2012.

"You're thrust to the world and no one's telling you what to do," Bell, 38, told People. "You're thrown to the wolves and you're expected to make the right decisions, do the right things without any guidance."

Bell added that he and Peck, 38, were expected "to be good role models" despite being in their late teens at the time. The actors were longtime Nickelodeon players, with Peck previously being on All That while Bell was originally on The Amanda Show.

"That's where all of the stress [came from]," Bell continued. "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 and mortgage payments and rents. I don't know what I'm doing!"

Bell faced a series of scandals after the Drake & Josh finale, like filing for bankruptcy, being accused of abusing an ex-girlfriend and allegedly grooming an underage fan. In 2024 docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, Bell would allege that he was sexually abused by his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, while on Nickelodeon.

Bell and Peck's friendship was put to the test after the Investigation Discovery series was released, with viewers pressuring Peck to publicly support Bell. Bell would later come to Peck's defense, expressing that they had talked privately. He's since wanted to create a Drake & Josh reboot.

"My dream is to do something kind of like Curb Your Enthusiasm where we’re playing ourselves but trying to navigate life today," Bell said on the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast last December. "Maybe I‘m trying to get him back together with me and he’s like, ‘Dude, you’re annoying. Get away.’ I don’t know what it is but I would love to do some kind of Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm type thing with Josh one day. It’d be awesome to also revisit something where it brings the whole cast back."