News | Entertainment
24 Jan 2026 8:23
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Drake Bell suffered hair loss during the investigation into Brian Peck's abuse

    The 'Drake and Josh' actor has admitted at a teenager he was worried about the impact of the investigation and how it would affect both the Nickelodeon sitcom and his friendship with co-star Josh Peck, who is not related to the disgraced dialogue coach


    Speaking to Josh on his 'Good Guys' podcast, Drake recalled: "'Is this gonna hurt our show? When this drops, is Josh gonna look at me and be like, Bro, you took our dream away?'

    "I was losing my hair. I had these giant scabs on my head.

    "I had no idea why and there were like golf ball size scabs where I'm losing my hair. Then I got to go back and shoot the show."

    The dialect coach was arrested in 2003 on 11 charges relating to child sexual abuse, and was sentenced the following year.

    Drake revealed on last year's docuseries 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' that he was he was the unnamed abuse victim.

    Josh admitted he had no idea the investigation was underway, and he thought Josh simply didn't want to be friends anymore as he became more detached.

    He said: "Until you sort of shared with me what was happening, I was just looking at it through the prism of a 14-year-old's brain going like, 'He doesn't want much to do with me'.

    "And, in watching the documentary at 38 as a father, as a grownup, so much was revealed to me."

    He remembered asking Drake if he still spoke to Brian, adding: "And you just looked at me like, 'No. Brian's a really bad guy.' And I remember thinking, 'Gotcha.' And it was all that I needed to know."

    Although Brian didn't work on 'Drake and Josh', he visited the set - the same one where 'The Amanda Show' was filmed - when the cast and crew were working on the pilot.

    Drake told Josh: "The big break between 'Drake and Josh' and 'Amanda Show' is when I told my mom what was going on.

    "And then when we shot the pilot, we were in the middle of the investigation, but nobody had known anything because Brian hadn't been arrested."

    He recalled it feeling like a "monster" had invaded his "safe space".

    He said: "That's the only place I feel comfortable, when I get to set and hang out with you guys, and we go goof around and put on our masks and wigs and makeup and make people laugh and slide around and get dirty."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     23 Jan: Oscars 2026: Sinners break record with nominations, Jacob Elordi and Rose Byrne receive nods
     23 Jan: Amanda Seyfried thinks winning an Oscar "isn't necessary" for career success
     23 Jan: Karol G and Feid have reportedly split
     23 Jan: Summer House stars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula have split
     23 Jan: Emeli Sande and her fiancee Yoana Karemova have split
     23 Jan: Colleen Hoover is cancer-free
     23 Jan: Nicole Kidman reportedly feels "refreshed and optimistic" as her divorce from Keith Urban is behind her
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Blacks prop Tamaiti Williams denies player power was behind the early exit of coach Scott Robertson More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East More...



     Today's News

    Basketball:
    Mixed emotions within the Breakers after a last second overtime defeat at home to Adelaide in basketball's NBL 8:06

    Cricket:
    Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner's doing his best to stay upbeat after a seven-wicket thrashing in game two of their T20 cricket series against hosts India 8:06

    Business:
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East 8:06

    Politics:
    Whether it's a dip in the pool or a rogue cup of coffee - thousands of Kiwis had to have their passports replaced last year 8:06

    Motoring:
    A strong Police presence is expected in North Canterbury this weekend, as car enthusiasts converge on Rangiora for the Muscle Car Madness Car Show 7:56

    Environment:
    The Whangarei District Council says a slip on Helena Bay Hill could take anywhere between eight and 12 weeks to clear 7:56

    Soccer:
    Back to the drawing board for Phoenix men - after a humbling 4-1 loss away to Newcastle in football's A-League 7:36

    Tennis:
    ASB Classic women's champion Elina Svitolina is through to the fourth round at the Australian Tennis Open 7:16

    Accident and Emergency:
    A scene guard remains in place at an address in Clutha after a person was found dead and another found in a critical condition 4:56

    Christchurch:
    A pedestrian's seriously injured after being struck by a car on Christchurch's Riccarton Avenue about 10 to seven this evening 21:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd