Growing up on Barney & Friends! Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and more stars got their start on TV alongside the big purple dinosaur.

“I learned everything from that show,” the Wizards of Waverly Place star shared during an interview with The Early Show in 2008. “So it’s such a wonderful memory to me. A lot of people would be embarrassed to say they were on Barney but I embrace the fact and I had such a wonderful time doing that show.”

Celebrities Who Appeared on 'Barney' as Child Stars: Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and More
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Before their Disney Channel days, both Selena and Demi grew up on the children’s show. The Monte Carlo actress played the role of Gianna from 2002 until 2004 while the Camp Rock star was cast as Angela. Selena told BBC Radio 1 in February 2018 that she looks back on her Barney days “fondly.”

The “Wolves” songstress added: “It was amazing to be able to be 7 years old and experience that. It was wild. I mean — definitely got majorly made fun of at school but it was wild. I feel like it was such a part of my life.”

Demi, for their part, recalled their time on Barney & Friends while speaking with Rolling Stone in October 2017.

“I was more comfortable around adults there than I was with kids my own age when I went to public school,” the “Tell Me You Love Me” musician explained. “I got made fun of a lot because I had been on Barney. I look back and I think it was mainly jealousy from kids that wanted to sing and act on TV. I actually learned so much in my time being home-schooled that I was able to teach my math class things.”

When asked if they would rather watch themself in an episode of Barney or Camp Rock, Demi said “definitely” the Disney Channel Original Movie.

“There’s at least some sort of substance,” they explained. “Barney was fun, but the songs and the dancing — it was just too much.”

 

Over the years, both Demi and Selena have shared in various interviews that their Barney was “jacked” when the dinosaur suit came off.

“Barney was actually very attractive inside the suit!” Demi shared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2016. Selena recalled her former costar’s past quote while appearing on BBC Radio 1 and agreed. “You have to be very fit to do that because it’s 50 pounds of costumes,” Selena shared, remembering that “he’d have his muscles and he’s sweating.”

Scroll through our gallery to see which other celebs got their start on Barney

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