Disney Channel viewers said goodbye to CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue when Shake It Up came to an end in November 2013.
Starring Zendaya and Bella Thorne, the series followed two best friends whose dreams come true when they get the chance to become professional dancers on the fictional TV show Shake It Up, Chicago! It aired on the network for three seasons.
Months before the series finale premiered, Deadline was the first to report that Shake It Up would be saying goodbye to Disney Channel. While Zendaya stayed on Disney Channel for a few more years starring in the series K.C. Undercover, Bella said goodbye to the network. Over the years, both actresses have had nothing but amazing things to say about their Disney days.
“The thing is, I am [a Disney kid]. And to a degree, I am grateful for that,” the Euphoria star told Variety in January 2021. “That’s where I started, and I learned so much from that experience. It’s just kind of been this slow progression, and I am happy that it’s all been to prove it to myself and not to anybody else, you know? I embrace it a little bit. It’s part of my heritage to a degree.”
When the girls said goodbye to their roles as CeCe and Rocky, both Bella and Zendaya thanked the network for giving them their start.
“Disney gave me the biggest break in my life. They opened so many doors for me that I will always be thankful for,” The DUFF actress gushed to TV Guide in November 2013. “I’m open to guest star and film work, but I think they’ve got it covered with the new incredible talent coming up on the channel. I will be keeping an eye on the great new shows coming out!”
Zendaya added, “Once you are a part of Disney, you are always in the family so I will always be a part of them. Of course, I want to branch out and do other things, but you just never know what the future holds.”
In the same interview, both stars said they would miss “the cast and crew” the most.
“We had a beautiful journey,” Bella shared at the time. “I pretty much grew up on the channel — I was 12 when I booked the show so becoming a teenager and going through the awkward phase happened with them.”
Scroll through our gallery for everything we know about why Shake It Up came to an end!
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