Nick Jonas says Disney Channel Games was like ‘Love Island on crack’
“They would put a bunch of teenagers in the Disney park after hours and just say, ‘Let’s see what happens!'”
Nick Jonas may not be an Olympian, but he knows what it’s like to be on a winning team after participating in the Disney Channel Games.
While visiting The Tonight Show on Friday, the “Jealous” singer reflected on competing in the network’s annual charity games with his fellow Disney Channel stars — including his brothers Kevin and Joe — in 2008. And it turns out, the real drama was actually unfolding off screen.
“For those that don’t know, the Disney Channel Games were basically the Olympics, but where they would bring in a hundred-ish Disney Channel stars from all over the world and make us compete in silly games,” Jonas explained to host Jimmy Fallon. “But what it really was, was like Love Island on crack.”
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The Jonas Brothers on the ‘Disney Channel Games’ red carpet.Jeff Daly/Getty
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Love Island is, of course, the reality dating series in which a group of young adults moves into a villa and then they strike up relationships with one another — some that last throughout the series, and others that quickly flame out.
While he didn’t clarify exactly what went down, Jonas joked that the games’ filming methods led to some very interesting results, adding, “They would put a bunch of teenagers in the Disney park after hours and just say, ‘Let’s see what happens!’”
Jonas, who was fresh off his performance in Camp Rock, competed on the red team on Disney Channel Games alongside The Suite Life of Zack and Cody’s Brenda Song, The Cheetah Girls’ Adrienne Bailon, Hannah Montana stars Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles, and more in the monthlong competition.
His brothers Kevin and Joe also competed that year, but on different teams — Joe was on the green team, while Kevin served as the leader of the yellow team.
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The games were held at Walt Disney World and typically saw all four teams face off in events like relay races and obstacle courses for one of four children’s charities: the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, UNICEF, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The red team was eventually declared the winners at the end of the games.
If you feel like reliving the energy of Disney Channel Games, you can rewatch the miniseries now on Disney+.
Watch Jonas recall his wild experience competing in the games in the clip above.