Top 10 Cringiest Disney Channel Characters

“Camp Rock” (2008)
We’ve all wanted acceptance and popularity at some point, but lying is NOT the way to get it. “Camp Rock” is centered around Mitchie Torres, a singer whose mom is hired to cater food for a music camp. This means Mitchie can attend Camp Rock at a discounted fee. But when she sees how wealthy the other campers are, she builds a web of lies in order to fit in. Mitchie’s cringe factor comes from being ashamed of her working class family and embarrassed by her mom’s job rather than proud of her. She also called someone’s bracelet “totally blingalicious” as a compliment, and that is unforgivable!

“Boy Meets World” (1993-2000)
Being a main character is a hard job! Viewers followed the trials of average kid Cory Matthews and his friends from their middle school years all the way through college. But one thing that never changed was Cory’s often selfish behavior. Sometimes protagonists get cringey because, well, the writing is centered around them — and Cory was no exception. He could be stubborn and lazy, he was always cutting corners, and he wasn’t empathetic to his friends and family. And his constant need to quip, snark, or complain about almost everything seemed to get worse with age. We love ya, Cor, but. . . in hindsight, can you be a bit less whiny?

“Minutemen” (2008)
Being a time traveler while in high school can definitely get you bragging rights. But not a free pass to be a jerk! In this 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie, a trio of outcasts — Virgil, Zeke, and Charlie — use a time machine of Charlie’s design to undo a life-changing embarrassment from their freshman year. Charlie advises them to keep their time-hopping to a minimum, but Virgil selfishly ignores his warnings. Even as they’re being pursued by the FBI, Virgil’s priority is getting rich and becoming popular. Dropping your friends for such shallow reasons is extremely cringe. And Virgil’s not even the one who built the time machine in the first place!

“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” (2005-08) & “The Suite Life on Deck” (2008-11)
On both “Suite Life” shows, the spoiled London Tipton wandered around her dad’s hotel and always had something goofy to say. But when a ditzy character is too ditzy, they can really make the audience cringe — and London is a perfect example. In addition to being shallow, London acts so foolishly that it seems like she would be a danger to herself and those around her. From the “PRNDL” moment during her driving lesson, to her constant focus on clothes, to never understanding her own wealth, London’s characterization makes her annoying rather than funny.

* “PRNDL” should be pronounced “Prindel” in this context for the joke

“Even Stevens” (2000-03)
Did you have an annoying younger neighbor who wouldn’t leave you and your friends alone? Well, was he as cringe-inducing as Beans? On this early 2000s sitcom, the character of Beans falls into the much-disliked category of ‘weird nosy neighbor.’ Beans was younger than main characters Louis and Ren and was always hanging around, often entering the Stevens family’s house whenever he wanted and acting like he owned the place. Louis yelling at Beans to leave practically became a catchphrase! Rather than coming across as quirky or precocious, Beans was downright irritating!

“Jessie” (2011-15)
The last thing you want a nanny to be is irresponsible. Unfortunately, Jessie Prescott makes this list because she’s as immature as the kids she looks after. The show follows Jessie after she leaves her strict upbringing in small-town Texas to chase her dreams in the Big Apple. She ends up working as a nanny for the very rich Ross family and caring for their four kids — but instead of growing from the experience, Jessie practically does the opposite. Much of the sitcom’s cringe comes from Jessie pushing her duties onto others, or never facing consequences for her actions.

“Lizzie McGuire” (2001-04)
Pitfalls and pratfalls are inevitable when you’re entering your teen years, but it seemed like Lizzie had more than most! Throughout the show’s run, the escapades of thirteen-year-old Lizzie McGuire (and her adorable animated self) often made us cringe all the way into our couches. There was plenty of standard awkwardness, including kooky schemes, coming-of-age moments, or the famous “I WANT A BRA!” scene. But somehow Lizzie even made a rhythmic gymnastics routine into something cringe, even though actress Hilary Duff had actual experience in the sport!

“Camp Rock” (2008)
There’s nothing more cringe than being a mean girl. Tess Tyler is the villain of the hit Disney Channel Original Movie “Camp Rock,” and she is definitely mean. While protagonist Mitchie is from a working class background, Tess comes from money like many of the other campers. But unlike those other campers, Tess uses her clout against Mitchie at every opportunity. She accuses Mitchie of stealing her charm bracelet despite knowing she didn’t do it. Later, she twists the knife further by exposing Mitchie in front of everyone else at camp. She’s even a jerk to sweet Caitlyn. It costs zero dollars to be nice, Tess!

“High School Musical” franchise (2006-)
You can BET we’re going to include a certain singing basketball player on this list! For this entry, most of the cringe comes from main character Troy Bolton acting shallow. In “High School Musical 2”, Troy and friends work at a country club over the summer, but he spends most of his time ignoring them so he can cozy up to wealthy patrons. Later, he gives Gabriella a necklace with his own T initial on it, even though they’d only been dating a short time -- talk about giving us the ick! And let’s just admit it: most of us have done a dramatic rendition of Troy’s cringey dance-running from “Bet On It.”


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.

Because His Obsessive Crush on Raven Is More Annoying Than Precocious

Because Her Holographic Dance Moves Are Breathtakingly Cringe

Because He Never Learns His Lesson for Cheating on His Girlfriend

Because Having a “Dance-Off” Against the Girl You Bullied is Weird

“Radio Rebel” (2012)
You knew this one was coming! This Disney Channel Original Movie is centered around high school student Tara Adams, who is shy in real life but has a secret identity as Radio Rebel, Seattle’s most well-known internet DJ. But her friends somehow have no idea about her double life! Perhaps the biggest cringe crime is that a high schooler has enough power to run a radio show that the whole city listens to. And of course, we can’t discuss Tara without mentioning The Look. During the “Morp” held after their prom is canceled, love interest Gavin sings a tune inspired by Tara, and they exchange a heated gaze that’s supposed to be intense but instead looks like someone failing at smizing. There’s no excuse!




Did you look away to spare any of these characters the embarrassment? Let us know what made you cringe in the comments.