Keke Palmer's mother says Nickelodeon sets were 'cultish'

Keke Palmer's mother has described old Nickelodeon sets as "very weird" and "cultish".

The 'Nope' star, now 30, worked as a child star on shows like 'True Jackson, VP' - in which she appeared in the title role from 2008 to 2011 - early in her career, and while executive Dan Schneider wasn't involved in that programme, Keke's mother Sharon was still uncomfortable.

On her 'Baby, This Is Keke Palmer' podcast, she and Sharon reflected on the 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV' docu-series, as well s allegations of misconduct made against Schneider.

Keke recalled: "I honestly do remember you having a lot to say about the Dan Schneider sets...

"I remember you feeling a way about Nickelodeon... I want to hear what you have to say."

Sharon replied: "My honest opinion is I thought the whole atmosphere of the Dan Schneider set was very weird, very cultish."

She described other parents as "very secretive", admitting she "thought they all took themselves way too seriously" while obsessing over their children's careers on Nickelodeon.

She added: "The whole conversation was: 'Oh my God! What's happening next? Did you hear they're going to cancel this show? What's coming next?' "

However, she explained: "My mentality about the entertainment business wasn't that Disney Channel or Nickelodeon was the end all to be all, but a lot of the parents did."

The Discovery+ documentary featured a number of former child stars from the network who alleged instances of abuse and a toxic working environment at the hands of producer Schneider.

In the film, former 'Drake and Josh' star Drake Bell revealed that he had been subjected to "extensive and brutal" abuse at the hands of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck while others claimed that 'iCarly' producer Dan had created a "hostile environment".