Charli D’Amelio has had many, many jobs. From reigning as the defacto Queen of TikTok since the app surged in popularity in 2020 to collaborating with Dunkin’ Donuts to create a signature “Charli” drink in a move that would make Ben Affleck proud, the social media personality has built an empire for herself in just a few short years.
Despite the many projects she’s part of, one thing’s for certain: Nothing Charli does is accidental. The celeb loves finding personal touchstones that anchor her to a collab, company, or cause—and her latest partnership with Tamagotchi is no different.
Earlier this month, the beloved digital pet—which was created in 1996 by Japanese toy company Bandai—tapped the social media personality to be the face of its latest product: the Tamagotchi Uni. During an exclusive Cosmopolitan interview with Charli, she recalled the nostalgia she felt when reflecting on growing up with the gadget.
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Keep on scrolling to read all about Charli’s Tamagotchi obsession, the nostalgic trends she wants to return in full force, and peek into what the latest season of The D’Amelio Show has in store—including what filming with her boyfriend Landon Barker was actually like.
It’s awesome you’re partnering with Tamagotchi. Were you a fan growing up? Did you have one?
I did! I’m the youngest on both sides of my family, so my older cousins and my older sister definitely brought it around me. I would always be like, “let me try!” like every little sibling or cousin does. So there was a nostalgia factor to the partnership that appealed to me.
If you had to create a TikTok elevator pitch about why everyone should get the new Tamagotchi Uni, what would you say or do?
I think there would be a few ways I would go about it! I would definitely ask, “What was your memory of Tamagotchi when you were younger?” because I think that nostalgia is a big thing that plays into it. And for the younger kids, I’d point out all the things you can do, like the mini games and feeding them. You can literally order Tamagotchi food delivery now—it’s so cool! You can dress them up and you can take them everywhere.
Something that kids my age and even younger can relate to growing up on social media—on phones—is definitely that community aspect that I think helps us stick out. The fact that we love things that are so community-based, where you can talk to other people, I think is really, really fun and something you’re definitely getting with the new Tamagotchi.
Growing up, would you say you were good or bad at keeping yours alive? There’s definitely two schools of thought on this.
I’m definitely a lot better now. I’m a lot more responsible, you know? Back then, I probably was not the best. Am I great now? No. *laughs* But that’s the fun in it! You have that chance to start over. Now you can hire a babysitter if you’re gone, and there’s a lot more you can do that can make you feel more responsible.
What’s something that you distinctly remember from your own childhood that you wish you could bring back?
The little princess shoes! They would come with princess castles or, like, the little heels. I also wore tutus all the time, and I liked jelly shoes a lot.
The scene at Charli’s Tamagotchi Uni launch party.
Switching a little bit, you just finished wrapping on season 3 of The D’Amelio Show. First of all, congrats!
Thank you!
What’s something that you learned in prior seasons that you brought into season 3?
Well, I think I obviously learned a lot, just because you’re watching yourself go through situations. And I think a lot of it is just maturity and growing up, learning new things, and being able to see what you look like from an outside perspective. I think is really interesting. I feel like I’m probably very similar in a lot of ways, and in the ways that I’m different I don’t even realize until other people watch it and they’re like, “Whoa, okay. That’s cool.”
WATCH ‘THE D’AMELIO SHOW’ ON HULU HERE
Do you have a favorite moment from filming the past season?
I would say my favorite moment from filming was probably—it was like, we weren’t even filming. It was with the crew and we were watching Vanderpump Rules. I’ve never seen seen it before, but we watched the reunion and having them explain [Scandoval] to me because I had no idea what was going on.
We also did a prom, and everyone in the crew came dressed up. So that was really interesting and fun, too. And it was nice getting to hear everyone talk about how refreshing it is to see where I am now vs. where I was when we started.
What was filming with your boyfriend Landon like? In earlier seasons, you said it was a bit awkward to film with him because you were new to it.
Very awkward. *laughs*
I mean, I think that’s definitely a normal feeling to have! But for this season, what was that like?
Definitely a lot more comfortable…a lot less awkward to watch. We’ve been important parts of each other’s lives for quite a while now, and we’ve grown a lot and have gotten very comfortable around each other.
There’s also another aspect of Dixie being in the mix and her being close with Landon. And I think that relationship is also really funny to watch—just the three of us together, because Dixie says something and I’m like, “No.” And Landon takes her side, because he’s like, “That’s your big sister. I can’t disagree.” And I just have to be like, “Oh, you two suck together. No one’s on my side.”
It’s like a tag team.
Oh yeah.
What else can fans expect from this upcoming season?
I feel like a lot of behind-the-scenes of stuff that I’ve done in the past year, as well as more emotional moments that went on that really no one has seen. It also a lot of fun, upbeat parts! A lot went on as we were filming the show, and I think it really captures the hecticness and how it affected everyone in the family. I’m excited that everyone still gets to be a part of that journey.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
The Tamagotchi Uni is now available on Amazon and is available in purple or pink shells with a wearable wristband.
Assistant news editor
Gretty Garcia is the assistant news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers all things news, entertainment, and pop culture. Before joining Cosmo, Gretty was a social strategist for Mrs. Dow Jones and a features and special projects editor at Editorialist. She holds an MS from the Columbia Journalism School and studied art history at Harvard College.