Zendaya opens up on life with 'favorite person' Tom Holland
Zendaya has offered a rare and refreshingly candid glimpse into her life in London with fiancé Tom Holland, shedding light on how the famously private couple balance love, work, and normalcy while living between two continents.
In a new interview with the Daily Mirror published Saturday, the 29-year-old Emmy winner spoke warmly about Holland, describing him as both her partner and her most trusted creative collaborator. Calling him her “favorite person to work with,” Zendaya addressed the common assumption that working alongside a romantic partner could be uncomfortable.
“Honestly, I know people might think it’s awkward,” she said. “On set, he has this huge calming presence that not only puts me at ease but also everybody he works with.”
She added, “I might be a little biased but he is not only my favorite person, he is my favorite person to work with.”
Zendaya explained that while she and Holland do not want to live in hiding, they are intentional about what parts of their relationship they share publicly. “Neither of us want to hide and not live our lives and do normal things, like go out for dinner,” she said, before adding, “But at the same time, we want to protect our privacy.”
Acknowledging the realities of fame, she continued, “You have to accept that to a degree, some aspects of your privacy are going to be out of your control. But the parts that are in our control, we fiercely protect.”
When not filming, the couple divide their time between Holland’s home in Richmond, West London, and Zendaya’s longtime base in California. Although work commitments make a permanent move difficult, Zendaya said the UK has come to feel deeply familiar to her.
“I think because so much of our work is in LA, [the UK] can’t be a permanent home right now, but it does feel like a home to me,” she explained. “When I go to the UK, I don’t feel like a visitor anymore. I understand British slang, I get the culture, and I know a ‘nice cup of tea’ makes everything right.”
She described trips to London as emotionally grounding, saying, “It really feels like coming home, and I love the people.”
That affection, however, does not extend to every British tradition. Zendaya offered a blunt and humorous take on one iconic snack, joking, “But I will never understand the fascination with Jaffa Cakes. They just don’t make sense to me.”
She was far more enthusiastic about another staple of British food culture, adding, “One thing you guys do really well is Indian food.” Recalling a recent outing, she said, “We went to see a show just before Christmas and we had the best curry.”
Zendaya also reflected on why privacy remains so important to her, pointing to her early start in the entertainment industry. “I have a really complicated relationship when it comes to starting in the industry so young,” said the former Disney Channel star. “On one hand, I am grateful for the opportunities and experience; then, on the other, there is no doubt I missed out on a lot of regular teenage stuff.”
She credited her parents for helping her navigate fame at a young age. “My parents were and are super protective of me,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to navigate being in the industry at such a young age without them.”
Zendaya and Holland first met in 2016 while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming. Romance rumors followed the next year, and the pair confirmed their relationship in July 2021 after being photographed kissing in a car. Since then, they have remained notably guarded about their personal lives despite intense public interest.
The couple are currently juggling an ambitious slate of shared projects. Both star in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey, set for release on July 17, and will reunite once again in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, hitting theaters on July 31.
Zendaya is also preparing for the release of Euphoria’s third and final season, while stepping into wedding drama territory on screen. Her first film to premiere this year is The Drama, an A24 romantic thriller in which she stars opposite Robert Pattinson.
In the film, written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, Zendaya and Pattinson play Emma and Charlie, a couple whose relationship begins to unravel just before their wedding. The movie is scheduled to premiere on April 3.
While her professional calendar remains packed and wedding bells loom in real life, Zendaya’s comments make one thing clear. Between London dinners, shared sets, and fiercely guarded privacy, she and Holland are building a life that feels grounded, intentional, and unmistakably their own.
