Bella Thorne wishes Zendaya happy birthday with throwback picture

Bella Thorne marked her Shake It Up co-star Zendaya's birthday on Thursday (01Sep16) by sharing a throwback picture of the pair together.

The duo both found fame on the Disney Channel show, which ran from 2010 to 2013, and have gone on to have successful careers, but Bella remembered where she had come from in a sweet post to celebrate Zendaya as she turned 20.

Alongside the picture, which showed Bella wearing a tiger dress and a yellow cardigan while Zendaya sported a floral ensemble, Bella wrote: "Happy birthday babygirl. So proud of you #12&13 #shakeitup."

Since Shake It Up ended, Bella and Zendaya have remained close friends, with the redheaded actress on hand to support her pal when she was embroiled in controversy following Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic's comment that Zendaya's dreadlocked hairstyle at the Oscars last year (15) made her look like she smelled of "patchouli and weed".

In a video on RyanSeacrest.com after the incident, Bella said: "I know Giuliana, and I know Zendaya, and I know them both personally. And honestly Giuliana is a really sweet person. And Zendaya has been on Fashion Police as a guest, and Giuliana just goes on and on about how much she loves her.

"So I think when Giuliana made that comment, although this doesn’t justify it in any way, I think that she didn’t mean it like that, and that it probably just came out wrong because she really loves Zendaya. And I love them both."

Bella wasn't the only star to wish Zendaya a happy birthday on Thursday. Supermodel Naomi Campbell also took to her social media page to post a snap of herself with her arm around Zendaya, and she wrote: "#Happybirthday #beauty @zendaya sending you so much love and blessings on this very special day. May you get all you desire... Work hard yes, make sure you enjoy every experience life gives to you. God bless you."