Drew Barrymore is taking a different approach for the new season of her talk show.
The host of “The Drew Barrymore Show” told Entertainment Tonight she plans to give her guests a little more space during interviews.
“I’ll try to practice physical distance, which is not my strong point,” Barrymore said with a big laugh.
She added, “Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me? I was alone in a studio by myself! I like to be around people!”
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Barrymore also acknowledged, “[It’s] not everyone’s favorite, but I’m sorry to those people.”
The talk show host went viral several times in the past for getting physically super close to her interview subjects on the show.
Jennifer Garner, Kerry Washington, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler and Lionel Richie have all been hugged or had Barrymore get on her knees and take their hands as she enthusiastically speaks with them.
In April, she spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris, taking her hands in hers after asking her to be “Mamala of the country.”
“I’ll try to practice physical distance, which is not my strong point.”
One of the more infamous instances of Barrymore’s hands-on approach was her December 2023 interview with talk show host icon Oprah Winfrey.
She took Winfrey’s hands, caressed her arm, and held her close as Winfrey tried to shift a little on the couch.
While fans were critical online, Winfrey told TMZ at the time she enjoyed Barrymore’s hands-on approach during the interview and admitted it provided her solace. She added that she thought Barrymore was endearing and said she loved the actress for staying true to herself. Winfrey then joked that she now demands that her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, offer similar stroking sessions.
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“We’re always going to be big on joy and laughter and feeling good, and that’s something I always wanted to do but never thought we would launch in a pandemic,” Barrymore told ET. “And trying to lean into the joy and the feel good and the comedy at that time was real weird and wacky.”
“The Drew Barrymore Show” launched in December 2020, and received a two-season pickup, taking it into 2026.
“We had a lot of years of uncertainty, and it feels all the more delicious because of that,” the 49-year-old said.
“When we wanted to launch in a pandemic, it wasn’t an obvious way to go, and it was a tremendous risk. And I think it led to the uncertainty, but it also led to the possibilities. And if we had not been given that chance, that unorthodox timing, we would not be here today.”
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