This Is The Reason Why Drew Barrymore Hugs Her Talk Show Guests

Drew Barrymore loves getting close to the guests of her talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show. From Oprah Winfrey to Austin Butler, no celebrity is safe from a hug or a handhold from the actress and host. Although she has good intentions, her closeness has received backlash from the audience, who have felt uncomfortable with her physical closeness to people she has just met.

The successful Hollywood actress and talk show host addressed why she acts like this on her show, admitting she tried to stop the touchiness but ultimately wanted to bring joy and community to her show.

“Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me? I was alone in a studio by myself. I like to be around people! It’s not everyone’s favorite, but I’m sorry to those people,” she explained to ET! Online, adding that she’d be “practicing physical distance” going forward.

Drew Barrymore Opens Up About Being ‘Touchy’ With Guests

Drew Barrymore had a candid conversation with Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo about how being single impacted how she hosts her talk show. She admits she misses the physical connection. “I don’t know how I would ever hold back from holding hands, hugging, snuggling,” Barrymore told the actress and singer.

Cynthia — who is also very physical with her co-star Ariana Grande — told Drew that she feels people are “afraid of physical connection” and they believe it can only be “romance.”

“Yes! That’s my point! You’re saying it so much better than I did. In fact, I think when there is a romantic connection, I’m far more timid,” Drew exclaimed. The 50 First Dates star added that she would be happier “if we could all be more comfortable with physical touch.”

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Drew has also explained to Entertainment Tonight (via Collider) that starting her show during the 2020 pandemic may be why she wants to be so close to her guests. “I think that first of all we’re always gonna be big on joy and laughter and feeling good, and that was something I always wanted to do, but I never thought we would launch in a pandemic, and trying to lean into the joy and the feel good and the comedy at that time was real weird and wacky,” she explained.

In August 2023, Drew appeared on The Tonight Show and compared hosting styles with Jimmy Fallon. The SNL alum joked about her intimate style of interviewing guests. “At first I was like, ‘Oh is this a good thing? I can’t tell.’ And then I was like, ‘No this is awesome! It’s so much fun.’” she told Jimmy, as reported by The Today Show.

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She told Jimmy that she looked back on her many interviews and admitted she would focus on the energy in the room and be excited about someone asking a new question. “I just wanted to try and sort of think about what I felt my whole life and how I’d be so excited if someone asked me a different question, or there was good energy in the room, or if it didn’t feel like, ‘I’m sitting here asking you a question but I’m not gonna reveal anything about myself,'” she said.

How Drew Barrymore Addressed Criticism That She Is ‘Too Touchy’

Drew Barrymore has often been criticized for being too “cringy” with her guests. In April 2024, Drew was called out by viewers about her interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, whose hand she held during their interview and whom she referred to as “Mom-ala.”

During the Season 5 premiere of The Drew Barrymore Show, the Charlie’s Angels star acknowledged her divisive behavior with the guests on her show. She admitted that she is trying to work on the “physical proximity” between herself and her guests in response to criticism that she is “too touchy.” Although she vowed to “try to practice physical distance,” she admitted that it was not her “strong point.”

“I don’t know if I can break the habit, either,” she told her audiences in September 2024, The Independent reported.

Speaking with actor and podcast host Dax Shepard, Drew explained: “I get in trouble for physical proximity on this show,” to which The Armchair Expert podcast host told her, “It’s kind of who you are.”

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Dax defended Drew and claimed that she would get in even more trouble if she were a man. “It is helpful that you’re an average-sized lady. If you were my size, man-handling everyone, it might be a little different. So you might have a freedom I don’t,” he said.

Some Celebs Didn’t Like Drew Barrymore’s Touchiness

It’s not just viewers who are uncomfortable watching Drew Barrymore sit close and touch her guests. According to Page Six, Martha Stewart appeared uncomfortable at Drew Barrymore’s trademark closeness.

• The lifestyle guru’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show is one of the most uncomfortable. Martha spoke about feeling “soft and gooey,” “when you’re treated like a lady.”
• Drew scooted closer to the cookbook writer, stroking Martha’s arm.
• Martha stared directly at the studio audience before pushing the talk show host away from her.
• “You’re the wrong gender,” Martha quipped.
• Luckily, Drew saw the funny side as she dramatically fell backward onto the couch and said, “I know!”

Her interview with Oprah Winfrey was one of the most criticized, with many referring to her as being “creepy” and “cringe.” Drew famously cupped Oprah’s hand and held it below her chin as she stroked her arm in a 2023 episode on the CBS show. According to The Independent, Drew insisted that the media mogul was okay with her infamous touch approach to hosting a talk show.

“[Oprah] said, ‘I wish Stedman would touch me like that,’” she explained, referring to Oprah’s long-term partner. “She was so nice about it. And if a guest starts telling me that [they’re bothered], I will back off.”