Drew Barrymore Defends Intimate Interviewing Approach Which Involves Hugging Guests

Drew Barrymore has opened up to Jimmy Fallon about her extremely intimate approach to trying to make guests feel at home on The Drew Barrymore Show. While a guest herself on a recent episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Barrymore was questioned about how she interacts with her guests on her own syndicated talk show.

Barrymore told Fallon that she wanted to create the kind of environment on her set that she wished for as a guest on talk shows as a young child actor. She said, “I’d be so excited if someone asked me a different question or there was good energy in the room.” Barrymore is notorious for being very touchy-feely with her guests on her show.

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During the episode of The Tonight Show, Fallon brought up a recent interview Barrymore had with Brooke Shields, where the two were “basically spooning.” While discussing the interview, Barrymore said, “Yeah, and we got much closer than that at certain points too. I’m on my knees, I’m hugging.” Fallon jokingly responded, “You can’t sit in your chair!” to which Barrymore replied, “No, I feel this magnetic pull. My therapist would say, ‘You’re not supposed to get attached to things.'”

The actress and talk show host went on to tell Fallon, “But I’m so attached to this. I love doing this show so much. I get to learn from people every day. I get to have these great conversations that I definitely take something away with. It’s always improving my life, it’s profound, it’s fun. It’s whiplash comedy because that’s like life, the heavier it gets the more you want to laugh.”

The Drew Barrymore Show debuted on September 14, 2020, and was renewed for a fourth season earlier this year. While the ratings were low at first, the show soon gained traction, and by season three, was pulling in an average of 1.21 million viewers.

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