Drew Barrymore has come a long way since her rebellious years. Although she carried her addiction struggles through her adulthood — which prompted her therapist to quit on her — she's now carved a new path for her personal life, as well as her career.
So in 2020, she took the opportunity to host her own daytime show, The Drew Barrymore Show, to push her into full recovery. "I think the opportunity at a show like this really hit me," she told The Guardian. "I was like, 'I can't handle this unless I'm in a really clear place.'"
It all worked out for the Scream alum. However, many viewers aren't fans of her interview style, which they deemed "cringey" and "unbearable" to watch.
One noted on Reddit: "The first year, Drew Barrymore was lost. She kept reading the Teleprompter, wooden on occasion and awkward. 2nd season, she has has turned to 180."
"I swear, the overacting, the uncomfortable hyperactive behaviour, slobbering over her guests, being hyper 24/7, It's like when John Travolta was on Oprah times 11."
Here's what Barrymore has said about her critics.
What Fans Really Think About The Drew Barrymore Show
Over at Reddit, one said that "THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW is a cringefest of epic proportions. Like a car crash you're unable to take your eyes away from." They also brought up the host's viral interview with Pamela Anderson where the former had an emotional breakdown.
"Drew Barrymore comes across on each show like an escaped mental patient," continued the Redditor. "Her Pamela Anderson interview was alarming to view, one could see that Pam was taken aback by Drew's behavior."
Still, many viewers find it sincere. "Drew Barrymore can be a lot… but for me it comes across as always genuine," wrote a Reddit commenter. "She seems like such a happy person. Excited about everything in life. In the current climate we're in I'm glad there's someone like her trying to share her joy with others ✌️ Don't like it, then don't watch it."
Drew Barrymore's Reaction To The Criticism On Her Talk Show
In April 2023, the Never Been Kissed star stopped by The Tonight Show where Jimmy Fallon asked her about being memed due to her intimate interviews. "At first I was like, 'Oh is this a good thing? I can’t tell,'" she said of the memes. "And then I was like, 'No this is awesome! It's so much fun.'"
She then defended her hosting style. "I've also been on the other side of interviews my whole life... There's all different kinds of interviews and conversations," she explained. "You're more of a conversationalist (Jimmy). You take the armor off piece by piece, you have fun. There's no 'gotchas' here."
Barrymore actually took the time to really find her method. "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," she said, "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.'"
The Ever After actress also admitted that she couldn't resist forming connections with her guests. "I love doing the show so much," she said. "I get to learn from people every day. I get to have these incredible conversations that I definitely take something away. It's always improving my life, it's profound, it's fun."
She continued: "I love people. I love every human being on the planet. I'm fascinated and everyone has a story and every person is exceptional and interesting. And it is so fun to literally get to be a conversationalist at work. It's the coolest thing in the world."
Why Drew Barrymore Decided To Do A Talk Show
Speaking to Collider in 2020, Barrymore revealed that she decided to host a talk show as it fuses all her many interests together. "I have a lot of different interests. It's why I really loved directing because I could go to work and think about the music I loved, casting, production design, editing, writing, art, literature, travel, wonderment, imagination, comedy, chemistry, romance," she stated. "I could put it all into this one job. That's exactly what a talk show has the opportunity to do."
She also reflected on its difference from acting, which she took a break from to focus on her children. "The one thing that's different about movies is that you're telling a story. I will never know what it's like to be in a concert connecting with an audience and we're not even gonna have an audience here," she said. "I'm with the crew, which I love. I'm loving the way that things are going because they have to be that way."
She continued: "We're making the most of it and really enjoying it and not making compromises. We're trying to launch with a show that we would launch with regardless, as far as what we see fit for this moment."
The Blended star noted that "it's about connecting with people, and that's been such a big part of my life since I was seven years old. That's probably a better training ground to do a talk show than anything I've ever done in my work life."
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