Drew Barrymore Gets Backlash for Stroking Oprah Winfrey’s Arm During Interview, Fans Calls Her ‘Cringey’

The Drew Barrymore Show is facing criticism from some viewers who found Drew Barrymore's interview style "creepy" and "cringe." In a recent clip from the popular daytime talk show, Barrymore's interaction with guest Oprah Winfrey has sparked discomfort among viewers.

The clip features Barrymore and Winfrey sitting closely at an arm's distance from each other on a couch, for the interview. Barrymore, tightly holding onto Winfrey's hand, runs her other hand up and down the legendary media mogul's arm. The Charlie's Angel actress revealed a detail about Winfrey spending time with the audience outside of her show tapings. As Barrymore continued to caress Winfrey's hand, the discomfort became apparent, even leading Winfrey to hint at the challenge of balancing audience interaction. "It is necessary — my crew used to be like, 'Oh my God, how much time you should go spend talking to that audience?'" Winfrey shared.

Despite Winfrey's subtle discomfort, Barrymore persisted, and at one point, Winfrey started talking with her hands while complimenting Barrymore for running the show without an audience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Winfrey pointed out the difficulty of hosting without the audience's energy. According to PAGE SIX, one person commented, "She's creeping me out now. It's just too weird," while another wrote, "Drew is too overbearing and cringey, and it doesn't seem genuine the way she fawns all over her guests!" The tactile nature of Barrymore's approach, including holding hands and caressing arms, crossed boundaries for some viewers.

"The handhold and the arm being caressed is past my boundary," another viewer expressed, echoing the sentiments of those who found the interaction uncomfortable. While Barrymore's intimate interview style has been praised for its authenticity in the past, this particular interaction with Winfrey seems to have raised eyebrows. Viewers keenly observed her body language, with one individual pointing out, "Oprah's body language was so clear she wanted her hand back."

As The Drew Barrymore Show maintains its position in the spotlight for its distinct approach to daytime talk, the recent critique underscores the subjective nature of interview styles. The dichotomy between those who applaud the authenticity and intimacy and those who find it disconcerting and cringe-worthy adds nuance to the ongoing conversation about the dynamics of daytime talk shows. 

Previously, the talk show host and actress hailed Taylor Swift as the perfect "role model for women." She gushed about Swift in the lengthy Instagram post captioning, "I cried so hard when you sang welcome to 'New York'. I moved here not knowing where my life was going. And I found myself so happy in this chapter. I also cried watching my daughters and cousin Sadie watch and love and sing to someone so admirable. you. I Love You, Taylor Swift!!!!!!!! You are the role model all of us girls and women need. Thank you for one of the best nights of our lives. We are so lucky to have seen your show."