Drew Barrymore made a subdued daytime comeback last week by interviewing Shania Twain during her latest episode. During Barrymore’s opening monologue, fans noticed that the actress and host, 48, did not reference the writer’s strike that had ended, her controversial return to her namesake talk show during it, or the current actors’ strike, which has yet to be resolved.
After facing weeks of backlash and offering apologies, the Drew Barrymore Show returned on October 16th. The Charlie’s Angels star had initially made the decision to come back during the now-concluded writers strike, but later retracted it.
In the 30-minute debut and latest installment of the show following a hiatus since May, Barrymore commenced her conversation with Twain, 58, without the assistance of her previous writers who opted out of returning. “Alright everybody, welcome to season four. Let’s go girls,” she said as the episode began.
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Drew Barrymore Fails To Mention Writers’ Or Actors’ Strikes During Season Premiere Of Her Talk Show
Barrymore ventured to Twain’s farm in Vegas, situated far away from her New York City studio. She had faced protests from picketers after announcing her intention to revive her daytime talk show under the protection of the WGA, a mere few weeks prior to the agreement between the Writers Guild and AMPTP being finalized.
As they lounged on Twain’s couch, the two conversed about the Grammy winner’s passion for horses and the influential benefits of equine therapy. The “You’re Still the One” hitmaker revealed her desire to pursue multiple avenues in both her personal and creative life.
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Furthermore, she opened up about her mature upbringing and the responsibility she took on to raise her siblings during her early twenties following the passing of her parents. Twain also got candid about her concerns regarding “what was on the other side” following her 15-year hiatus that occurred due to Lyme disease that had not been diagnosed previously.
The conversation also delved into the musician’s transition towards a focus on songwriting following her medical diagnosis, her residency in Las Vegas, and the inspiration behind her latest track titled “Queen of Me.”
Barrymore's comeback to the show happened after a period of two weeks, during which several former writers chose not to return. This was in response to her announcement on September 10th, declaring her intention to return during the writers' strike.
Even though several other shows covered by WGA had made similar plans earlier, when the strike was still ongoing (ending only on September 26th), the Never Been Kissed actress received the strongest criticism for her decision.
The mom of two faced opposition from picketers when she attempted to restart production at her New York City studio. Her decision to continue without the striking writers of the CBS Media Ventures-produced-and-distributed show sparked even more outrage, which she attempted to defend in a video statement posted on Instagram on September 15th.
Following that recent surge of criticism, which prompted a response from the WGA, Barrymore made an announcement on September 17th, indicating that she would delay the show's return until the end of the writers' strike. However, despite this decision, the talk show announced on October 4th that it would be returning once more.
"I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team," Barrymore wrote in a post for her Instagram followers. She added at the time: "We really tried to find our way forward, and I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon."
