Drew Barrymore Says She Will ‘Try to Practice Physical Distance’ With Her Talk Show Guests: ‘Not My Strong Point’

Drew Barrymore wants to start practicing the opposite of getting up close and personal.

Barrymore, whose eponymous talk show recently received an early Season 6 renewal, admitted in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that she’ll “try to practice physical distance” moving forward when interviewing and interacting with the guests.

“Well, I’ll try to practice physical distance, which is not my strong point,” Barrymore said. “Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me? I was alone in a studio by myself! I like to be around people!”

Barrymore, who is often seen caressing her guests’ arms or holding their hands on her talk show, added that her approach might not be “everyone’s favorite, but I’m sorry to those people.”

She continued: “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.”

News of “The Drew Barrymore Show‘s” renewal came ahead of its Season 5 premiere on Sept. 9 — with Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, saying, “Drew is a one-of-a-kind talent who is an integral part of the CBS and Paramount family.”

“This early renewal and upgrades are a testament to our commitment to ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and its loyal audience, who tune in every day to see Drew’s warmth, inquisitiveness and spontaneity,” she added.

According to CBS, the show is averaging 1.1 million viewers, with nearly six billion minutes watched this season. The high ratings have upgraded the show’s time slots on CBS — with the talk show now airing in six markets, including five of the top 10 markets.