Barrymore withdraws from live-hosting MTV awards
LOS ANGELES — Drew Barrymore won’t be hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards this Sunday after all. But she still might be appearing in pre-taped segments during the ceremony.
Days into the current writers strike, the “Drew Barrymore Show” star showed solidarity with those protesting unfair compensation for Hollywood writers by withdrawing as emcee for one of the cable network’s marquee awards shows. Four days before the ceremony.
The “Wedding Singer” and “Never Been Kissed” star said Thursday that she listened to the writers and, “in order to truly respect them,” will pivot from her live-hosting duties.
“Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me,” she said in a statement to Variety.
Barrymore added that she plans to host the show in 2024 instead, a sign of good faith in her decision.
“I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with. And I can’t wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive,” she said.
“I love the mtvawards family and we will be back next year together,” Barrymore added Thursday on Instagram. “I hope you still watch the awards with me Sunday, as it has such wonderful moments to enjoy. I stand with the wgaeast wgawest”
The “Charlie’s Angels” star received laudatory comments on her post from singer Demi Lovato, TV personality Ross Mathews and writer-actor Ike Barinholtz, who told Barrymore, “you are the queen,” along with a red heart emoji.
MTV also co-signed her decision, commenting on her post with three heart emojis. Representatives for the network declined to further comment Friday when reached by the L.A. Times.
The ceremony is set to take place Sunday at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. According to Variety, which first reported the Barrymore news, the MTV Movie & TV Awards will essentially be going without a host this year. The publication said that the state of the show is still evolving day-by-day and producers are pivoting to their strike contingency plans. They’re also waiting to see who among their presenters, nominees and guests are still willing and able to appear on the telecast.
However, Barrymore will likely remain part of the telecast, just not in a live capacity. The film and TV star already recorded several pre-taped short films for the show, and those are still expected to air, Variety said.