Drew Barrymore dropped as National Book Awards host after her talk show resumes during strike
The National Book Awards on Tuesday dropped Drew Barrymore as the host for this year's ceremony, one day after her talk show taped its first new episode since the Hollywood writers strike began. Credit: Getty Images / TNS / Jamie McCarthy
Drew Barrymore has been dropped as host of the upcoming National Book Awards ceremony, a day after her talk show taped its first episode since the Hollywood writers strike began.
“The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture," the National Book Foundation, which presents the award, said in a statement Tuesday. "In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony.”
The awards event, sometimes referred to as the Academy Awards of the publishing world, is scheduled for Nov. 15.
Barrymore's resumption of her CBS talk show doesn't inherently cause issues with the actors guild, which is also on strike, as daytime talk shows are governed by a different Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists contract that was renewed and ratified last year. But Barrymore's show employs at least three writers who are members of the writers guild, which has been on strike since early May. Those writers were picketing outside the CBS Broadcast Building on Monday.
“The only people I know for sure that are not going back are us three WGA [Writers Guild of America] writers. And the rest, I can’t really speak for,” Chelsea White, one of the show's writers, said on the picket line. “I think first and foremost, this is obviously way bigger than just ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and writers. We are out here standing with our union and feeling great and excited always to stand with our union."
Barrymore drew criticism from members of both guilds for crossing the picket line, and from Colson Whitehead, Alexander Chee and other authors who questioned whether she should remain as host of the National Book Awards.
The fourth season of the talk show is slated to start airing Sept. 18. A representative for Barrymore did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an Instagram post on Sunday, Barrymore said she was “making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.”
