Drew Barrymore’s invitation to host the 2023 National Book Awards has been “rescinded”.
The 48-year-old actress had been due to present the literary ceremony in New York on November 15, but organisers have now confirmed she’s lost the gig after Drew decided to bring her self-titled talk show back to TV without writers during the ongoing Hollywood strike by the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA actors union.
The National Book Foundation – the organisation behind the awards – confirmed she’d been let go from the line-up in a statement posted on X – formerly known as Twitter. It read: “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture.
“In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms.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.
“Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation.”
It comes after Drew announced plans to resume production on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ with the series being produced without the writers who are currently on strike.
The US entertainment industry has been brought to a halt due to industrial action by the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA actors union over issues including pay and conditions and it’s forced many movies and TV series to halt production with the majority of America’s talk shows being shelved while the strike is ongoing.
Members of the WGA picketed the studio where her show is filmed on Monday (11.09.23) and the line included writers from the ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ team who held up placards emblazoned with the words: “Drew’s WGA Crew”.
Announcing her decision to bring the show back during the strike, Drew explained in a statement: “To be clear, our talk show actually wrapped on 20 April so we never had to shut down the show. However, I am also 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 …
“I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. “We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time. I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. “I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air. And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility.”
