Drew Barrymore viewers brand host ‘clingy’ and say she ‘doesn’t respect personal boundaries’ in interview with Meghan Markle

Viewers of the Drew Barrymore show have branded the talk show host ‘clingy’ and claimed she ‘doesn’t respect personal boundaries’ during an interview with her guest Meghan Markle.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, appeared on the actress’ programme in New York today to promote her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, following it’s release on Tuesday.

But viewers of the show were quick to label the host’s behaviour towards Meghan as ‘cringey’ after she was spotted ‘clinging’ onto the Duchess at certain points in the interview.

At the beginning of the segment, the Charlie’s Angels actress warned Meghan that she might get close, an interview style that has become her trademark over the past four years.

‘I feel like once I’m with someone I like to connect,’ she said, to which Prince Harry‘s wife said she had heard she ‘liked to connect’.

During the interview, Drew was seen reaching to touch Meghan’s arms on multiple occasions, leading several viewers to label her ‘clingy’.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one commented: ‘Everyone is uncomfortable with Drew’s clingy behaviour,’ while another joked: ‘Clingy Drew Barrymore has new gal pal: Meghan Markle.’

A third commented: ‘… Drew is a stage five clinger who doesn’t respect personal boundaries. Martha Stewart had to push her off before she would back off.’ 

Viewers of the Drew Barrymore show have branded the talk show host ‘clingy’ and claimed she ‘doesn’t respect personal boundaries’ during an interview with her guest Meghan Markle (pictured together) 

Another pointed out that it wasn’t the first time Drew had been spotted eliciting ‘clingy’ behaviour towards her guests, while someone else wrote: ‘Look how she is clinging onto her, it’s so cringy.’

During the interview, Drew asked the mother-of-two how she felt about ‘affection’, to which Meghan insisted she was all for it given the restrictions imposed by Covid. 

‘I just think it’s really important. We’ve missed human connection, certainly after the pandemic and everything else; we crave that… We crave being able to go, ‘Hi, my friend, you’re here!’ Meghan said. 

‘And to really be able to hold and touch and embrace someone, and so I think about that with the show. 

‘Certainly, what hospitality has felt like for me is, how do you make people feel comfortable? How do you show up for them in spaces where they might feel like, I don’t know, is this really where I should be? Yes, you belong here,’ she added.

While Drew has previously left fans reeling with her overtly tactile displays with celebrities on her show, an ’emotionally distant’ Meghan, who is known for her own warm hugs, was apparently less keen. 

According to body language expert, Judi James, Meghan was noticeably cooler in her mannerism compared to her usual outward affection. 

‘She has clearly met her match in Drew, whose tactile behaviours on her chat show are a signature part of the brand. 

The Duchess of Sussex , 43, appeared on the actress’ programme in New York today to promote her new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, following it’s release on Tuesday 

During the interview, Drew was seen reaching to touch Meghan’s arms on multiple occasions, leading several viewers to label her ‘clingy’

‘But it seems from this pose that what you get when you put two famously hugging women together is that one will bow out, namely Meghan in this case.

‘Meghan adopts a straight, polite, more regal-looking pose here, perhaps mirroring the kind of response she met with from the UK royals when she was busy hugging them.

‘Her hand is hanging in her pocket rather than reciprocating the display of affection and she’s flashing a wide social smile at the camera rather than tilting her head in a reciprocal gesture.

‘Drew clings relentlessly though, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace and tilting her head to nestle against Meghan’s locks.

‘Her rounded cheek, pursed lip smile signals a sense of warm friendship and affection while Meghan looks rather more distanced emotionally and keener to communicate with the camera than with her host here.’

Further snaps showed Drew leaning into a ‘wary’ Meghan as they sat on the show couch together.

James continued: ‘Drew’s angle of lean as she sits on her sofa with Meghan suggests she’s poised to move in for some tactile rituals as they chat. Meghan holds both hands up in front of her body though, with hands curled into fists in what looks like a subtle barrier ritual.

‘She seems to be using her hands to illustrate or emphasis a point but the positioning suggests she is not totally open to any touching or hugging at this point. 

Another pointed out that it wasn’t the first time Drew had been spotted eliciting ‘clingy’ behaviour towards her guests

During the interview, Drew was seen reaching to touch Meghan’s arms on multiple occasions, leading several viewers to label her ‘clingy’ and the exchange raised eyebrows on X

‘Meghan’s facial expression also suggests some possible unease. Her brows are steepled in a suggestion of wariness and she has her hand resting on Drew’s arm in what looks like a polite but firm restraining gesture.

‘As she speaks Drew bathes her in a loving eye-gaze but Meghan performs a small cut-off ritual by bringing her hand up to touch her hair and cover part of her face, and she finds different ways to help avoid the intense eye contact from Drew.’

Meghan seems intent on staying in her own ‘love bubble’ rather than connecting totally with Drew. Her adoration of Harry is described and shown emphatically in her near-breathless description of their relationship.

‘Her eyes look up and perform an eye-stutter with the lids flapping quickly in a gesture of being lost in reflection and she gazes upward for the same reason, breaking her eyes away from Drew’s penetrating gaze as she does so.’