It’s safe to say Martha Stewart isn’t a fan of Drew Barrymore’s penchant for getting touchy-feely during interviews.
During Tuesday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the home decor mogul found herself pushing off the host, after she invaded her space during an extremely awkward interaction.
The interview veered off its tracks when Drew teasingly asked Martha if there’s anything that makes her feel “soft and gooey”.
Appearing confused at first by the bizarre question, Martha replied: “Soft and gooey … treatment.”
“Soft and gooey treatment?” Drew echoed as she began slowly caressing the homemaker’s arm. “When you’re treated like a lady?”
“It’s nice,” Martha said, while Drew continued stroking her arm and back. The audience began to chuckle.
“When someone comes in...” the E.T. star continued, before a deadpanned Martha suddenly cut her off, pushing the host away and declaring: “You’re the wrong gender!”
“I know, I know,” the Charlie’s Angels alum lamented with a sigh before falling back on the sofa in a dejected manner.
Social media users were left in stitches over Drew and Martha’s exchange:
Drew has faced criticism for her overly affectionate interviewing style in the past.
Last year, social media users complained about the “cringey” way she caressed and held Oprah Winfrey’s hand during a December interview.
Despite the backlash, Oprah later defended Drew, telling TMZ that she was “not uncomfortable at all” and she found their interaction to be “endearing”.
Similarly, Drew caught heat for getting touchy in an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris just months later in May.
But according to Drew, she’s working on toning it down.
The talk show host told Entertainment Tonight that she will “try to practice physical distance” but warned it’s “not my strong point”.
She then joked that she knows her style of interviewing is “not everyone’s favourite”.
“Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me?” she told the publication in August. “I was alone in a studio by myself! I like to be around people!”