“This is a daytime show, right?” the “Ted Lasso” star asked.
During Tuesday’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Brett Goldstein and Barrymore got very up close and personal.
At the start of the interview, the Ted Lasso star admitted he was aware of Barrymore’s habit of getting cozy with her guests and proposed a game of couch chicken.
“Drew, I’ve made a deal with myself,” Goldstein said as he inched closer. “Every time you move closer to me, I’m moving closer to you. So this is officially a game of chicken, okay?”
Barrymore appeared taken aback. “Wow, someone’s going to give me a run for my money?” she replied. “Okay, I’ll take it.”
Over six seasons of her talk show, Barrymore’s signature close-contact interviews—holding hands, rubbing shoulders, and hugging guests—have drawn both praise and criticism. She has admitted she’s been trying to maintain more personal space lately, but told Goldstein, “This is how I really am with my friends.”
“If you see me walking down the street with someone, I’ll be holding their hand, arm in arm, hugging them. None of this is fake. If anything, I really have to retrain myself,” she continued.
“This is a daytime show, right? So there are limits,” Goldstein joked. Barrymore responded with a playful “Eh!”
The duo stayed knee-to-knee for most of the interview until Barrymore shifted the conversation to Goldstein’s fondness for her and Adam Sandler’s 2004 film 50 First Dates.
“50 First Dates is one of my favorite films,” Goldstein said, prompting Barrymore to squeal with excitement and pull him into a hug.
The two stayed close even after releasing the embrace, continuing to sit near each other as Goldstein praised the romantic comedy.
“I think it’s such a beautiful film. You two are amazing together,” he said of Barrymore and Sandler. “But conceptually, it’s the most romantic idea: at the end, she isn’t cured. Every day they have to start again and show why they love each other. It’s the most romantic idea in the world. Truly a beautiful film.”
Goldstein eventually laughed, noticing just how close they were sitting. “What, what?!” Barrymore asked. “I’m just realizing what’s happening,” he replied.
Barrymore then escalated the playful intimacy by resting her arms on Goldstein’s leg and pressing her face close to his, before finally admitting defeat from the closeness.
“How about this?” Barrymore asked, sliding to the other end of the couch so she and Goldstein were separated. “This is less fun, you’re right,” he admitted.
“It does feel very different,” Barrymore observed. “We both crossed our arms too, which is interesting—we’re really setting a boundary.”
Goldstein joked, “We’ve really developed some codependency over here, and then over here we were like, ‘If you’re leaving, I’m leaving.’”
Barrymore noted that being so far apart “feels weird” before hopping back over to pull Goldstein into a hug. “Thank you, Drew,” he said—so perhaps they both came out as winners.
The Drew Barrymore Show airs weekdays on CBS.