Drew Barrymore dropped as host of National Book Awards for violating WGA strike rules

The Hollywood writers' strike is gaining momentum, and Drew Barrymore is feeling its recent effects as she has been removed as the host of the National Book Awards for not adhering to the strike rules.

What

Earlier this month, it was announced that Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore's talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," would return on September 18 of this year without any WGA writers as part of the show's staff.

Since this news broke, the creators of the show, along with host Drew Barrymore, have faced significant criticism from supporters of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.

A substantial part of this backlash stems from the recent announcement made by the US National Book Awards, which stated that they were dropping Drew Barrymore as the host.

What led to the backlash?

The writers who were removed from "The Drew Barrymore Show" had previously played a crucial role in producing:

• The show's opening monologue,
• Jokes, and
• Interview questions.

Drew Barrymore had previously stated that the show would return to the air in full compliance with the strike rules. However, several writers who had previously worked on the show participated in picketing its parent studio as part of the WGA protests.

Why the host change?

The National Book Foundation issued a statement on social media, announcing that it had "rescinded Ms. Barrymore's invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony."

This decision clearly demonstrates the National Book Foundation's support for the writers who are involved in the WGA strikes.