Drew Barrymore Tells Cynthia Erivo That People Warn Her to 'Back Off a Little Bit' from Guests: 'I'm So Touchy'

Mar. 15, 2025

Drew Barrymore and Cynthia Erivo.Photo:The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean

The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean

Drew BarrymoreandCynthia Erivoare bonding over their shared interest in physical connection.

“I think I’m sort of used to it now,” Erivo responded. “If [we’re] not connected, I’m like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s happening? Where are you?’ You know what I mean? We walk hand-in-hand very often. Like, if we’re not walking hand-in-hand, we’ll find each other somewhere.”

Erivo and Grande, 31, kept a close physical distance during many of their interviews forWicked; the pair even inadvertently created a viral moment when Grandetook hold of Erivo’s finger while they conducted an interviewwith Out.com in November.

“Because physical connection — you know, I’m single, I’m not dating anyone,” Barrymore, who shares daughtersOliveandFrankiewith ex-husbandWill Kopelman, added during her conversation with Erivo. “I don’t have that in my life but I don’t know how I would ever hold back from holding hands, hugging, snuggling.”

“I think we get a bit afraid of physical connection. I think we assume that physical connection can only be romantic,” Erivo added.

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Barrymore made Erivo laugh when she said Erivo was explaining her point “so much better than I did.” “In fact, I think when there is a romantic connection, I’m far more timid,” the host responded.

Erivo further explained her and Grande’s deep connection and pointed out that sometimes a touch can communicate more than words.

Drew Barrymore and Cynthia Erivo.The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean

“That’s sometimes how she and I communicate, we might be talking to someone or I might need to, like, communicate something to her. And it’s just a squeeze of the hand or just like a pinch of a finger,” she added, referencing her and Grande’s viral interview. “Or a hug. However we need to communicate, it is how we need to communicate. And I think we don’t give enough credit to how we communicate with our friends physically.”

“And I think if we could all be more comfortable with physical touch, I would like that world,” Barrymore added.

Wickedis in theaters now.

source: people.com