Drew Barrymore will no longer be hosting the upcoming MTV Movie & TV Awards in support of the ongoing writers strike. However, she agreed to host next year’s ceremony.
Variety first reported Barrymore’s decision.
“I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike,” Barrymore said in a statement. “Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me.”
“I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with,” Barrymore continued. “I can’t wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive.”
The awards show, which is still scheduled for Sunday, will instead go forward without a host. The show is also going without a red carpet procession or interviews with the stars as they arrive. Producers are determining which presenters, nominees and guests can and will appear on the broadcast.
The show will still air pre-taped segments that were written and filmed before the WGA strike began on Monday.
The MTV Movie & TV Awards have been hindered in recent years. The 2020 show was moved to the fall because of the COVID-19 epidemic before it was eventually canceled and replaced with a clip show. The 2021 and 2022 shows also faced COVID-related issues.
Bruce Gillmer, executive producer of the MTV Movie & TV Awards, told Variety that Barrymore “has our full support.” Gillmer said the show will still have a live performance, previews of upcoming blockbusters and pre-taped acceptance speeches for some winners.
The award show is the latest to be quickly affected by the nascent writers strike. On Thursday, “Saturday Night Live” announced that it was ending its season early, after already canceling its May 6 episode with former castmate Pete Davidson as host. The late night talk shows with WGA writers on staff have also turned to airing repeats until the guild and studios reach a new agreement.
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