The Drew Barrymore Show is a burst of sunshine on the 2026 TV schedule for millions of viewers every weekday thanks to the actress-turned-host’s positivity. But another thing about the Emmy-winning show that’s easy to rave about is how real Barrymore is always keeping it for her viewers. And this week, the 51-year-old talked candidly about the rollercoaster that is perimenopause.
Perimenopause is the transition phase all women go through starting around their 40s before saying goodbye to periods and the potential for pregnancy for good. Since Drew Barrymore has been hosting her talk show and going through perimenopause, she’s been honest about symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain and irregular periods. Honestly, it’s pretty refreshing to see a movie star like her talking about it out in the open. Here’s what she said on the latest episode:
I can’t even start today without being honest because I can’t fake anything. I am so bloated that I feel like some carp that got brought up to the beach, and I’m just that dead fish.
In a segment called “Drew’s News,” which she hosts with Ross Mathews, Barrymore gave herself a minute to explain to everyone about how she was really feeling, even though she looked all glammed up, and amazing as usual. As she continued:
Article continues belowI was about to hit my one year mark for my period and get right into menopause where I belong. I got it. I’m at 11 months, so I go back down to zero. And, I’m just, I feel unattractive and I’m so hormonal, and nothing makes sense, and I’m irritable, and I’m bloated, and am emotionally unstable. How are you?
It sounds like Barrymore is ready to say adios to her time of the month, but her body had a little surprise for her. She brought up all the things she feels, and it’s honestly so relatable if you’re also a woman. Check out the clip:
Fans love the moment, saying things like “SAME GIRL SAME” and appreciating the star for talking about it on TV. A few other women took to the comment section to detail feeling very similarly recently as well.
On the topic, Barrymore also went viral back in 2023, for claiming she had her first hot flash while doing an interview with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. And, previously Barrymore has talked about feeling like she gained 27 pounds “overnight” due to perimenopause, which is reportedly common (per Woman And Home) along with struggling mentally with hormone changes.
Drew Barrymore of course got her start as a child actor in movies like E.T. and Firestarter before finding success as an adult in the ‘90s with movies like Scream, The Wedding Singer, Ever After and Never Been Kissed. She hasn’t really been acting lately since she started hosting The Drew Barrymore Show for CBS since 2020, but rumor has it she’s involved in a new Charlie’s Angels movie and it sounds like she’d do another rom-com with Adam Sandler if presented with the opportunity.
No matter what she does, it's great to see a very common, but stigmatized part of being a woman is being showcased by Drew Barrymore. What an icon.
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