Awkward interview reveals Meghan Markle’s true response to ‘persistently clingy’ Drew Barrymore

Meghan Markle’s real reaction to ‘relentlessly clingy’ Drew Barrymore has been revealed by a body language expert.

The former working Royal, 43, whose new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, has been mocked by viewers, was seen awkwardly hugging the host, 50, during a upcoming chat on Thursday’s The Drew Barrymore Show.

While Barrymore has previously left fans reeling with her overtly tactile display with celebrities on her show, an ’emotionally distant’ Markle, who is known for her own warm hugs, was less keen.

Body language expert Judi James exclusively told DailyMail.com of the interaction: ‘This is a rare pose from Meghan who is normally the first one to move in with the hugs to register the warm, spontaneously tactile side that was apparently met with a tsunami of ice water from the royal firm back in the UK.

‘She has clearly met her match in Drew, whose tactile behaviors on her chat show are a signature part of the brand. But it seems from this pose that what you get when you put two famously hugging women together is that one will bow out, namely Meghan in this case.

‘Meghan adopts a straight, polite, more regal-looking pose here, perhaps mirroring the kind of response she met with from the UK royals when she was busy hugging them. 

Meghan Markle’s real reaction to ‘relentlessly clingy’ Drew Barrymore has been revealed by a body language expert – the pair are pictured ahead of Markle’s Thursday chat on the show

‘Her hand is hanging in her pocket rather than reciprocating the display of affection and she’s flashing a wide social smile at the camera rather than tilting her head in a reciprocal gesture.

‘Drew clings relentlessly though, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace and tilting her head to nestle against Meghan’s locks. 

‘Her rounded cheek, pursed lip smile signals a sense of warm friendship and affection while Meghan looks rather more distanced emotionally and keener to communicate with the camera than with her host here.’

Further snaps showed Barrymore leaning into a ‘wary’ Markle as they sat on the show couch together. 

James continued: ‘Drew’s angle of lean as she sits on her sofa with Meghan suggests she’s poised to move in for some tactile rituals as they chat. Meghan holds both hands up in front of her body though, with hands curled into fists in what looks like a subtle barrier ritual. 

‘She seems to be using her hands to illustrate or emphasis a point but the positioning suggests she is not totally open to any touching or hugging at this point.

‘Meghan’s facial expression also suggests some possible unease in this pic. Her brows are steepled in a suggestion of wariness and she has her hand resting on Drew’s arm in what looks like a polite but firm restraining gesture.

‘As she speaks Drew bathes her in a loving eye-gaze but Meghan performs a small cut-off ritual by bringing her hand up to touch her hair and cover part of her face, and she finds different ways to help avoid the intense eye contact from Drew.

The former working Royal, 43, whose new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, has been mocked by viewers , was seen awkwardly hugging the host, 50 while keeping her hand in her pocket

Body language expert Judi James exclusively told DailyMail.com of the interaction: ‘This is a rare pose from Meghan who is normally the first one to move in with the hugs’

‘Drew clings relentlessly though, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace and tilting her head to nestle against Meghan’s locks’

In a teaser for the appearance, Markle revealed the six word vow Prince Harry made to her when they first started dating in 2016 – pictured last month 

‘Meghan seems intent on staying in her own ‘love bubble’ rather than connecting totally with Drew. Her adoration of Harry is described and shown emphatically in her near-breathless description of their relationship. 

‘Her eyes look up and perform an eye-stutter with the lids flapping quickly in a gesture of being lost in reflection and she gazes upward for the same reason, breaking her eyes away from Drew’s penetrating gaze as she does so.’

In a teaser for the appearance, Markle revealed the six word vow Prince Harry made to her when they first started dating in 2016.

Discussing love, with Drew saying Harry ‘found’ Meghan, the Suits star said: ‘I mean, look, life is full of surprises. I did not expect to meet H and for this to be our love story and you know I’m very lucky. 

‘I am married to the funniest, sweetest, most charming, I mean, he’s all the things that you’re describing. He’s an amazing father. And so, you know, I count my blessings because I have him and also I have a partner who is so supportive of me.

Opening up about a promise Harry made to her, she said: ‘When I was a babysitter nanny for two Irish Catholic families when I was in college and one of the dads said to me, he’s like, “You know, Megan, when you meet your person one day, I want him to say to you the same thing that I said to my wife when we got married, which is, I vowed to always date my wife.”

‘And I told H that when we started dating, he goes, “I vow to always date you,” so we have this connection I think because we’re so committed to treating each other the same way you did before you had a ring on it, before it was locked down when you’re just courting each other and you can see all the good and joy in that butterfly period and that’s I think what keeps things really alive.’

Harry and Meghan wed in 2018 and now share two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.

On being a working mom, Meghan said: ‘I always make it a point when I’m traveling if I can’t do bedtime stories with my kids… so I’ll always pack a really thin book and I’ll videotape myself reading it so whoever’s with them or Papa can say, “Here’s mama reading your bedtime story.” 

‘You find ways to show up for each other and if that’s the one thing that I can convey through the show or through As Ever as a brand, I want people to know you can show up for each other because you know how good it feels when someone shows up for you.’

Meghan teased her appearance on the programme yesterday on her Instagram Stories – as she revealed that she ‘filmed something fun in the city today’.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a clip of her walking in a hallway from behind while dressed in a pair of wide-leg trousers and a simple white vest, which was the same outfit she wore on the show, with the words: ‘Filmed something fun in the city today’.

Drew took to Instagram today to share the news, writing: ‘@meghan on being a working mom & her new show, ‘With Love, Meghan.’ Tune in Thursday (3/6) for more!’

Meghan Markle’s With Love show has a lowly 11 per cent rating from viewers, falling behind wrestling and sitcoms on Netflix’s chart. 

The delayed lifestyle series was slammed by critics yesterday after its premiere as ‘gormless lifestyle filler’ with a ‘tangible desperation’.  

It currently sits at number six on the streaming channel’s top 10 behind Kate Hudson’s basketball comedy series Running Point and WWE. 

Hollywood bible magazine Variety panned the Duchess of Sussex’s series as ‘a Montecito ego trip not worth taking’ in a no holds barred review.

‘The show plays out like a forced march, one in which Meghan’s guests must, as the price of getting to share an afternoon in a made-for-TV kitchen with her, praise her first,’ they wrote.

‘”With Love, Meghan” is made with a great deal of love — in the sense that the greatest love of all is the one that a person has for herself.’

With Love, Meghan has a lowly 11 per cent rating from more than 250 ratings from viewers on reviews site Rotten Tomatoes. 

The series has a lowly 11 per cent rating from more than 250 ratings from viewers on reviews site Rotten Tomatoes. 

A scathing one star reviewer quipped: ‘This isn’t even a fun hate watch. It’s just bad.’ 

A fellow low scorer said watching With Love was the ‘worst few minutes of my life’. 

‘Couldn’t watch the first episode. So boring I wanted to go into a coma. Nothing new, nothing innovative. nothing interesting. Can’t put myself through anymore. I give up. I’m crying Uncle!!!’ 

A third labelled it ‘too superficial and shallow’ saying: ‘It’s not a good cooking show, nor an interesting design show… it’s a pure ego-trip! Very uncomfortable to watch. An absolute waste of time.’

It doesn’t get much better on IMDb where it has a 2.6 out of 10 rating from more than 1,000 reviews.