Drew Barrymore delights Never Been Kissed fans with Josie Grossie revival for MTV Awards

Actor donned her braces to reprise role in 1999’s ‘Never Been Kissed’

Despite dropping out as host days earlier, Drew Barrymore opened the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards as her Never Been Kissed character Josie Grossie.

Sunday’s (7 May) ceremony was pre-recorded after the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike led to the live event’s cancellation.

Find a full list of this year’s winners here.

Barrymore performed in a number of pre-recorded sketches throughout the show, the first of which saw reprise her role as Josie from the 1999 comedy.

Donning her old braces, Barrymore’s character was superimposed into some of the most popular films and TV shows of the year including Nope and Wednesday as she searched for her first kiss.

After a dance-off with M3GAN and getting hit in the face with a football by the Top Gun: Maverick cast, she finally found her prince charming in the Cocaine Bear of Elizabeth Banks’s 2023 comedy.

“I’m not Josie Grossie anymore!” Barrymore yelled triumphantly after her tussle with the bear.

“Gotta love the Josie Grossie,” one fan tweeted after the sketch aired.

“Loving the intro for the @MTV #MTVAwards #josiegrossie is killing it! #drewbarrymore,” wrote another.

“Long live Josie Grossie!!!!” a third tweeted.

Barrymore announced her withdrawal from the ceremony in solidarity with the striking Writers Guild of America members.

“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,” she released in a statement.

“Everything we celebrate and honour 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.”

The ET actor continued: “I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with. And 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.​”

Other celebrities to have joined the writers’ picket line include Rob Lowe and Natasha Lyonne.

Find a full list of every TV show and movie affected by the Hollywood writers’ strike here.