Fake-friendly celebrity interviews are annoying

By Virginia Trioli

Topic: Celebrities

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 8:00 am

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's interviews for Wicked were overly friendly

The fake smiles of movie stars are annoying

Celebrities are forced to be friendly in interviews, which is not genuine

These interviews have become too friendly and are now annoying to watch

Viewers and interviewers both feel uncomfortable with this fake friendliness

Interviewers bring gifts and share personal stories to try to connect with celebrities

This trend started when interviewers began bringing gifts to show their appreciation

Now, celebrities are expected to be overly friendly and grateful in interviews

It's weird and fake, and it's not going away

The press tour for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was a recent example of this

Who started this trend of fake friendliness in interviews?

The convention of mutual fawning in interviews is annoying

It might have started when Anne Hathaway was criticized for being unfriendly in an interview

Podcast host Kevin McCarthy started the trend of bringing gifts to interviews

Media advisers realized that being friendly was important for selling tickets and promoting the star

There's a line between being friendly and being fake

The old days of journalism were bad, but this new trend is not an improvement

There's a balance between being friendly and being professional in interviews

Start your weekend with good journalism and analysis

I've thought about this trend and how it affects viewers

When journalists bring too much of themselves into an interview, it's annoying

This trend might be why actors prefer to interview each other now

In these interviews, actors can be themselves without the fake friendliness

The media might be part of the reason why actors prefer these types of interviews

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Virginia Trioli is a presenter and former co-host of ABC News Breakfast

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 8:00 am

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Fake-friendly celebrity interviews are annoying

By Virginia Trioli

Topic: Celebrities

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 8:00 am

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's interviews for Wicked were overly friendly

The fake smiles of movie stars are annoying

Celebrities are forced to be friendly in interviews, which is not genuine

These interviews have become too friendly and are now annoying to watch

Viewers and interviewers both feel uncomfortable with this fake friendliness

Interviewers bring gifts and share personal stories to try to connect with celebrities

This trend started when interviewers began bringing gifts to show their appreciation

Now, celebrities are expected to be overly friendly and grateful in interviews

It's weird and fake, and it's not going away

The press tour for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was a recent example of this

Who started this trend of fake friendliness in interviews?

The convention of mutual fawning in interviews is annoying

It might have started when Anne Hathaway was criticized for being unfriendly in an interview

Podcast host Kevin McCarthy started the trend of bringing gifts to interviews

Media advisers realized that being friendly was important for selling tickets and promoting the star

There's a line between being friendly and being fake

The old days of journalism were bad, but this new trend is not an improvement

There's a balance between being friendly and being professional in interviews

Start your weekend with good journalism and analysis

I've thought about this trend and how it affects viewers

When journalists bring too much of themselves into an interview, it's annoying

This trend might be why actors prefer to interview each other now

In these interviews, actors can be themselves without the fake friendliness

The media might be part of the reason why actors prefer these types of interviews

Don't look away from the true stories that matter

A Sydney mother asked police to lock her up, and 11 days later, she was dead

Is Australia making childhood less fun?

Why I waited until I was almost 30 to travel overseas

Doug Harrison, 97, is still working as a grazier after eight decades

My greatest achievement is accepting my body

Rolf Harris hid his true nature in plain sight

Madonna's new film and song are hilarious and fun

Virginia Trioli is a presenter and former co-host of ABC News Breakfast

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 8:00 am

Promotion

Top Stories

Topic: Stock Market

Breaking news

Analysis by Annabel Crabb

Topic: Terrorism

Analysis by Matthew Doran

Popular now

Breaking news

Analysis by Annabel Crabb

Topic: Terrorism

Top Stories

Topic: Stock Market

Breaking news

Analysis by Annabel Crabb

Topic: Terrorism

Analysis by Matthew Doran

Just In

Topic: People With Disability

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 12:01 pm

Topic: Explainer

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 12:01 pm

Topic: Courts

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 12:00 pm

Breaking news

Saturday, 13 June 2026, at 11:53 am