US actress Drew Barrymore has paused the premiere of her US talk show until the Hollywood strikes are over, after a backlash against her decision to resume filming.

She issued a tearful on-camera apology for continuing her CBS talk show “The Drew Barrymore Show”.

Barrymore was planning to return to screens on Monday.

This was despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike which began in May.

Filming for the fourth season of her show took place earlier this week – while her three unionised writers were on strike.

The 48-year-old initially refused to halt production and said the show complied with strike rules.

But it sparked a huge backlash with many on social media suggesting she was not standing in solidarity with the cause.