Paramount is getting in the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner game with a starry bash tied to the return of the major Washington soiree after two years of cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The April 30 event at the French ambassador’s residence in D.C. will follow that night’s annual WHCA dinner. Among those expected at the invite-only affair: actor and daytime TV host Drew Barrymore, “Abbott Elementary’s” Sheryl Lee Ralph, filmmaker Jay Roach, “Law and Order’s” BD Wong, “Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood Jr., Desus Nice, Corey Stoll from “Billions,” comedian Ziwe Fumudoh and actor Sophia Bush.
A slew of big-name CBS talent is also poised to attend, including Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell, Margaret Brennan and Tony Dokoupil.
CBS’s George Cheeks, Paramount+’s Tom Ryan, Showtime’s David Nevins and MTV Entertainment Group’s Chris McCarthy will host the after-party.
ITK hears the political figures expected are: White House chief of staff Ron Klain, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, former COVID-19 task force Response Coordinator Deborah Birx, British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
It’s the first time that the network is holding an after-party — CBS traditionally hosts a pre-dinner reception at the Washington Hilton hotel. But CBS has several ties to this year’s black-tie bash, with “The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah serving as the night’s headliner and CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy leading the WHCA as its current president.
It’s the first correspondents’ dinner since 2019 — the event was nixed two years in a row amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers have announced that this year’s journalist-filled gala will be taking several public health precautions, including a requirement for guests to present a same-day negative test and proof of vaccination against the coronavirus.
The dinner drew renewed attention on prevention measures after more than 70 guests at another high-profile affair — the Gridiron Club dinner held earlier this month in Washington — later tested positive for COVID-19.
Some news organizations that typically host WHCA parties opted not to hold shindigs this year due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Washington area. The Washington Post announced earlier this month that it would instead donate what it would have spent on a reception to Reporters Without Borders.