Busy Philipps Takes Aim at E! After ‘The Affair’ Cameo: Showtime “Had Far More Confidence in Our Show Than E!”

Busy Tonight may have been canceled five months ago, but the talk show is still making an impact. On Sunday night, Busy Philipps‘ E! talk show made a surprise appearance on Showtime’s The Affair, which featured a storyline (**spoilers ahead!**) about a woman coming forward with sexual harassment allegations against Dominic West’s Noah Solloway. In an interview with TVLine, Philipps revealed that she filmed the cameo back in February, three months before E! canceled the show, and she was quick to point out the irony of the situation. “Hilariously, the producers of The Affair had far more confidence in our show than the [former] executives at E!,” said the actress and talk show host.

In Sunday’s episode of The Affair (Season 5, Episode 9), a group of women come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Noah, one of the drama’s main characters. Among the women is Eden Ellery (Brooke Lyons), Noah’s former publicist, who claims that he sexually harassed her years ago. About halfway into the episode, Eden goes on Busy Tonight to tell her story to “personal friend” Philipps, and Noah’s ex-wife Helen (Maura Tierney) and their children catch her appearance. “Why did you choose now to come forward?” asks Philipps. “I didn’t go looking for somebody to tell my story to,” replies Eden. “A reporter called me, and asked me point blank if Noah Solloway had harassed me. And honestly, Busy, I just didn’t feel like lying anymore.”

Shortly after the episode aired, TVLine published a brief interview with Philipps about the emotional scene. The actress said that she filmed her cameo in February, long before Busy Tonight was canceled in early May. “I literally forgot I did that,” Philipps told TVLine. “Hilariously, the producers of The Affair had far more confidence in our show than the [former] executives at E!”

When asked if Busy Tonight‘s revival on The Affair is a sign of a real-life comeback, Philipps played coy. “It just might be,” she said, explaining that she and executive producer Caissie St. Onge are working on “not only a continuation but also an expansion of what [they] were doing with Busy Tonight.” Added Philipps, “I’m very, very excited to be able to share what it is soon.”

The Affair Season 5, Episode 9 is now streaming on Showtime. New episodes debyt every Sunday at 9/8c, with the series finale airing on Sunday, November 3.

Where to stream The Affair