Carrie Preston Talks ‘Elsbeth’ to Busy Philipps & Names Guest Star She Wants Back on Show

Busy Philipps has found success with her QVC+ and HSN+ late night talk show Busy This Week. Now in Season 2, the show sees the host get her celeb guests to share things they’ve never done before. The July 16 episode with Elsbeth’s Carrie Preston is proof of that as she looks back on her time on True Blood and shares a surprising behind-the-scenes story involving adult film stars as extras. 

In the exclusive clip above, the Emmy-winning actress also reveals which Elsbeth guest star she’d love to have back as many times as possible. This came after Philipps asked center of the CBS hit series if there has ever been a guest star that has come on that she was  like, “I can’t even deal with this?” Preston responded with all of them before naming Tracey Ullman. “That’s giant,” she said. “I used to watch her show religiously. Everything she did because she just transforms. This woman becomes complete, head to toe, other people.” 

She found the chameleon-like Ullman did the same on the Elsbeth set over an eight-day shoot. “This woman shows up, I mean, I’m talking about lace front wig just so right for the character. Talking about brown contact lenses.” For episode, titled “I See…Murder” if you’re looking for it on Paramount+, Ullman plays Marilyn Gladwell, a professional psychic. Elsbeth is investigating a murder connected to one of Gladwell’s wealthy clients. 

“I See… Murder” – Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) matches wits with a professional psychic (Tracey Ullman) after the stepson of one of her wealthy clients is found murdered in Central Park. Photo: Michael Parmelee/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preston recalled that she wanted to have the character to have a deep like soulful eyes and not just fake teeth but a bridge. “She comes in with fake teeth just popping them in like nothing. And then she had this whole accent down and everything,” the guest said. 

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There was one scene in particular that Preston cited where her character was getting a psychic reading. One that involves a grandmother. “The day we were going to shoot that, I’m working on the lines and getting ready for this, and you know thinking about my grandmothers. Both of which who have been gone for a while, but I was very close to both of them.” She continued, “Out of nowhere, my reaches out and says, ‘Look at what I found in the attic today. The dolls that your grandmother made for you and your sister. I had not seen them in 40 years.”  Philipps displayed a photo of the Cabbage Patch dolls. They conclude Tracy Ullman is psychic. “She is magic,” Preston said.

She added they do want to bring Ullman back on the show but to play a totally different character. Preston suggested the 65-year-old Brit could be the killer in every episode. Elsbeth was renewed with the Season 3 premiere set for October 12. We’ll see if Ullman makes a return in some shape or form.

Meanwhile fans can check out Preston’s fun sit-down with Philipps on the newest episode of Busy This Week. 

Busy This Week, Wednesdays, 10/9c, QVC+ and HSN+