Masked Singer presenters test negative to coronavirus - Sydney Morning Herald

The Masked Singer host Osher Gunsberg and judges Dave Hughes and Jackie O have all tested negative to coronavirus.

Sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that judges Dannii Minogue and Urzila Carlson have also tested negative, but this is yet to be confirmed by their agents or the show’s producers.

Osher Gunsberg, host of The Masked Singer, has tested negative to coronavirus.Credit:Network 10

The Docklands Studios set of Network 10’s popular reality show was shut down on Saturday – midway through filming the current season’s finale – after a crew member tested positive to COVID-19. There are six additional cases linked to the show and all cast and crew are now required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The outbreak has also delayed filming of Nine’s Millionaire Hot Seat, which records in a different Docklands sound stage but shares some facilities with The Masked Singer. (Nine is the owner of this masthead.)

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A spokeswoman for the studios confirmed that no other productions were scheduled to film in the precinct during the current stage 4 restrictions.

Gunsberg’s manager confirmed he had tested negative and Jackie O told her radio listeners she had also returned a negative result.

Millionaire Hot Seat host Eddie McGuire.Credit:Network Nine

Hughes told this masthead he was relieved to receive a negative result this morning and later told Triple M’s Hot Breakfast program: “In good news, the tests have been coming through from the panellists on The Masked Singer and we’re all testing negative.”

Sources, who are not authorised to speak publicly, said The Masked Singer’s finale is scheduled to air in the second or third week of September and producers are confident they will complete this episode before then.

“We have no idea at this stage what the finale will actually look like,” said one person who works on set. “We might have to ask some people [in self-isolation] to film themselves inside their homes or hotel rooms, or it could be something else entirely.

“It’ll take a while to figure out the details but we’re a creative bunch and I’m sure we’ll find a solution.”

Struggling to see how a celebrity singing contest was considered an essential service.

Jill Stark

Under current regulations, TV programs that were in production before August 6 in Victoria were allowed to continue filming as long as they adhered to strict new safety requirements. This allowed The Masked Singer to maintain production, albeit with plastic panels in between each panellist and a large stuffed animals in lieu of a studio audience.

This exemption attracted strong criticism on social media after authorities confirmed seven coronavirus cases had been linked to The Masked Singer.

“Struggling to see how a celebrity singing contest was considered an essential service,” Jill Stark, a mental health advocate and former Age journalist, posted on Twitter. “People's loved ones are dying alone. We're all making huge sacrifices. Staggering this show was allowed to continue filming during stage four lockdown.”

“I assumed it was filmed in Sydney,” refugee advocate Shane Bazzi replied. “WTF. How is it considered an essential service?”

Asked about the exemption on Sunday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrew said: “Well, they’re not decisions that [were] initially made by me.

“If [production of these programs] weren’t to continue, then the whole thing would basically fall over and would be lost to Victoria. It’s done on a case-by-case basis and it’s always done with a COVID-safe plan.”

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor, Professor Brett Sutton, said television was deemed an essential sector – and The Masked Singer outbreak did not necessarily point to any misbehaviour.

Victoria’s health department has been approached for comment.

A Nine spokesman said there were no plans for Millionaire Hot Seat to film in a different location. Nine is now screening about two repeats and three new episodes weekly but may need to increase the frequency of repeats until filming resumes.

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2020-08-24 03:00:00Z
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