Kelly Bowman identified as woman who allegedly sparked Byron Bay lockdown

The reality TV show worker was left shocked after testing positive, having been double-vaccinated and testing negative twice in the days preceding.

A fully-vaccinated Sydney makeup artist for reality TV show I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! who tested positive to Covid in Byron Bay is now isolating in a special health facility after being charged by police.

Kelly Bowman, 31, has been charged with six offences after allegedly breaching some of the restrictions of the Covid exemption she was granted to travel to northern NSW to work on the Channel 10 show.

NSW police began investigating Ms Bowman on Tuesday after she tested positive to Covid and allege that while in Byron Bay and surrounding towns she failed to use the QR check-in at multiple locations.

Production sources said Ms Bowman had tested negative before leaving Sydney and initially after touching down in Byron, leaving her shocked when she returned a positive test.

Sydney makeup artist Kelly Bowman. Picture: Twitter

I’m a Celebrity hosts Chris Brown and Julia Morris.

It is understood not all venues she visited asked customers for QR check-ins and that she has cooperated fully with police, with the incident leaving her in a “bad headspace”.

The Covid lockdown has had a particularly significant impact on professions linked to the arts and TV industry and Ms Bowman is understood to have been understandably excited at the opportunity for work.

She is usually represented by a Sydney-based makeup agency but the owner said that TV jobs such as I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! were organised on a freelance basis.

“She didn’t organise the job through us, when she works with TV she does it directly through the company,” the woman said.

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with her but there’s no reception where she is.”

Police are expected to allege that under the conditions of the Covid exemption, when not performing work-related activities Ms Bowman should have been isolating.

Ms Bowman allegedly visited the Kingscliff Hotel without using the QR check-in. Picture: Blainey Woodham/The Northern star

A large number of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! cast and crew are now in isolation, while Byron Bay has been plunged into a snap seven-day lockdown.

In July, another Sydney local Zoran Radovanovic and his two teenage children travelled to Byron Bay only to later test positive to Covid.

That also sent the area into lockdown.

Byron Shire Council Mayor Michael Lyon has now called for filming of reality TV shows including I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and the upcoming season of Love Island to be banned from the area.

Originally published as Kelly Bowman identified as woman who allegedly sparked Byron Bay lockdown