Eddie McGuire opens up on Hot Seat virus scare after Masked Singer shutdown
Eddie McGuire has revealed details from the Millionaire Hot Seat set after filming was urgently suspended following a coronavirus outbreak on The Masked Singer. It comes as Osher Gunsberg praised the “brave” dancer who came forward after feeling unwell.
Entertainment
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Millionaire Hot Seat presenter Eddie McGuire says he agrees with the Victorian government’s decision to shut down filming on the show due to COVID-19 fears after an outbreak on The Masked Singer set.
Three episodes of the quiz show were set to be filmed this week but now shooting has been suspended until after stage four restrictions are lifted.
The set was closed on Sunday, with new episodes of the quiz show were to take place from Monday.
Both shows film at the Docklands, and despite being filmed at separate studios, they do share facilities.
Meanwhile, The Masked Singer judge Jackie O revealed on Monday morning that she had tested negative to the virus.
“There were some shared facilities but the Victorian government has put a stop to that now,’’ a Channel 9 spokesman told the Herald Sun.
“Anything that wasn’t already in production by midnight, August 6, was not able to continue and that includes things that were on hiatus.
McGuire said that while Millionaire Hot Seat is filmed in a separate studio to The Masked Singer, there is “a bit of a spill over” with the crew.
“It was all set up, we had worked on a set, there was no audience, there was going to be a perspex screen between me and the contestant,” the game show host said while presenting The Hot Breakfast on Triple M.
“It was all set up and ticked off and we were ready to go.
“My understanding is, they were going for the grand final and only one dancer, who unfortunately had COVID-19 … she felt crook on Friday and as a result of that we believe there are seven other people who have contracted it.
“They’ve shut the place down. It’s not even in the studio we’re in, it’s in the next studio but there is a bit of spill over so the Victorian government, in their wisdom — and I agree with them — have shut the whole place down.
McGuire said he initially thought the Docklands studio would only be shut down for a day or so for cleaning after the outbreak was detected.
“It went like this: ‘Looks like we can’t do Monday so we’ll do Tuesday and Friday and the people who were supposed to be contestants on Monday to come in next Monday,” he said
“By the time I came from the footy, it was off and now it’s been struck off until the end of stage four restrictions, which is September 13.
The TV personality said filming for The Masked Singer could go interstate after the outbreak.
“The hardest thing of course is the only thing you can do in this situation is to go interstate,” he said.
“We’ve seen The Chase go interstate and there have already been a couple of others. You wonder if this last one of The Masked Singer will go interstate because they have to get the final somehow.”
Hot Seat has many episodes up its sleeve to roll out, but is hoping to resume when Melbourne comes out of stage 4 on September 14.
McGuire said that the same dance crew was supposed to appear on golf series Holey Moley, which is filmed in Queensland.
FINALE “TWO HOURS AWAY” FROM BEING FILMED
Host Osher Gunsberg commended the bravery of the unwell person to come forward.
“We were literally two hours away from hitting record on our grand finale,’’ he told The Project on Sunday.
“This person was so brave, this young person put their hand up and said, ‘hang on guys, I’m not feeling so great, I should probably let you know this’.
“And they were brave enough to pull the emergency brake on this freight train.
“It stopped everything, everything shut down because nothing is ever as important as everyone’s safety and I really hope we can see that as an example. If you don’t feel great, this is not worth it.”
Gunsberg said the safety protocols on set were as strict as he’d seen.
“I would have not have been involved in a production that doesn’t take it seriously,’’ he said.
“I’ve never been on a stricter set, on a more segregated set. Everyone was working in pods and no people crossed over. Because we were shooting in Victoria we had to prove to the Victorian Government that it was safe.
“If there is no Logie in 2021 for the best use of irony in a TV show, I’ll be most disappointed if we don’t win that one.
Dave Hughes said the production had been carried out to the highest standard of safety.
“Obviously our first thoughts were with the dancers who have tested positive and we hope they’re OK,’’ he said.
“And then it was straight away (thinking) we wouldn’t be able to film.
“The procedures in place have been next level, I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve done all we can to keep everyone safe.”
JACKIE O: “WE’LL STILL FILM THE FINALE”
Judge Jackie O has revealed all the judges were shocked and upset when the show was shut down.
“We were all devastated,’’ she told the Herald Sun.
“The safety of our cast and crew has always been our number one concern during filming of The Masked Singer. We’ve all been inside this bubble for the last month and everyone has become like family. So we were all quite upset when we heard the news.”
Jackie, who is isolating in Melbourne, said she is confident the finale will go ahead.
“We will still film the finale – we have very clever and creative people in this industry who will work out how this will look once we ensure everyone involved in the production is safe and well,’’ she said.
“I feel like I’ve spent the majority of the year isolating, even back home in Sydney where the numbers aren’t as high, I still stay home whenever I can. So for me it’s become the new norm.”
WHY WAS FILMING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE?
Premier Daniel Andrews and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton on Sunday defended the decision to allow The Masked Singer to film in Melbourne before a coronavirus outbreak hit the show.
Singer Dannii Minogue, comedian Dave Hughes, radio host Jackie O and stand-up comic Urzila Carlson were forced into self-isolation after seven dancers on the show tested positive to the virus.
The Premier said on Sunday it was not his decision to give the show an exemption to operate, when other businesses have been forced to close.
“They are not decisions that are necessarily made by me,” he said.
“In screen, for instance, there are some productions that if they weren’t to continue, then the whole thing would basically fall over and be lost to Victoria.
“It is done on a case-by-case basis and it’s always accompanied by a COVID-safe plan.
“I’m not pleased that it makes the point, but it again makes the point that this is a wildly infectious virus and even if you’ve got the very best protocols in place you will see positive cases.”
Prof Sutton said the Department of Health had been notified and the show shut down as soon as the cases presented.
He said workplaces presented problems workers were in “closer proximity” and not always wearing masks if their work doesn’t allow it.
“With a very infectious virus, that is what happens. You get a cluster of cases,” he said.
Asked whether the outbreak would prompt a review of the show’s exemption, Prof Sutton said authorities were “always looking at industries in the broader sense”.
“I don’t think any particular outbreak that occurs in an industry necessarily means that anything has gone wrong,” he said.
“It does relate to the fact that anyone that comes in with the virus can spread it to others in a workplace.
“The determination has been made around broad sectors that are considered essential and television is one of those.
“How the determination has been made for every single show, I’m not sure but I’m not even sure it’s possible to say that ‘this is a program that can go ahead’ and ‘this one can’t go ahead’.
“It will be about the broader workplace issues with the program.”
STARS FORCED TO ISOLATE AFTER OUTBREAK
Dave Hughes and his family have been tested for COVID-19 and at this stage are not showing symptoms after the coronavirus outbreak on the set of reality hit The Masked Singer.
It was a relief for comedian Hughes, who is part of the judging panel alongside singer Dannii Minogue, stand-up comic Urzila Carlson and radio host Jackie O.
“I’ve been tested today. Family have got tested too. No symptoms here,’’ Hughes told the Herald Sun.
It’s believed official test results will begin to come through tomorrow.
Some of the biggest names in Australian television are in isolation after several crew members were infected.
The show’s host Osher Gunsberg, remaining celebrity “masked” singers and the entire production team are also isolating.
The Sunday Herald Sun exclusively revealed seven dancers on the show, which features a panel of high profile judges trying to guess the identity of a celebrity in costume and mask, have tested positive to COVID-19.
One of the dancers reported feeling ill at work on Friday, and was told to go home and get tested.
Close contacts were checked and several tested positive.
Advice was sought from the Department of Health and Human Services, which said to shut down the Docklands studio and send people home to self-isolate.
Up to 200 people associated with the show and the studio will have to be tested and isolate pending their results.
Saturday was to have been the filming of the lavish grand final episode to round out Season 2 of the kooky show.
Celebrity judge Jackie O told News Corp in an interview two weeks ago that had Channel 10 not set up a production bubble in Docklands and been “over the top” with safety, she wouldn’t haven’t come to Melbourne for filming of the hit family show.
“Yeah for sure (I would have stayed in Sydney), there’s no way I would want to risk my health for a TV show,” she says.
“I’ve had many conversations with Channel 10 about this because I take that seriously.”
Living in a Melbourne apartment for the duration of filming, Henderson said she feared the virus.
“I think people take it way too lightly, it’s something we don’t know what the prolonged effects are and it’s really new to us.”
“I know people say the symptoms are mild but I certainly don’t want to get it because I’ve heard there are complications that might stay with you for a very long time.”
Channel 10 said in a statement: “Production of The Masked Singer has been immediately suspended as a result of several crew members receiving a positive test result for COVID-19.
“The health and safety of the community, and our staff and production partners is our number one priority.
“The entire production team, including the masked singers, the host and panellists are now in self-isolation. They are all being monitored closely and are in constant contact with medical authorities.
“Network 10 is working closely with the Victorian Government and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Network 10 is providing all crew with all the support and assistance possible.”
OUTBREAK COULD CAUSE CHAOS ON OTHER SHOWS
The outbreak could also throw another Channel 10 reality show into chaos, with Gunsberg hosting The Bachelorette.
The Docklands studio used for The Masked Singer was supposed to be used by Channel 9 this week, a booking which has now been cancelled.
Ten said the on-air schedule is not affected as production stopped while filming the finale and all episodes had been filmed.
A finale will be broadcast and they would find creative ways to bring it to the audience.
Warner Bros is the same production company that creatively brought Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor to audiences during COVID-19.
It is understood producers on the show had advised employees not to come to work if feeling ill and that it had a rigorous COVID-19 plan in place.
COVID-19 restrictions meant The Masked Singer has been filmed this year without a studio audience. In place of the audience, a handful of people have danced in the mosh pit in front of the stage dressed in large, cartoon-like animal costumes.
However, panellist Jackie O courted controversy recently when she was spotted on set without a mask – leading to an apology.
The show has been a hit for Channel 10, since launching on August 10 with 823,000 viewers.
Last Monday 929,000 viewers tune in to see Christine Anu revealed as the Goldfish and on Tuesday an audience of 916,000 saw Katie Noonan unmasked as the Sloth.
— With Fiona Byrne and Matthew Johnston
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