Masked Singer Australia host Osher Günsberg has spoken to The Project overnight to explain what’s happening with the show following an on-set COVID-19 outbreak in which seven cases were detected among the cast and crew.

It was announced on Saturday that production on Masked Singer would be immediately halted following the news of the COVID cases, with the remainder of the 200 cast and crew now required to get tested and self-isolate, including judges Dave Hughes, Jackie O and Dannii Minogue.

According to Osher, they were just two hours away from shooting the Masked Singer grand finale in Melbourne when the decision was made to shut it down after producers consulted with the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The pyrotechnics were loaded, everyone was in costume and we were ready to go,” Gunsberg said on The Project via video link. He went on to praise the dancer for speaking up, calling them “so brave”.

“This person was so brave,” said Günsberg. “This young person put their hand up and said, ‘Hang on, guys, I’m not feeling so great… I should probably not let you know. They were brave enough to pull the emergency brake on the freight train.”

“We hit stop and everyone shut down,” he added.

“Nothing is as important as everyone’s safety. I hope we can set that as an example: if you’re not feeling great, it’s not worth it.’”

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The host added that despite the COVID cases, he has “never been on a stricter set” when it came to undertaking appropriate measures amid the pandemic.

“I’m really really militant about this stuff,” he said. “My outside clothes stay outside, I have a Gattaca shower when I get into my inside clothes, I wash all my groceries down. I’ve been like this since it started.

“I would not have been a production that doesn’t take it seriously. I’ve never been on a stricter set, on a more segregated set.”

Asked whether or not we’ll still be seeing a grand finale for the show, Osher was hopeful.

“We will adhere to whatever happens once there’s been an outbreak,” he said. “We have to do a deep clean. We’re going to work as much as we can to try and get a grand finale happening … I’m pretty sure we’ll figure out a way to pull it off.”

Fellow Masked Singer judge Jackie O was also positive the finale would go ahead, telling the Herald Sun: “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.”

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