The Masked Singer’s Jackie O reveals show’s safety convinced her to go to COVID-stricken Melbourne

Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has admitted that she would not have travelled to Melbourne to film for The Masked Singer if production would not have been ‘over the top with their safety.’

The last weeks have seen COVID-19 cases spiral in Victoria, with Premier Daniel Andrew forcing the state back into lockdown, making masks mandatory in public spaces and imposing an 8 pm curfew. 

And speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the fearful Sydney-based radio host, 45, revealed she had spoken in length with Channel 10 about safety measures ahead of filming for the show, as she ‘did not want to risk her health for television.’  

TV executives have been forced to implement a whole new set of precautionary measures to keep high-rating shows afloat in Melbourne during the tough pandemic era. 

And filming for The Masked Singer was no different, as Channel 10 executives set up a ‘production bubble’ in order to keep their cast and crew safe from the deadly virus.

Jackie explained: ‘For sure [I would have stayed in Sydney], there’s no way I would want to risk my health for a TV show.

‘I’ve had many conversations with Channel 10 about this because I take that seriously and you hear on the news about Victoria’s rising cases.’ 

Jackie, who was living in an apartment in Melbourne during filming, also expressed her beliefs that people weren’t taking the virus seriously, which left her in further fear for her health.   

‘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,’ she said. 

This comes after Jackie was forced to apologise this week after she was caught on the set of The Masked Singer in coronavirus-ravaged Melbourne without a face mask.

Addressing the gaffe on her KIIS FM radio show, the star admitted she had made a mistake and felt ‘really stupid’ for forgetting her mask.

She said she found it particularly embarrassing because she had previously spoken of the importance of wearing masks and social distancing during the pandemic.

‘It’s my fault, I feel really stupid,’ Jackie confessed.

The mother-of-one explained that she had been rushing from her hotel to the set, and only realised on the drive over that she’d forgotten her mask.

She said: ‘I was coming from my hotel room… and we’re always running late with hair and makeup, and then we quickly packed everything up and we got in the car.

‘It’s only a two-minute drive, and on my way I thought, “Oh my gosh, I’ve forgotten my mask.” No excuse [but] I got out of my car and they gave me a mask.’

Jackie is currently in Melbourne filming season two of The Masked Singer with Dannii Minogue, Dave Hughes and new judge Urzila Carlson – who has replaced American actress, Lindsay Lohan.    

Season two of The Masked Singer was originally scheduled to begin filming in July, but it was delayed because of the escalating pandemic.

The Masked Singer Australia will return to Channel 10 on August 10.