Nova FM radio presenters Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli are in self-isolation just days after interviewing Weekend Today host Richard Wilkins, who tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday.
The Sydney breakfast duo didn’t go to work on Monday pending the results of their COVID-19 tests and were replaced by evening presenter Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small.
Fitzy and Wippa underwent testing on Sunday night as a precaution because Richard – who has yet to show any symptoms despite his diagnosis – had appeared on their show as a guest last week.
‘We don’t want to be caught out like Dickie was’: Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa are in isolation and have been tested for COVID-19 after Richard Wilkins, who has the virus, appeared on their show. Pictured Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, Richard Wilkins, Angela Bishop and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli
Wippa called in from home to praise Richard for ‘doing the right thing’ by immediately self-isolating the moment he discovered he may have been exposed to coronovirus.
The Channel Nine star had ‘briefly’ meet singer Rita Wilson backstage at her Sydney Opera House concert on March 7.
Rita and her husband, actor Tom Hanks, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. As soon as the couple announced their diagnosis, Richard went into self-isolation.
‘I feel for Dickie, he did the right thing. Obviously, he came into contact with Tom Hanks’ wife and when the news came through that that was the case, he did the right thing and he self isolated,’ Wippa said.
‘I feel for the big guy, he was caught out. He obviously doesn’t want the knock-on or flow-on effect of where everybody stands right now.’
Wippa explained that the Nova FM team had met on Sunday ‘at a special clinic’ at the Royal North Shore Hospital, where the entire team was tested for coronavirus.
‘We don’t want to be caught out like poor Dickie was. It’s important that we make sure we do the right thing and cover ourselves,’ he said.
Supporting eachother: Wippa (right) called in to praise Richard’s responsible actions after finding out Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson, who he met, had coronavirus
Richard also called into the show from his home on Sydney’s North Shore, saying he ‘felt bad’ that he may have passed the virus to Fitzy and Wippa.
‘On Thursday morning I was in there in that studio talking to our good friends Fitzy and Wippa and it’s so – I just feel so bad, it’s no one’s fault, I don’t even know if it was Rita, you don’t know,’ he said.
He said he was surprised when he got a call from NSW Health last night informing him that he tested positive for coronavirus as he does not feel any of the symptoms.
‘I’ve never felt better, it’s absolutely bizarre to find myself with this thing we’ve all been talking about, we’ve been covering,’ he said.
‘I caught up with Rita Wilson a week ago when she played at the Opera House, I popped in there, spoke for no more than 90 seconds, two minutes, “Great show”, you know how it is, posted a selfie.
‘Of course on Thursday when the news came out that she and her hubby Tom Hanks had tested positive, it was a bit of a trip-out in there at Channel 9, we didn’t know what to do.
‘So those of us who had contact with her went and got tested, seemed the responsible thing to do – even though I thought there was zero chance.’
Wilkins shared this photo of him and Rita Wilson after she performed at the Sydney Opera House last Saturday. On Thursday, she and her husband had tested positive for the virus
Wippa compared the coronavirus clinic at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital to a high school exam.
‘When you walk in there, there’s a sense of nervousness like Outbreak, the movie,’ he said.
‘It’s almost like a school exam, all the chairs are a metre apart from each other.’
He said the test itself was intrusive but was over quickly.
‘It’s (the virus test) is a little bit intrusive, it’s just straight up your nose and it goes back into your throat. It’s almost like an ear cleaner on a very fine wire that curves around the nasal passage,’ he said.
‘So you definitely know it’s there but it takes two seconds, it’s very very quick.’
Bizarre experience: Wippa compared the coronavirus clinic at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital to a high school exam
Richard and Studio 10 host Angela Bishop appeared on Fitzy and Wippa on last Thursday morning for a special entertainment segment.
In a group photo from the day, Fitzy wrapped his arm around Richard’s shoulder while Richard wrapped his arm around Angela and placed his hand on Wippa.
On Friday, Wippa joked that Richard’s spacious home ‘wouldn’t be a bad place to self isolate’.
But on Sunday, Richard was also diagnosed with the illness, prompting many people who came into contact with him to also get tested.
Fitzy and Wippa will return to radio waves on Tuesday broadcasting from temporary studios set up in their respective homes.
The pair will broadcast from their homes for the next 14 days.
Backup plan: Fitzy and Wippa will return to radio waves on Tuesday broadcasting from temporary studios set up in their respective homes