Weekend Today’s Rebecca Maddern has gone into self-isolation following Nine’s entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins being diagnosed with COVID-19 last week.
The Nine presenter, 42, is awaiting the results of her own coronavirus test following close contact with Richard, 65, during filming for the network.
A Channel Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that Rebecca is not currently showing any symptoms, but is self-isolating as a safety precaution for herself and others.
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Rebecca Maddern (pictured) has been temporarily replaced as host of Australian Ninja Warrior as she’s been forced to self-isolate following Weekend Today co-star Richard Wilkins’ coronavirus diagnosis on Thursday, March 12
‘As a precaution and even though she is showing no symptoms we took the advice and she is isolating until test results have been returned,’ they said.
‘In the meantime she has been replaced on Ninja records by Shane Crawford,’ Nine also confirmed that Rebecca had been temporarily taken off her role as co-host of Australian Ninja Warrior with Ben Fordham.
Nine is hopeful she will return to production soon, but as most self-isolation periods can last up to two weeks it’s unclear if she will report on the two Grand Final episodes, scheduled for March 28 and 30.
‘She is isolating until test results have been returned’: The Nine presenter, 42, is awaiting the results of her own coronavirus test following close contact with Weekend Today co-host Richard, 65, during filming for the network
‘All my love’: Rebecca Tweeted at her co-host last week as he awaited results of his coronavirus test – which came back positive
‘She has been replaced on Ninja records by Shane Crawford’: Nine also confirmed that Rebecca has been temporarily taken off her role as co-host of Australian Ninja Warrior until she’s been cleared to come back to work
Meanwhile, Richard told Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon on Monday that he felt ‘guilty and embarrassed’ by the fact he may have passed the deadly virus on to others.
The reporter, who was speaking via FaceTime, said he was feeling ‘surprisingly very well’ and hadn’t yet experienced any symptoms.
It’s understood symptoms may not show for every person who contracts COVID-19, but they can still act as carriers of the disease during this time.
The show must go on? Richard has five children, but the only one he had close contact with recently is his son Christian, 24, who is currently competing on Dancing with the Stars
Richard’s son Christian spent Sunday night self-isolating with his Dancing With The Stars dance partner, Lily McManus. They were both tested for coronavirus on Monday and the other DWTS competitors have been urged to self-monitor for symptoms.
While it’s impossible to know with 100 per cent certainty where Richard caught the virus from, he did ‘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.
‘It could be from anyone’: Richard met Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson (left) backstage at her Sydney Opera House concert on March 7, where it’s suspected he may have caught the virus
Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, both tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, March 12 and are in self-isolation in Queensland, Australia
Globally there have been more than 181,000 cases of coronavirus, with the death tally already surpassing 7,000.
In Australia, the first reported case of COVID-19 occurred in January.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 280 reported cases of coronavirus, including six deaths.
In Australia: As of Monday afternoon, there were 280 reported cases of coronavirus, including six deaths