‘America’s Got Talent’ Halts Filming Over Coronavirus Concerns

America’s Got Talent filming has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fremantle, which produces the show, initially planned to film episodes without a studio audience, but that plan was completely scrapped. Judge Heidi Klum is waiting to be tested for COVID-19 after she fell ill this past week and missed two days of filming.

Sources told The New York Post late Saturday filming was completely suspended “out of an abundance of caution.” Friday was the only day of filming without a studio audience. Only the judges and essential crew were on hand at the time.

Klum missed filming twice this week, with Modern Family star Eric Stonestreet filling in for the supermodel. Insiders told the Post Klum thought she had food poisoning at first, but she has begun showing symptoms of a cold. She has also tried to get tested for coronavirus, but that proved difficult on Friday due to the lack of tests available in the U.S.

“I just wanted you to know why I have not been sitting in my America’s Got Talent seat,” Klum told fans on Instagram. “It started all with a chill, feeling feverish, cough, runny nose.”

“I’m just not feeling good so that’s why I’ve stayed home to not infect any other people,” Klum continued. “I hope it’s just a cold. I would love to do the corona test but there just isn’t one here … I’ve tried two different doctors and I just can’t get one.”

Judge Howie Mandel was photographed wearing a full hazmat suit to filming in Pasadena, California earlier this week. Mandel suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder, which includes germophobia. The comedian later announced his March 21 show in Tampa, Florida will be postponed until November.

“I’ve have been looking forward to visiting [Hard Rock Tampa] on March 21st at The Hard Rock Event Center,” Mandel wrote on Instagram Friday. “Based on what’s been going on in the news and more importantly the fact that I can’t find my favorite pair of socks we will be postponing this show until November 20th! Looking forward to seeing you guys on November 20th and also hopefully finding my socks.”

Back on Thursday, Fremantle announced that America’s Got Talent and Family Feud, which it also produces, would be filmed without audiences, but The Price Is Right production would be halted because the game show’s format requires and audience. However, on Saturday, Deadline reported Family Feud production would also be put on hold.

AGT‘s Season 15 judges panel includes Mandel, Klum, Simon Cowell and first-time judge Sofia Vergara. The NBC series is hosted by Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews.

Photo credit: NBC