While the reported diarrhea outbreak at the Ultimate Slip-N-Slide production is a serious issue, co-host and comedian Ron Funches joked about the coverage the “explosive” news received over the weekend. The NBC reality game show series was being filmed at a remote ranch in Simi Valley, California when production was halted on June 2 after an outbreak of giardia, a parasite that causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. Funches is hosting the show with Saturday Night Live veteran Bobby Moynihan. Both stars are reportedly fine.
The situation got so much coverage on Friday night that Funches joked that his family didn’t even know he was in comedy “until someone got diarrhea at my water park.” Later, Funches noticed comedian Paul F. Tompkins’ joke about the situation. “So PENultimate Slip-N-Slide then,” Tompkins wrote. “Wow. It be your own people,” Funches replied. “How about we focus on all the people we threw down giant slip n slides who DIDNT GET DIARRHEA.” Thompkins quickly replied, “Ron all I’m saying is, it’s not over yet!”
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I feel like no one in my family even knew I was in comedy until someone got diarrhea at my water park.
— Funch (@RonFunches) June 12, 2021
On Friday, What I’m Hearing and The Wrap reported that production on Ultimate Slip-N-Slide was halted due to the outbreak. One source told The Wrap the issue was so bad that some members of the staff were “forced to run into port-o-potties.” At least one person tested positive for giardia, which causes giardiasis. Universal Television Alternative Studios, which is producing the series, told The Wrap that multiple people reported symptoms of the condition. Additional testing of the water in the surrounding area did test positive for giardia on Thursday.
The crew was seven weeks into filming, with only five days left. A return date has not been set, and The Wrap‘s sources said some are not interested in returning. They are also frustrated with producers for not making sure the water was safe. “The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip-N-Slide at the current location,” a studio rep said Friday. “We are in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.”
Ultimate Slip-N-Slide is inspired by the backyard water slide by Wham-O. NBC had high hopes for the series, with it debuting right after the Tokyo Summer Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 9. The remaining nine episodes were set to air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. It is not clear how the production delay will force NBC to change its scheduling plans.
