Urzila Carlson was filming the grand finale from her quarantine hotel in Auckland. Photo / Channel 10
Urzila Carlson was filming the grand finale from her quarantine hotel in Auckland. Photo / Channel 10
The taping of an Australian reality TV show was interrupted by an angry army security guard in New Zealand last night, as he banged on Urzila Carlson's quarantine door.
The grand finale of the show Masked Singer Australia - which features celebrities singing covers in masks and costumes, while the judges have to guess their identities - was meant to be filmed two weeks ago but was cancelled just two hours before showtime due to a crew member testing positive to Covid-19.
The rest of the cast and crew were then forced to quarantine in Melbourne for two weeks before producers made the decision to allow the judges from out of town to return home. Radio star Jackie O went back to Sydney and comedian Urzila Carlson, who had been in Australia for filming, returned to New Zealand.
"They put our health before the show and they pretty much sent everyone back to their home," Jackie O said on KIIS FM this morning.
But Channel 10 was adamant it would film a grand finale, and last night that became a reality.
"We are ambitiously filming the finale via green screen with people in two different countries, two different states and three different locations and they're keying us in as if we're all together in studio," Jackie said.
"Urzila is quarantining in this hotel [in New Zealand] by herself so therefore she cannot have anyone enter her room to help her out with equipment. All she's been given is some sort of GoPro to put on the top of her computer, she's got a green sheet behind her and she has to do her own hair and makeup."
Jackie O and Urzila Carlson are judges on the Masked Singer Australia. Photo / Channel 10
Filming began at 6pm NZT yesterday and went for more than 10 hours. But with just half an hour to go, shooting was interrupted by an angry security guard in New Zealand.
"It's 1.30 in the morning and we've done two mask reveals and we're waiting for our final mask reveal," Jackie said on air today. "Urzila gets a busting knock on the door, we're talking 'bang, bang, bang!' Urzila's like, 'Oh my god, someone's at the door, they're banging on the door!'"
Carlson quickly realised it was hotel security.
"I said to her, 'Why would you be getting a knock on the door at this time?' She said, 'Probably because for the last hour and a half I've been yelling out, 'Take it off, take it off, take it off!'
"I was in tears thinking about the people in New Zealand in hotel quarantine hearing some girl on her own at 3.30 in the morning just yelling out these things," Jackie O laughed.
Carlson posted about the incident on Instagram saying she suddenly realised how loud she was being when she heard the banging on the door.
"I don't know if you've stayed in a hotel before but they're not as soundproof as you think.
"I stopped screaming immediately. I thought I don't want to get Tased. I didn't even want to open the door. I thought if I just keep quiet they'll go away, which they did."
She said she didn't want to answer it as she was in full makeup, jewellery and wearing a sequinned top - but with Superman pyjama pants.
"I didn't want to whip the door open and have an army man already wondering what I'm doing inside with 'Take that off!' and I'm in Ugg boots, sequins and pyjama pants."
The Masked Singer grand finale is set to air on Monday night on Channel 10. The three remaining singers yet to be unveiled are Bushranger, Queen and Frillneck.
