Studio 10 was thrown into chaos on Thursday after host Tristan MacManus tested positive for Covid-19.
The father of three, 39, received his result shortly after filming Wednesday’s episode, forcing his co-host Sarah Harris into isolation as a precaution.
In an unexpected move, they were replaced on Thursday by Bachelor star Matthew ‘Matty J’ Johnson, who only recently recovered from Covid himself, and reporter Lachlan Kennedy.
Change: Studio 10 was thrown into chaos on Thursday after presenter Tristan MacManus tested positive for Covid-19, forcing his co-host Sarah Harris into isolation. They were replaced by Bachelor star Matty Johnson (right) and reporter Lachlan Kennedy (left)
Reality TV veteran Matty joked about his temporary gig on Instagram, captioning a photo of himself in the studio: ‘You know the entertainment industry has been hit hard with Covid when you’re the only person available to host @studio10au!’
Channel 10 addressed Sarah and Tristan’s absence on Thursday’s episode, with both presenters speaking via Zoom from their respective homes.
‘I am back sleeping in a Spiderman bed for the first time since I was 12 years old,’ Tristan said. ‘Yesterday when we came into work, I was feeling a bit shady.
‘I was really tired and hadn’t slept the night before and was really cold. I put it down to the fact I’ve got three kids.’
Unwell: ‘I am back sleeping in a Spiderman bed for the first time since I was 12 years old,’ Tristan said of his home isolation. Pictured here with his daughter Echo Isolde
Feeling fine: Sarah Harris (right) light-heartedly said she felt like she had ‘won the lottery’ after being forced to ‘kick back on the couch at home with barely any makeup on’
He continued: ‘As the day went on I started to feel better but I thought it would be the responsible thing to take a RAT test at home, which I did and unfortunately it came up positive.’
Sarah light-heartedly said she felt like she had ‘won the lottery’ after being forced to ‘kick back on the couch at home with barely any makeup on’.
Explaining her own situation, she added: ‘I had taken a rapid antigen test on Sunday, just to clear myself before coming into work and that was clear.
Surprise job: Reality TV veteran Matty joked about his temporary gig on Instagram, captioning a photo of himself in the studio: ‘You know the entertainment industry has been hit hard with Covid when you’re the only person available to host @studio10au!’
‘I found three tests in Sydney after driving around all day Sunday. First was negative, second I took last night was absolutely fine – I’ve taken a third this morning, and there is the faintest little line…
‘I’ve been looking it up, and apparently if there is a line there you have to isolate until you are clear.’
She concluded by saying she felt for any casual workers out there who are unable to access rapid antigen tests due to the nationwide shortage.
Matty J was quick to crack a joke to Tristan about his symptoms, asking if he’d suffered with any ‘bad gas’ so far.
Earlier in the month, Matty himself had confirmed he had suffered from pungent flatulence during his own battle with the virus, describing his gas as ‘toxic’.
Sympathy: Sarah concluded by saying that she felt for any casual workers out there, who are unable to get their hands on rapid antigen tests due to a nationwide shortage
After a chuckle from the studio, Tristan replied: ‘No. I haven’t. I probably wouldn’t tell you if I did anyway – I know that you had it pretty bad!
‘The only symptoms that I have is being tired. I had muscle aches a little bit, but I feel fine – I think that’s the worst part about it. I think just guilt is one of those symptoms now – you’re effecting a lot of people.’
He said that the team had been wearing masks off-air at all times, before adding: ‘…but something as simple as coming back from Christmas, seeing people for the first time and wanting to speak to them, which in turn turns out that you’ve made them a close contact. It’s horrible, it really is.
‘As a family of five, we’re not in a position where we have a lot of help here. What can I do? I can’t self-isolate away from my wife and three kids.’
Family: Tristan and his partner Tahyna Tozzi are proud parents to daughter Echo Isolde, and son Oisín Lír, two, (both pictured). They welcomed their third child, a baby boy named Tadhg, in May 2020
Channel 10 confirmed Tristan’s positive result in a statement, saying: ‘Network 10 can confirm that Tristan MacManus tested positive to Covid-19 via a rapid antigen test on Wednesday afternoon.
‘Tristan was asymptomatic and has been in self-isolation since returning a positive result. Tristan will remain in isolation pending the result of a PCR test.’
The statement continued: ‘Network 10 has activated its Covid safe plan, working in line with the current NSW Health Matrix, relevant guidelines and regulations to ensure the health and safety of all staff.
‘As a precaution Sarah Harris will self-isolate until she receives the result of her PCR test. Network 10 has contingency plans in place to ensure the impact on its program schedule is minimal.
‘The health, safety and welfare of all staff and the wider community remains Network 10s number one priority.’
Family: ‘As a family of five, we’re not in a position where we have a lot of help. What can I do? I can’t self-isolate away from my wife and three kids,’ Tristan said. Pictured with wife Tahyna
