Contestants who had made it through the elimination rounds have been sent home to their families, as health officials urge people to stay indoors and practice social distancing.
- March 19, 2020
AceShowbiz - Production has halted on the current season of "American Idol" amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
According to TVLine, contestants who had made it through the elimination rounds have been sent home to their families, as health officials urge people to stay indoors and practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
It is believed production staff are working on the show remotely, with episodes expected to continue to air as scheduled up until the beginning of the live shows - which were slated to begin in mid-April (20), with judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and pregnant Katy Perry, and host Ryan Seacrest.
The decision follows similar moves from "America's Got Talent", which went dark last week after days of auditions without a live audience, and talk shows like "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", "Late Night with Seth Meyers", and "The Wendy Williams Show".
Covid-19 has also delayed production on several blockbuster movies, including "Jurassic World: Dominion" and "The Batman", and has pushed the release of new James Bond movie "No Time to Die" and Disney's "Mulan", among others.
Globally, more than 198,900 cases of coronavirus have been registered, resulting in a death toll of over 7,900 since the outbreak began in December (19).
