Teddi Mellencamp Reveals Why Chris Kirkpatrick Almost Shut Down ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Production
Teddi Mellencamp said Celebrity Big Brother production almost shut down when a “house guest” tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19).
Despite the cast being quarantined for seven days prior to the start of the season, one cast member tested positive, putting the entire production in jeopardy. Mellencamp said that’s why some of the live feed was delayed but she believes the test was a false positive.
‘Celebrity Big Brother’ was in jeopardy because of Covid, Teddi Mellencamp says
“A house guest had to leave the house due to getting a positive Covid test,” she said on her Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge podcast. “We were quarantined for seven days and that also was like day 14, if not even more. I mean, it’s hard to keep track of days in there. But somebody got a positive Covid test. Then we all had to wear masks and social distance. And this person was put in a holding pattern and then had to get a certain amount of Covid tests and pass them in order to come back in the house.”
“If not, we would have been shut down,” she added. While Mellencamp did not name Chris Kirkpatrick, she said it was a man who tested positive. She then sang “It’s Gonna Be Me” a song by NSYNC.
She reveals another reason why the live feed was delayed
Mellencamp said Kirkpatrick was cleared the following day. But added, “It was a false positive. All of his tests post were all negatives. But there’s rules, especially when you’re in unions and all that stuff so it couldn’t be just one negative test.”
“But all of us were negative,” she added. “When we were in quarantine we were tested every day. Then once we were in the house, which obviously we’re still quarantined, we were being tested every other day. But those were intense tests like your eyeballs are falling out.”
But Tamra Judge noted that whenever Kirkpatrick would talk to Mirai Nagasu the live Celebrity Big Brother feed would also cut out. “So I think they were trying to protect the situation,” Mellencamp said. “And ultimately Chris did nothing wrong or anything like that. But every time that Mirai would get upset, her thing that she would do would be to come after a certain person.”
“And she had come after Chris about something,” she added. “And everybody in the house gathered around them and were pretty much like that’s not what happened. So I’m assuming that’s why they would cut that from the live feeds.”
“But so much more is happening in that house than game,” she said. “But that’s the point of the show is game. If you’re not playing the game and something else is going on they’re gonna cut.”
Teddi Mellencamp said many contestants missed their families
Mellencamp said it was challenging to be away from her family while in the Celebrity Big Brother house. She added that others like Chris Kattan also struggled being away from loved ones.
Kirkpatrick said he would likely cry himself to sleep every night, missing his family. “I think I’m least looking forward to not seeing my family or having that connection with the outside world that I usually have,” he told EW. “It’s going to be difficult being cut off from everything and not even being able to hug my son every morning or kiss my wife every morning or things like that.”
He added, “Hopefully I’ll deal with and just cry myself to sleep in the Diary Room.”
