Eric Stonestreet Subs for Heidi Klum on AGT as She Recovers from Cold amid Coronavirus Concerns
Eric Stonestreet to the rescue!
The Modern Family star, 48, is stepping in for Heidi Klum as a judge on America’s Got Talent after the model called out sick with a common cold, according to multiple reports.
Klum, 46, reportedly left set on Tuesday after experiencing cold-like symptoms. Out of an abundance of caution as the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, she also skipped Wednesday’s taping.
Stonestreet subbed in on Wednesday, reuniting with his Modern Family costar Sofia Vergara at the judges’ table. He also joined judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel, plus host Terry Crews.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
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And while a growing number of live shows are moving forward without a live studio audience, America’s Got Talent is yet to close its doors, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
But while the show must go on, Mandel isn’t taking the pandemic lightly. On Tuesday, the 64-year-old comedian arrived at the set of the show wearing a hazmat suit and a gas mask.
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He accessorized his protective gear with a pair of orange gloves and carried a baseball cap in his hands.
Mandel joked about wearing a hazmat suit amid the ongoing health epidemic on his Instagram on Sunday, sharing a photo of what appeared to be two people in decontamination suits loading a covered stretcher into an ambulance.
“Me heading to work #agt,” he captioned the picture.
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When asked about the ongoing outbreak, Mandel told PEOPLE in a statement, “I don’t shake hands, not even fist-bumping. I’ve taken it to another level.” (Mandel, who is a self-professed germaphobe and has been open about his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder.)
As of Thursday morning, there are 1,269 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., and 37 people have died. New York state has the second-most cases in the country, with 225, and Florida has the eighth-most, with 29. Two people in the state have died.
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