Coronavirus: Australian TV presenter Richard Wilkins tests positive a week after meeting Rita Wilson

Wilkins did not blame Wilson for infection, adding: ‘It could be from anyone, anywhere, any time’

Adam White
Monday 16 March 2020 09:11 GMT
Comments
Australian TV presenter Richard Wilkins says he has tested positive for coronavirus

Australian TV presenter Richard Wilkins has revealed he has been diagnosed with coronavirus just over a week after meeting Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson.

Wilkins, a popular entertainment journalist, met Wilson at one of her concerts at the Sydney Opera House on 7 March. Wilson and Hanks revealed on 11 March that they had been diagnosed with the virus.

Wilkins said that he was uncertain Wilson was the cause of his own illness, however.

“It could be from anyone, anywhere, any time,” Wilkins said. “It is a terrifying thought.”

Speaking via FaceTime on Australia’s Today Show, Wilkins said he felt “guilty and embarrassed” about having potentially passed the virus onto others.

“The ripple effect of this thing is enormous,” he said. “I pray to God I can get rid of this thing and I pray to God nobody else gets it because of me.”

Of his own health, Wilkins said: “I’m surprisingly very well. Look, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I [found out]. It took me a couple of minutes to reel from the news.”

He continued, “I don’t have a sore throat, I don’t have a runny nose and I don’t have a headache. Maybe I’m going to get sick tomorrow? I’m almost waiting for something to happen. If I can say anything to anybody, it’s that if this is what it’s like, so far so good.”

Wilkins’ son Christian has been tested for coronavirus after interacting with his father in the last week. He is currently competing on Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, which broadcast a live episode on Sunday night (15 March) without a studio audience.

Radio hosts Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, who Wilkins also met last week, have also been tested for the virus.

300 people have so far been confirmed with coronavirus in Australia.

Hanks and Wilson, meanwhile, have updated fans about their self-quarantine, revealing that they will remain in isolation in Australia for the next 10 days.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in