Celebs on TV not wearing masks

[gingas]

Hi all.
Just watching a celeb cookery show on TV. I'm wondering why, what with Covid, for the sake of entertainment, the celebrities are in one area (albeit a large one) together when on the very same channel (BBC) we're constantly being told to leave nothing to chance... and tearful nurses and lots of deaths have been on the news constantly.
I did read about the measures the programme makers took to safeguard people. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3r77hsk2WMBtJ7Lx3tRMcqj/how-we-made-celebrity-best-home-cook-during-covid-19#:~:text=As%20an%20additional%20precaution%20all,words%20and%20a%202m%20stick!
One thing is that the participants get tested every three days, as well as temperature checking, etc.
But what if they catch Covid in between and potentially spread it to each other? And won't they have potentially spread it prior to symptoms showing (so temperature check not really a safeguard)?

And some could be asymptomatic anyway and cough over the food.
They're in one enclosed area (germs move about), cooking and handling food for three famous foodies and no one is wearing a mask (yet we're told that the off-camera staff wore masks).
Is one of the rules for the cooks to never, ever touch their mouths or noses after hand sanitizing, as they go about their cooking? I doubt it.
They're seemingly not living in a bubble.
and the food experts are moving up and down a staircase with a railing so presumably touching it occasionally.
I have nothing against the show itself (honest!) and i never normally write posts or dwell on stuff like this, but when there are so many elderly, lonely, scared people staying indoors - because that's what we've been told to do - this just seems to fly in the face of these government rules.
I may be missing something obvious, but i find it very confusing. We're being told really grave in stuff by the news/media but a fair few of the TV shows don't seem to reflect this.
Any thoughts on this?
Oh and I'm really not as anal as I sound. It's just bugging me (clearly!).

Close contact cohorts

The vast majority of things broadcast on TV dont have everyone wearing masks. Why pick on that show? Let's me think there's a bit of normality left in the world. Stop moaning!

@gingas

Hi dementedpixie

Yes, so have I.
This wasn't.

Didn't say it was

YANBU there’s a post going round on FB where a stylist has posted that she was doing Holly Willoughby’s hair for dancing on ice, yet all normal hairdressers aren’t allowed to open.

Footballers are particularly annoying. It’s literally the most pointless profession, yet it’s being protected above all else. Some lower league team were plying in the FA cup last week and the commentator said, “some of them will have been at work this morning”. Well they’re not on a bloody bubble then are they??

YANBU there’s a post going round on FB where a stylist has posted that she was doing Holly Willoughby’s hair for dancing on ice, yet all normal hairdressers aren’t allowed to open.

It's about numbers. Holly is one person, opening hairdressers to the public is thousands.

The rules for entertainment must be different - I went to the theatre when they briefly opened in December and the audience had to be socially distanced, keep masks on etc whilst the cast didn't. It was a show I'd seen a few times and some jokes had been rewritten to be COVID secure (there used to be a scene where an actor spat water on another actors face which was obviously cut) - it's probably because they're tested regularly, audience members and people on the street only get tests if they have symptoms so we all have to act like we could be a carrier.

dementedpixie, I get what you're saying. Normality would be good, obv. But not pretence normality. Because that's not normality...Where in TV world everything is nice and normal(ish) due to taking the chances that the public cannot, in real life, and meanwhile...an elderly person (or younger person or whatever!) is alone, stuck in a high rise with no garden etc (for example) and doesn't have the luxury of someone getting tested and coming round cooking for them. But thank God for the distraction of TV, eh, (where the stars are potentially going to spread Covid, in between their Covid test days unless all self isolating throughout but I can't see that's mentioned). Then afterwards a news bulletin about how bad Covid is. Then a public health message to stay indoors.
And yes... we should focus on areas where there are positives etc and just do the best we can - and I largely do - BUT... what I've said before. One rule for a few, another for the public...

LadyCatStark, exactly.
And I don't want to see everyone miserable and the telly can be a nice, fleeting distraction etc etc. But...what I've said before...

Masks aren't needed in situations when the risk can be mitigated, eg regular and rapid testing. If the filming is on location the whole crew isolate together and form a bubble.

Personally I would not want people to be wearing masks on tv. For the most the news, panel shows etc that are filmed everyday maintain a good level of distance anyway.

It's a workplace, not a public place, so the law is not the same. It's like not having to wear a mask in your own home. But even in the workplace, it's good practice to keep distant, and wear masks when possible. It's not always possible. On TV, wearing a mask would make it very difficult for viewers who rely on lipreading, for example.

There's lots of precautions that you don't know about that take place behind the scenes in TV production. Lots of changes to how the programmes are being filmed. If the camera turned around you would see that all the crew are wearing masks. There's just a few in front of camera that aren't. With all th additional testing and measures, a TV studio is much safer than most other work environments. And see how few cases have been reported from TV production. The measures work for the most part. You're getting worked up for nothing.

BUT... what I've said before.

Did you bother to read the link explaining Close Contact Cohorts?

Hi luxxlisbon, bridgetreilly, KrisAkabusi. I understand all that you're saying.
In my original post I said I read about the precautions they're taking.
So I'm assuming I do know what steps they're taking. Unless they're missing something out. But why would they do that?
Unless they actually ARE in a bubble (they don't seem to be in this case - the celebs come and go from their homes), as is the case with some other shows... or they, the BTS crew and their household members are self isolating during the filming period, then despite testing (which is every 3 days apparently) they are taking a chance in between test days that we are told not to.
TV can be formatted in different ways. And there are examples of this.
I really don't want to be a telly fascist - not my aim. But the constant reminding to stay safe, stay home, only go out if it's essential etc etc by actors, politicians, presenters etc (One Show..omg) kind of flies in the face of a lot of the TV formatting and organisational logistics.

SoupDragon, did you send a link?
Didn't see it. I'll look. I'm assuming they're CCCs live in a bubble or self isolate (not happening with this cookery show or indeed lots of others) but I'll look it up. Ta.

I would hope that no one touches their mouths or noses without washing hands when preparing food...

When preparing food for others, I mean

There is a link above

More

downloads.bbc.co.uk/safety/documents/health/covid19-close-contact-cohorts.pdf

Hi again SoupDragon
So I did bother to look at the link and it's basically laying out how in CCCs they're taking fairly stringent measures to mitigate the spread. So? I knew that.
But to be properly safe, why not form a bubble? In this time of crisis and a pandemic?

But to be properly safe, why not form a bubble? In this time of crisis and a pandemic?

Because with a CCC they don't have to. 🤦🏻‍♀️

They have strict protocols for shows, and the camera angles may mean they look closer than they are. Ongoing production type shows are taking longer to film consequently. Others film as a bubble. One contestant on a recent show was saying how there's no green room with a buffet anymore either - separate dressing rooms with a plate of cold food in a mini fridge plus water.

Workplaces can have different rules to the general population. It is as simple as that.

I want politicians to be setting an example. If face coverings were worn in the House of Commons, or on walking to press briefings and then only removed at the podium as Joe Biden does.

Less fussed about recorded tv shows.

@inappropriateraspberry

I think this must have been filmed last year, probably in the summer, when rules weren't so strict and we weren't in lockdown. So, they kept to 2 metres and were very likely tested regularly.

I assumed the same.

DH works in tv production. All production staff and guests are tested every three days. All production staff and guests are not permitted to take public transport, and have to drive themselves, cycle, walk or take Covid secure car service (this is a thing that exists now thanks to covid). Masks to be worn everywhere, except by presenters and guests. Catering taken to presenters and guests in their dressing rooms, production staff do not gather to eat. If no catering on site food can be brought from home but nobody can pop out to Pret etc to buy a sarnie. All sets are closed sets.