Jackie O is delighted to be back for the second season of The Masked Singer, but with the show filming in Covid-hit Melbourne and a compulsory two-week quarantine before she returns home to Sydney, it means being separated from her nine-year-old daughter Kitty for at least a month.
“It really is heartbreaking – it’s the hardest part of doing the show,” the radio star, 45, tells TV WEEK.
“I’d always planned on bringing Kitty with me, but it’s not possible because they’re really strict with permits and I wouldn’t want her here anyway now.
“I have a lot of fun on set, but I’ve not been away from her for longer than five days. I’m only a few days in, so I’m OK now, but if you interview me in two weeks’ time, I’ll be crying. It’s really difficult, but we’re on FaceTime every day, so that helps.”
And Jackie’s not the only one saddened by the situation.
She continues, “Kitty’s so disappointed. She’s obsessed with the show. Last year, she’d come straight from school and hung out almost every day. Both Lindsay [Lohan] and Dannii [Minogue] were really lovely with her, always giving her lots of attention, little presents and cake. She was very spoilt on set.”
Due to flight restrictions, Lindsay has been replaced as a judge by South African-Kiwi comedienne Urzila Carlson and Jackie confesses she’ll miss the Mean Girls actress.
WATCH BELOW: Jackie O’s lookalike daughter Kitty shows off gift from Dannii Minogue. Post continues after video…
“Lindsay brought really good entertainment value in terms of having those wild guesses – you never knew what she was going to come out with,” the blonde bombshell explains.
“We’re still in touch and there’s the odd message in our group chat. We haven’t cut ties with her. She’s not dead to us!
“She’s really upset there’s no way she can physically do the show, but she’s looking forward to coming back for the next round. I’ll miss how unpredictable she was, but Urzila could be exactly the same. I just adore her accent. As soon as she opens her mouth, I’m laughing.”