Kelsea Ballerini will co-host the CMT Music Awards from home after testing positive for COVID-19.
The “Legends” singer announced the news on social media ahead of Monday’s show. Her co-host Anthony Mackie, star of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, will now be joined by singer Kane Brown as in-person co-hosts at the Nashville event. Ballerini will remain a co-host but will be appearing remotely.
“A couple days ago, I tested positive for COVID,” Ballerini, 28, shared with fans on Instagram Monday morning,” and the CMT Awards are tonight. So unfortunately I cannot be there in person anymore and I am devastated. I’m gutted.”
She said the good news is that she’s feeling “a lot better” and producers arranged for her to participate from her home.
“The incredible CMT family and my team have brought part of the CMT set to my house, to my little bubble, and set it up to where I can still host and perform,” shared the co-host and nominee. “It’s certainly not what we had expected of planned, but we are doing our damn best. So I will still see you tonight on the awards, and let’s make some lemonade together out of these very bitter lemons.”
According to Extra, CMT producers “scrambled” to make things work with Ballerini virtually.
Brown — who has four nominations this year, the most of any artist — hosted the fan-voted award show with Ballerini last year.
