Country singer Kelsea Ballerini was all set to host and perform at the 2022 CMT Music
Awards, just one year after her first hosting gig at the show, where she performed and celebrated
multiple wins.
However, some bad news came to light on April 11, preventing Ballerini from appearing at
the CMT Music Awards in person to create that same lightning-in-a-bottle magic she had last
year at the award show.
People received a statement from the CMT Music Awards only hours before the show that confirmed
that co-host Ballerini tested positive for COVID-19.
The statement announced:
"Fortunately, she is asymptomatic and remains excited to co-host the show (remotely)."
Singer Kane Brown, who previously co-hosted with Ballerini at the 2021 CMT Music Awards,
agreed to make an appearance and share the stage with co-host actor Anthony Mackie.
When Mackie opened up the show, however, he only briefly alluded to Ballerini's illness,
and reportedly didn't even mention the COVID-19 diagnosis to the audience.
Instead, Mackie's speech focused on Kane Brown stepping up his hosting duties.
He joked:
"Just like the NFL has backup QBs, here at the CMT Awards, we have backup KBs."
Get it?
"KBs," like Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini?
Anyway, while it seems reasonable to keep the show moving beyond Ballerini's COVID-19
diagnosis, some fans are calling CMT out for their lackluster response.
CMT's shady explanation of Kelsea Ballerini's illness was definitely noticeable to a couple
fans, who speculated about it on Twitter.
One fan noted that "Kelsea Ballerini prob caught Covid" after the hosts zoomed past
that detail while opening the show.
Even though it was confirmed beforehand, it seemed to journalist Emily Yahr that co-hosts
Anthony Mackie and Kane Brown didn't want to dwell on the huge elephant in the room
preventing the star from joining them on stage.
Yahr tweeted:
"Co-host Kelsea Ballerini announced to her 2.7 million Instagram followers this morning
that she tested positive for covid so not sure why the #CMTMusicAwards is saying she's
not there because she's "under the weather"...not really a secret!"
Ballerini and CBS previously confirmed in an Instagram post that she did indeed catch
COVID-19, but her team and CBS found a way to make sure she can still perform her hosting
duties.
"The incredible CMT family and my team have brought part of the CMT set to my house, to
my little bubble."
She went on to announce that she would still be able to give fans a performance, adding:
"It is certainly not what we had expected or planned for, but we are doing our damn
best ... Let's make some lemonade together out of these very bitter lemons."
She did indeed go on to make lemonade out of the situation.
Even while "under the weather," country-pop singer Kelsea Ballerini brought her own house
down with a stellar performance of her brand new single, "Heartfirst," while donning a
sparkly green dress complete with a slit on the side up to her hip.
Images of Ballerini's band playing along with her were projected on a curtain hung behind
her.
Talk about ingenuity!
Following Ballerini's quarantine concert, many fans took to Twitter to congratulate
the award show host and singer for a job well done.
One Twitter user wrote:
"That should be nominated for performance of the year next year."
Meanwhile, another wrote,
"My girl Kelsea Ballerini did amazing tonight!"
Shortly after the star-studded event was over, Kelsea Ballerini promptly traded in her fancy
award show looks for a much more casual get-up that included comfy green shorts, a white
tee adorned with lemons, and fuzzy slippers.
She wrote in an Instagram post:
"Thank you for a night of lemonade @cmt & @cbstv and a HUGE shoutout to everyone who safely
made it happen."
Shortly after, fans flooded the singer's comments section to give her props for a job well done.
One person said:
"I have to know if your neighbors were listening to you perform!
It was so good."
Another user chimed in to say:
"Please tell me someone dropped McDonald's off at your doorstep after the show.
You deserve it!"
Still, many other eagle-eyed fans couldn't help but notice how many times Ballerini subtly
referred to lemons throughout the night.
One curious fan asked:
"Am I overthinking or are you hinting at something with the lemon/lemonade references?"
Hmm.
They might be onto something there.
Only time will tell!
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