London Waitress star Sara Bareilles reveals she had coronavirus and has now "fully recovered"
West End Waitress actress Sara Bareilles revealed in an Instagram story that she had contracted COVID-19 but has now fully recovered. The Grammy Award-winning songstress was originally meant to play Jenna Hunterson alongside Gavin Creel as Dr Pomatter until 21 March 2020 after the two extended their runs at the Adelphi Theatre, but they were forced to cut their performances short due to a rumoured travel ban between the US and the UK.
Bareilles and Creel made their final performances on the 14th March just before US President Donald Trump announced that the United Kingdom and Ireland would be included in his Europe-wide travel ban effective 04:00 GMT Tuesday, 17 March 2020. A suspension of SOLT and UK Theatre performances was then announced on 16 March, followed by the confirmed cancellation of Waitress' West End run last week.
Pictured: Sara Bareilles in her Joe's Diner uniform in Waitress.
Sara Bareilles on the mend from coronavirus infection
The singer in an Instagram story reported: "I had it, just so you know. I'm fully recovered, just so you know. I am just thinking about all the people who are walking through this really tricky time and sending a lot of love and just being really grateful for every easy breath and every day that I get to be walking around."
Bareilles later stated that she was "really quiet right now and will probably continue to be quiet, just sort of taking all of this in and having a lot of feelings."
Sara Bareilles recently starred as Jenna in the West End production of Waitress The Musical after previously portraying the role in the hit New York production in June 2017, which marked her Broadway stage debut.
The chart-topping "Love Song" singer and actress composed the show's music and lyrics as part of the first-ever all-female creative team in Broadway history. Her work on the show earned her her first Tony Award nomination for Best Score as well as the 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.
Gavin Creel and Alice Fearn may or may not have had coronavirus symptoms
Sara Bareilles' Waitress co-star Gavin Creel also reported symptoms, though it has not been confirmed whether he had COVID-19 and whether he caught it from Bareilles. Other West End stars who have mentioned having symptoms on their social channels include Alice Fearn, who is currently starring in Come From Away and is also known for having played Elphaba in the London production of Wicked.
Fearn took to Twitter on 27 March to announce that she had been bedridden for two days and was forced to postpone her live stream concert to 6 April at 6.30pm for Leave A Light On.
We wish everyone who has fallen ill with the coronavirus, flu, and what have you, a speedy recovery. Stay safe out there!