MANILA, Philippines — Singer-actor Darren Espanto has pulled out of the hit Chinese show “Singer 2020” due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
"I can't talk about it much now pero I was supposed to go to China pero hindi nga po natuloy dahil doon sa coronavirus and all the travel bans. I think it's safer na 'di muna lumipad,” the 18-year-old said during the launch of his product endorsement earlier this week.
(I can’t talk about it much now but I was supposed to go to China but the plans were canceled due to the coronavirus and all the travel bans. I think it’s safer not to fly for now.)
The pop star was initially chosen as the show's only Filipino guest performer for its finals last year.
Darren rose to fame at 14 years old after placing runner-up in the TV talent search "The Voice Kids" in 2014.
Soon after, he signed with Star Magic and penned a record and management deal with MCA Music Incorporated.
KZ Tandingan was the first Filipino who competed on "Singer 2018," where her performances with international artists Jessie J and Coco Lee became viral online.
According to the latest situational report of the World Health Organization, COVID-19 has been recorded in 76 countries, with cases reported in new countries daily over the past week.