TVI Presenters Cristina Ferreira and Cláudio Ramos Hit by Food Poisoning

Portugal’s television industry ground to an abrupt halt over the weekend of October 9 after presenters Cristina Ferreira and Cláudio Ramos fell ill from food poisoning traced to the TVI backstage.

The Studio Lunch Behind the Crisis

The health emergency began on Friday, October 9, following lunch at the TVI studios during the production of the morning program Dois às 10. Both hosts consumed the same meal from backstage, according to Cristina Ferreira’s statements on the show’s Monday broadcast on October 12. A third unnamed colleague who ate the same meal also fell ill, with Ferreira addressing the incident directly on air to note that the illness struck three individuals.

High-Profile Public Appearances Canceled

The physical toll incapacitated the network’s Director of Entertainment and Fiction. Ferreira stated that she could not even stand up on Saturday, forcing her to spend the entire day in bed. The bed confinement compelled her to cancel an appearance at the Game Changers Forum in Lisbon at the MEO Arena, where Barack Obama served as the main speaker for the sixth edition of the event.

Chills, Sweats, and Secrecy from Family

Cláudio Ramos experienced similar symptoms over the weekend. Ramos admitted that he felt “relieved” upon learning that Ferreira was enduring the same, confessing that he had never been in such a state before.

To avoid alarming his daughter Leonor, Ramos contacted his ex-wife Lurdes to discuss his health state instead. Describing the physical intensity of the food poisoning, Ramos recounted sleeping wrapped in two sweatshirts, two knitted sweaters, sweatpants, a duvet, and a blanket to combat intense chills accompanied by fever and severe body aches. Ferreira officially confirmed on the broadcast that it was “food poisoning”.