EXCLUSIVE: Father of TikTok comedian who correctly predicted NSW’s Covid-19 case numbers day after day is hospitalised with the virus – after his prankster son was charged over anti-lockdown rally
- Jon-Bernard Kairouz’s father Richard is in a south Sydney Covid hospital ward
- Jon-Bernard was known as ‘the TikTok guy’ after revealing NSW case numbers
- He claimed his insider knowledge came about from a nonsense maths theorum
- Jon-Bernard was charged after attending an anti-lockdown protest in late July
The father of the TikTok prankster who sensationally predicted New South Wales case numbers day after day has been hospitalised with the virus.
Gym owner Richard Kairouz, the dad of entertainer Jon-Bernard Kairouz, is in a Covid ward at St George Hospital, multiple sources told Daily Mail Australia.
Comedian Jon-Bernard became known as ‘the TikTok guy’ after repeatedly revealing the NSW Covid tally hours before Premier Gladys Berejiklian earlier this year.
Mr Kairouz, 24, claimed his insider knowledge came about via a nonsense mathematical theorem, rather than a leak from the state’s health department.
However, the long-running lark ended in farce when he reported the wrong case number tally in late July.
Mr Kairouz junior was charged by police that same month for giving a speech at Sydney’s anti-lockdown protest calling for freedom.
TikTok entertainer Jon-Bernard Kairouz accurately predicted the count of NSW Covid figures five days in a row, before his suspected source in NSW Health was exposed
Richard Kairouz (right) has been hospitalised with Covid-19. The family declined to respond to inquiries
The family has been hit hard by Covid in recent days, with former rugby league player Richard admitted to hospital on Saturday, a source close to the family said.
‘He was symptomatic … and kept deteriorating.
‘(He) decided to go to hospital on the Saturday afternoon. The whole family is at home in isolation.
‘After predicting the Covid-19 numbers daily, (Jon-Bernard) couldn’t predict that he (his dad) would contract it.’
Jon-Bernard Kairouz will face court next week over charges, including an offence of encouraging the commission of a crime, relating to the anti-lockdown protest.
That day he gave a speech calling himself ‘the People’s Premier’ and told 3,500 demonstrators: ‘All we want is freedom.’
The NSW Police Force released tense footage of his the moment detectives confronted Kairouz on the street as he returned from an exercise session
Jon-Bernard Kairouz fired up anti-lockdown protesters during an illegal rally in Sydney in July. He was later charged with encouraging the commission of a crime, to face court next week
Kairouz is seen above when he was charged by officers on the street near his family’s home on July 25
It is still unclear how Mr Kairouz managed to accurately predict the Covid case numbers for five days in a row.
His predictions only ended after he broadcast the wrong number one day. The feat hasn’t been repeated by anyone else except for a handful of well-connected political reporters who have reliably forecast ballpark figures.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard denied that a ‘trap’ had been set for Mr Kairouz where false information was supplied to his source.
Mr Kairouz did enjoy his case numbers stardom, telling reporters prior to the police charges that he was ‘having a ball’.
‘It’s been a whirlwind,’ he added.
Mr Kairouz has kept a lower profile in the wake of the police action. No one from the family responded to repeated requests for comment this week.
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