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October 15, 2020 CBC today announced that the new season of Canadian audience favourite BATTLE OF THE BLADES (Season 6, produced by Insight Productions) will launch with a special two-hour live premiere on Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem, with eight new pairs ready to hit the ice in support of charities across Canada. Multi-talented singer-songwriter, TV host and actress Keshia Chanté will be joining veteran sportscaster Ron MacLean on the ice to share hosting duties this season. A singer since the age of 14, Chanté is known for her JUNO Award-winning music including multiple #1 hits and eight Top-10 radio singles, as well as her work as a television host and actress. 

“As a performer and entertainer, I know a good performance when I see one! I look forward to seeing the best of the best battle it out for incredible charitable causes, all while bringing people together and making me proud to be Canadian,” said Chanté. “Hockey and ice skating were a huge part of my childhood and being a part of Battle of the Blades really brings that nostalgia to life for me. Excited for what’s to come!”

Originally born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto, Chanté has over 18 years of experience in the entertainment industry, including: the release of four musical albums; a previous role as co-host of the #1 music show on television, 106 & Park, alongside Bow Wow; and her current role as co-host on Entertainment Tonight Canada. She served as a music expert and international judge on The World’s Best alongside James Corden and Drew Barrymore, as well as two seasons of The Next Star. As an actress, Chanté appears on Season 4 of Private Eyes and Season 2 of JANN. She is also known for her charity work, including: serving as Youth Ambassador for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR); volunteering time in Africa with CANFAR to build schools; volunteering in the Dominican Republic with World Vision; and performing with Alicia Keys for the Keep A Child Alive fundraising concert.

CBC’s quintessentially Canadian competition series BATTLE OF THE BLADES features NHL, Olympic and professional hockey players performing on ice with World and Olympic figure skating partners in the hopes of winning the Season 6 championship, and a $100,000 donation to the charity of their choice. Alongside hosts Chanté and MacLean, the Season 6 judging panel features beloved Olympic gold medallist in ice dance Scott Moir; multi-Olympic medallist in women’s ice hockey, and Season 5 runner-up, Natalie Spooner; and professional skater and choreographer Elladj Baldé. Four-time Canadian and four-time World champion figure skater Kurt Browning returns to the series as Elite Battle Expert.

This season’s eight competing pairs, and their charities, are:

  • Violetta Afanasieva and Anthony Stewart  

Competing on behalf of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities

  • Meghan Agosta and Andrew Poje  

Competing on behalf of the BC Children’s Hospital

  • Jennifer Botterill and Eric Radford  

Competing on behalf of The Canadian Cancer Society

  • Jessica Campbell and Asher Hill  

Campbell will be competing on behalf of Do It For Daron, while Hill will be supporting FreedomSchool – Toronto

  • Meagan Duhamel and Wojtek Wolski  

Duhamel will be competing on behalf of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, while Wolski will be supporting The Hospital for Sick Children’s Patient Amenities Fund

  • Carlotta Edwards and Kris Versteeg  

Edwards will be competing on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, while Versteeg will be supporting Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society

  • Vanessa James and Akim Aliu  

Competing on behalf of The Time To Dream Foundation

  • Kaitlyn Weaver and Bryan Bickell  

Competing on behalf of The Bickell Foundation in support of the MS Society of Canada

A CBC original series, BATTLE OF THE BLADES is produced by Insight Productions. The series is executive produced by Insight’s John Brunton, Lindsay Cox, Erin Brock, and Mark Lysakowski and is co-created and executive produced by Olympian and World & Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Famer Sandra Bezic. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production.

Social Media:

#BOTB

Instagram: @cbcbattle

Facebook: /battleoftheblades

Twitter: @cbcbattle

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About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About Insight Productions Ltd.

Insight Productions, known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts, is Canada’s most established content producer and an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of hit programming, both scripted and unscripted, as well as digital content.  Insight Senior Vice Presidents Lindsay Cox and Mark Lysakowski serve as Executive Producers along with Insight’s Chairman, CEO and Executive Producer, John Brunton, on BATTLE OF THE BLADES.  Insight recently produced STRONGER TOGETHER/TOUS ENSEMBLE to support our Country during the COVID-19 crisis and it was the 2nd highest rated program ever broadcast on Canadian television as well as raising over $10 million for Food Banks Canada.  Insight has a long history responding to world crises and collaborating on projects that help support relief efforts with such shows as MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS, THE CONCERT FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF and YOUNG ARTISTS FOR HAITI.  With thousands of hours of programming under its belt, the company has created some of the most dynamic and iconic Canadian programs including – THE JUNO AWARDS Canada’s national music award show, CANADA’S NEW YEAR’S EVE: COUNTDOWN which was the highest rated show on CBC in both 2018 and 2019, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA – the most watched Canadian series on record, ratings hit – BIG BROTHER CANADA, TOP CHEF CANADA, INTERVENTION and original formats BATTLE OF THE BLADES, I DO, REDO & WALL OF CHEFS. Insight’s scripted programming includes award-winning READY OR NOT, FALCON BEACH, HATCHING, MATCHING & DISPATCHING, A CHRISTMAS FURY, BUT I’M CHRIS JERICHO! and THE JON DORE TELEVISION SHOW along with internationally acclaimed award-winning feature documentaries HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD and GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND. In 2017, Insight produced THE TRAGICALLY HIP: A NATIONAL CELEBRATION, a live concert special watched by one in three Canadians. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of ground-breaking content. 

For more information, please contact:

Tanya Koivusalo, CBC PR

tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca 

647.649.6067

Charlotte Thompson, Unit Publicist 

Red Umbrella PR

Charlotte@RedUmbrellaPR.com 

416.464.8220