CBC/Radio-Canada – Olympian in Pairs Skating Amanda Evora and Former NHL Player Colton Orr Depart the Competition
Fans Vote for the Winning Pair, to Be Announced Live on the Season Finale, October 31
October 24, 2019 – After six weeks of grit and grace, the final three pairs on the hit live competition series BATTLE OF THE BLADES (Season 5, 1×120, 6×60) are Ekaterina Gordeeva and Bruno Gervais ; Natalie Spooner and Andrew Poje ; and Kaitlyn Weaver and Sheldon Kennedy . Season 4 winner and Olympian in pairs skating Amanda Evora and her partner Colton Orr , an 18-year professional hockey veteran, were the fourth pair to leave the ice. They came into tonight’s show in the bottom two, alongside Spooner and Poje, and at the end of an intense skate-off which featured the skaters’ choice of music, the judges gave Evora and Orr a lower score, sending them off the ice and home.
**Photos from tonight’s episode of BATTLE OF THE BLADES can be found here .**
***Clips are available here .***
Evora was competing in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada , which works with communities across Canada to encourage and empower children and youth, helping them set a path for success, while Orr was competing in support of the Smilezone Foundation , which strives to improve the lives of children
receiving medical treatment at health care facilities across Canada. Based on their participation in the competition, the skaters each receive $12,500 for their charity.
It’s now up to the fans to determine which pair will win $100,000 for their charities. Voting is open at cbc.ca/battleoftheblades until Tuesday, October 29 at 12 p.m. ET. The winning duo will be announced in next week’s season finale, airing live on Thursday, October 31 at 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC and the
free CBC Gem streaming service.
The highest-rated original English-language Canadian format of all time,* BATTLE OF THE BLADES features NHL veteran and Olympic hockey players and World and Olympic figure skaters partnering in a live, high-stakes figure skating competition in the hopes of winning the Season 5 championship, and a $100,000 donation to the charities of their choice. Hockey Night in Canada ’s Ron MacLean reprises his role as host, with four-time Canadian and four-time World champion figure skater Kurt Browning returning as head judge. Former NHL player Colby Armstrong joins him on the panel alongside this week’s guest judges, beloved Canadian Olympic Games ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir .
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, Programming; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Susan Taylor is Executive in Charge of Production.
* Source: Numeris, Total Canada, CBC Total, Battle of the Blades Seasons 1-4, Oct.4, 2009-Dec. 1, 2013, 2+ AMA, generated by InfoSys+TV.
Social Media:
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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 Erin Brock, Lindsay Cox and Mark Lysakowski serve as Executive Producers along with Insight’s Chairman, CEO and Executive Producer, John Brunton, on the new season of Insight’s original format BATTLE OF THE BLADES. With thousands of hours of programming under its belt, the company has created some of the most dynamic and top-rated programs in the world including THE AMAZING RACE CANADA – the most watched Canadian show on record, social media phenomenon and ratings hit – BIG BROTHER CANADA, Canada’s national music award show – THE JUNO AWARDS, TOP CHEF CANADA, INTERVENTION and original format THE LAUNCH. 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 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 on Insight Productions, please visit www.insighttv.com or on Twitter @insightprod or Facebook www.facebook.com/InsightProductions .
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Koivusalo, CBC Publicist
tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca
416.205.8638
Charlotte Thompson, Unit Publicist
charlotte@redumbrellapr.com
416.464.8220