Seven Pairs Remain Following Tied Scores on CBC’s Battle of The Blades
Bottom two pairs Jennifer Botterill and Eric Radford, and Vanessa James and Akim Aliu, perform in skate-off and receive identical scores from the judges, resulting in no elimination
November 5, 2020 – In a surprising twist on tonight’s episode of the popular competition series BATTLE OF THE BLADES, the bottom two pairs received identical scores from the judges for their performances, resulting in no elimination. This week’s performances were inspired by the hockey players’ personal stories, with much heartfelt emotion in full display on the ice. Four-time Olympic medallist in women’s ice hockey, Jennifer Botterill, and her partner, two-time World pairs champion and two-time Olympic medallist Eric Radford, found themselves in the bottom two based on last week’s judges’ scores combined with the audience vote, alongside six-time French pairs champion and 2019 European champion, Vanessa James, and her partner, NHL player Akim Aliu. Following their performances, the judges gave the pairs identical scores of 16.8 and as a result, all seven pairs remain in the competition which continues next Thursday, November 12 at 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC TV and the free CBC Gem streaming service.
**Photos from tonight’s episode of BATTLE OF THE BLADES can be found here.**
***Clips are available here.***
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. Season 6 is hosted by multi-talented entertainer Keshia Chanté and veteran sportscaster Ron MacLean, and the 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.
Produced by Insight Productions, BATTLE OF THE BLADES, airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem. Voting is now open via cbc.ca/battleoftheblades to help determine next week’s bottom two, until this evening at 12 a.m. PT/ 3 a.m. ET.
The remaining pairs are:
- 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 is competing on behalf of Do It For Daron, while Hill is supporting FreedomSchool – Toronto
- Meagan Duhamel and Wojtek Wolski
Duhamel is competing on behalf of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, while Wolski is supporting The Hospital for Sick Children’s Patient Amenities Fund
- Carlotta Edwards and Kris Versteeg
Edwards is competing on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, while Versteeg is 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
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
647.649.6067
Charlotte Thompson, Unit Publicist
Red Umbrella PR
416.464.8220