The First Pair of Skaters Leaves The Ice On CBC’s Battle of The Blades
World Extreme Pairs champion Violetta Afanasieva and former NHL hockey player Anthony Stewart depart the competition
Seven pairs remain on Season 6 of the popular series
October 29, 2020 – World Extreme pairs champion and four-time series fan favourite Violetta Afanasieva and her partner, former NHL player and current NHL radio analyst Anthony Stewart, were the first pair to leave the ice following tonight’s Halloween-themed episode of the competition series BATTLE OF THE BLADES. Afanasieva and Stewart came into tonight’s show in the bottom two, alongside four-time Olympic medallist in women’s ice hockey, Meghan Agosta, and her partner, three-time World Ice Dance medallist and two-time Olympian Andrew Poje. The two teams were ranked lowest of the eight pairs based on last week’s judges’ scores and audience voting. At the end of an energetic skate-off that showcased the pairs’ improvements since the season premiere, the judges gave Afanasieva and Stewart a lower score, sending them off the ice and home. Agosta and Poje will continue in the competition next Thursday, November 5 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.***
Afanasieva and Stewart were competing on behalf of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities – a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities. Based on their participation in the competition, the skaters receive $25,000 for their charity.
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
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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
647.649.6067
Charlotte Thompson, Unit Publicist
Red Umbrella PR
416.464.8220