At the conclusion of tonight’s red hot “Tribute to the Winter Olympics” episode, two pairs found themselves frozen out of the competition on CBC’s BATTLE OF THE BLADES - a first for the series. Jessica Dubé and Brian Savage along with Marie-France Dubreuil and Mathieu Dandenault would start as the bottom two pairs, with the lowest combined scores and votes from last week’s “Iconic Duos” episode, and entered the “Skate Off”. After each pair skated, Jessica & Brian received the lowest overall score and were automatically Iced as a result.
It was a demanding homecoming for guest judge and reigning BATTLE OF THE BLADES champion David Pelletier, as he and fellow judges Jamie Salé and P.J. Stock would determine the second pair to be Iced based solely on their lowest overall score for tonight’s routines. With their marks tallied, the judges’ scores sealed the fate for Sinead Kerr and Grant Marshall, the final pair to be Iced tonight in the first ever double elimination on Battle of the Blades.
First-time BATTLE OF THE BLADES contender Jessica Dubé is a World Pair Bronze Medallist, three-time Canadian Pairs Champion and two-time Olympian. Her partner Brian Savage won silver with Team Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics and was assistant captain of the Montreal Canadiens for nine seasons during his 12-year NHL career.
Sinead Kerr, a two-time Olympian in 2006 and 2010 and a seven-time British Ice Dance Champion, partnered with Grant Marshall, who overcame temporary paralysis as a junior hockey player to play 700 NHL games and become a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils.
The judges toughest decision to date results in $12,500 cheques for Jessica`s charity Multiple Sclerosis of Canada, Brian`s charity Ten Rainbows: Meghan`s Wings, Sinead`s charity Autism Speaks Canada and Grant`s charity Parachute (Think First).
The pressure is on for the Season Four finalists Violetta Afanasieva and Jason Strudwick, Amanda Evora and Scott Thornton and Marie-France Dubreuil and Mathieu Dandenault.
New for Season Four are the Mini Blades competitions. CBC in partnership with Skate Canada invited select clubs to host their own Mini Blades competitions, to serve as a fundraising initiative and spotlight local skating clubs across Canada. The results are in and fans can watch and vote for the Mini Blades performances online at www.cbc.ca/battle until Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. MEDIA NOTE: There is no voting for tonight’s pairs, voting will resume after the Nov. 10 performances.
Also new for Season Four, BATTLE OF THE BLADES fans will have the opportunity to earn extra votes and participate in the show like never before, with special games and challenges for supporters to help their pairs get closer to the ultimate $100,000 prize for charity. Next Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) the finalists will skate two routines - one new and their favourite routine from this season. The audience votes will be the only factor in determining the Season Four champions as the judges’ scores will not be counted. The winner will be crowned in a special gala presentation on Nov. 17.
BATTLE OF THE BLADES is the highest-rated original Canadian format of all time. Combining athletes from two of Canada’s favourite sports, figure skating and hockey, eight World and Olympic figure skaters pair up with eight NHL hockey greats in the ultimate skating competition for charity. Anchoring CBC’s 2013 Fall Sunday night schedule, BATTLE OF THE BLADES airs at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC.
Find the show online at:
@cbcbattle | #BOTB
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About BATTLE OF THE BLADES:
For more information about the competitors, please visit the official online portal of BATTLE OF THE BLADES, cbc.ca/battle. BATTLE OF THE BLADES is executive produced by John Brunton, Barbara Bowlby and Sandra Bezic who is also a co-creator. Supervising producer is Lindsay Cox with producers Erin Brock and Mark Lysakowski. It is produced by Insight Productions in association with CBC Television.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
Insight Production Company Ltd, headed by John Brunton & Barbara Bowlby has become an industry leader in the creative development, financing and production of highly rated television programs and cutting edge multiplatform content for the global market in every genre. Since 1979, it has been recognized for its reputation for quality as the recipient of numerous international awards, including multiple Gemini’s. The company has created thousands of hours of groundbreaking television that continues to be broadcast over major networks worldwide. Recent hits include THE JUNO AWARDS, THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, BIG BROTHER CANADA, TOP CHEF CANADA, NEVER EVER DO THIS AT HOME and original formats including CANADA SINGS. For more information visit:
For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Erin Richards
publicist, CBC
416 205 7994 (office) / 416 627 5728 (mobile)
Cary Mignault
Unit Publicity Manager, Insight Productions
416-435-9295
