Battle of the Blades (season 5)
The fifth season of Battle of the Blades premiered on September 19, 2019, on CBC Television after a six-year hiatus from the sport, featuring seven couples.
| Battle of the Blades | |
|---|---|
| Season 5 | |
| Celebrity winner | Sheldon Kennedy |
| Professional winner | Kaitlyn Weaver |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | September 19 – October 31, 2019 |
| Season chronology | |
Ron MacLean returns as host alongside head judge Kurt Browning, with Colby Armstrong joining the judging panel permanently after suffering an injury that ruled him out of the competition.[1] The season featured a rotation of guest judges, with Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir serving as guest judges during Week 1.[2] The season rotated between three venues, with the first three weeks taking place at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario, Week 4 taking place at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario and the last three weeks in Oshawa, with two weeks at the Tributes Community Centre and the finale taking place at the Ryerson's Mattamy Athletic Centre.[3]
For the first time in the show's history, viewers from outside Canada are allowed to view the dances and vote for their favourite couples. The scoring also changed from a 6.0 to a 10.0 system for Week 1, referring back to the 6.0 system from Week 2 onwards.
Couples
| Hockey player | Team/s played | Professional Partner | Charities | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Kessel | Metropolitan Riveters United States | Eric Radford | SickKids Foundation (Kessel) Egale (Radford) | Eliminated 1st on September 26, 2019 |
| Brian McGrattan | Ottawa Senators Phoenix Coyotes Calgary Flames Nashville Predators | Vanessa James | Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (McGrattan) Alzheimer Society of Canada (James) | Eliminated 2nd on October 3, 2019 |
| P. J. Stock‡ | New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins | Violetta Afanasieva | ALS Society of Quebec (Stock) Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes (Afanasieva) | Eliminated 3rd on October 17, 2019 |
| Colton Orr | Boston Bruins New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs | Amanda Evora | Smile Zone (Orr) Boys and Girls Club of Canada (Evora) | Eliminated 4th on October 24, 2019 |
| Bruno Gervais | New York Islanders Tampa Bay Lightning Philadelphia Flyers | Ekaterina Gordeeva | Gervais-Talbot Foundation (Gervais) Heart and Stroke Foundation (Gordeeva) | Third place on October 31, 2019 |
| Natalie Spooner | Mississauga Chiefs Toronto Furies Team Canada | Andrew Poje | Fast and Female (Spooner) Right to Play (Poje) | Second place on October 31, 2019 |
| Sheldon Kennedy | Detroit Red Wings Calgary Flames Boston Bruins | Kaitlyn Weaver | Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities | Winners on October 31, 2019 |
‡ Afanasieva's original partner for season five was Colby Armstrong, who suffered an injury before the season began. P.J. Stock, who was Afanasieva's partner in season two, took his place from Week 2 onwards, while Armstrong served as a permanent judge throughout the season.
Scoring Chart
- Red numbers indicate the couples with the lowest score for each week.
- Green numbers indicate the couples with the highest score for each week.
- indicates the couple(s) eliminated that week.
- indicates the returning couple that finished in the bottom two the previous week, but won the Skate-Off.
- indicates the Skate-Off finished in a draw.
- indicates the winning couple.
- indicates the runner-up couple.
- indicates the third-place couple.
| Team | Place | 1[a] | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6[b] | 7[c] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 1 | 28.3 | 23.7 | 17.3 | 18.0 | 17.5 | — | 1st |
| Natalie & Andrew | 2 | 27.9 | 22.9 | 17.4 | 17.4 | 17.0 | 17.2 | 2nd |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 3 | 28.2 | 23.0 | 17.5 | 17.2 | 17.6 | — | 3rd |
| Amanda E. & Colton | 4 | 27.4 | 22.2 | 16.7 | 17.0 | 17.2 | 17.1 | |
| Violetta & P.J. | 5 | DNP | 22.1 | 16.9 | 17.2 | 17.2 | ||
| Vanessa & Brian | 6 | 27.9 | 22.4 | 17.0 | ||||
| Amanda K. & Eric | 7 | 27.7 | 22.1 | |||||
Judges
Each week, Colby Armstrong and Kurt Browning act as judges, with guest judges joining them. With the exception of Week 1, each guest judge gave separate scores to the contestants. Colby Armstrong was also considered a guest judge in Week 1, before joining the panel full-time during Week 2.[1]
| Week | Judge | Career | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir | Olympic Ice Dance Champions - 2010 & 2018 | |
| Colby Armstrong | Ice Hockey World Champion - 2007
9-year NHL veteran |
||
| 2 | Darcy Tucker | World Junior Ice Hockey Champion - 1995
14-year NHL veteran |
[4] |
| Barbara Underhill | Pairs World Champion - 1984 | ||
| 3 | Marie-France Dubreuil | Ice Dance World Championship Silver Medalist - 2006 & 2007
Battle of the Blades Runner-Up - 2011 |
[5] |
| 4 | Sarah Nurse | Olympic Ice Hockey Silver Medalist - 2018 | [6] |
| 5 | Meagan Duhamel | Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalist - 2018 | |
| 6 | Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir |
Individual songs & scores
Week 1
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Kurt Browning.
| Couple | Scores | Song |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda E. & Colton | 27.4 (9.2, 9.1, 9.1) | "Glory" - The Score |
| Natalie & Andrew | 27.9 (9.3, 9.3, 9.3) | "Canadian Girls" - Dean Brody |
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 28.3 (9.4, 9.4, 9.5) | "Wake Me Up" - Avicii |
| Amanda K. & Eric | 27.7 (9.3, 9.2, 9.2) | "Juice" - Lizzo |
| Vanessa & Brian | 27.9 (9.4, 9.3, 9.2) | "Under Your Scars" - Godsmack |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 28.2 (9.4, 9.4, 9.4) | "I Like the Way" - BodyRockers |
Week 2
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Darcy Tucker, Barbara Underhill, Kurt Browning.
| Couple | Scores | Song | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violetta & P. J. | 22.9 (5.8, 5.8, 5.7, 5.6) | "Addicted to Love" - Alex Clare | Safe |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 23.0 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8, 5.6) | "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" - Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock | Safe |
| Vanessa & Brian | 22.4 (5.7, 5.7, 5.5, 5.5) | "Broken Wings" - Mr. Mister | Safe |
| Natalie & Andrew | 22.9 (5.7, 5.8, 5.7, 5.7) | "Higher Love" - Kygo & Whitney Houston | Safe |
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 23.7 (5.9, 6.0, 5.9, 5.9) | "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer | Safe |
| Skate Off | |||
| Amanda K. & Eric | 22.1 (5.6, 5.6, 5.4, 5.5) | "Strong Enough" - Cher | Lose |
| Amanda E. & Colton | 22.2 (5.6, 5.7, 5.5, 5.4) | "Paint it Black" - Ciara | Win |
Week 3 - Country Week
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Marie-France Dubreuil, Kurt Browning.
| Couple | Scores | Song | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda E. & Colton | 16.7 (5.6, 5.6, 5.5) | "Old Town Road" - Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus | Safe |
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 17.3 (5.8, 5.8, 5.7) | "Jolene" - Dolly Parton | Safe |
| Violetta & P.J. | 16.9 (5.7, 5.6, 5.6) | "Crazy" - Patsy Cline | Safe |
| Natalie & Andrew | 17.4 (5.9, 5.8, 5.7) | "You Make It Easy" - Jason Aldean | Safe |
| Skate Off | |||
| Vanessa & Brian | 17.0 (5.7, 5.7, 5.6) | "Cowboy Casanova" - Carrie Underwood | Lose |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 17.5 (5.8, 5.9, 5.8) | "Thinking Out Loud" - Ed Sheeran | Win |
Week 4 - Stage and Screen Week
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Sarah Nurse, Kurt Browning.
| Couple | Scores | Song | Movie/TV show | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 18.0 (6.0, 6.0, 6.0) | "Smile" - Nat King Cole | Modern Times | Safe |
| Natalie & Andrew | 17.4 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8) | "Juicy Wiggle" - Redfoo | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | Safe |
| Amanda E. & Colton | 17.0 (5.7, 5.7, 5.6) | "Believer" - Imagine Dragons | Riverdale | Safe |
| Skate-Off | ||||
| Violetta & P.J. | 17.2 (5.8, 5.7, 5.7) | "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)" - The Contours | Dirty Dancing | Draw |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 17.2 (5.7, 5.8, 5.7) | "The Plaza of Execution" - James Horner | The Mask of Zorro | Draw |
Week 5 - R&B Week
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Meagan Duhamel, Kurt Browning.
| Couple | Score | Song | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie & Andrew | 17.0 (5.7, 5.7, 5.6) | "Powerful" - Major Lazer featuring Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley | Safe |
| Amanda E. & Colton | 17.2 (5.8, 5.7, 5.7) | "Rise Up" - Andra Day | Safe |
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | 17.5 (5.8, 5.9, 5.8) | "U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer | Safe |
| Skate-Off | |||
| Ekaterina & Bruno | 17.6 (5.8, 5.8, 6.0) | "Ain't No Sunshine" - Shawn James | Win |
| Violetta & P.J | 17.2 (5.7, 5.8, 5.7) | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell | Lose |
Round 1 - Couple's Theme Choice
Judges scores in order: Colby Armstrong, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Kurt Browning.
In contrast to previous weeks, the skate-off was conducted first.
| Couple | Score | Song | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | Not scored | "I'm Still Standing" - Elton John | Safe |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | Not scored | "Make Me Feel" - Janelle Monáe | Safe |
| Skate-Off | |||
| Natalie & Andrew | 17.2 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8) | "Shut Up and Dance" - Walk the Moon | Win |
| Amanda E. & Colton | 17.1 (5.8, 5.7, 5.8) | "Leave a Light On" - Tom Walker | Lose |
Round 2 - Favourite Performance of the Season
Couples performed their favourite routines for the season, although they were not scored by the judges.
| Couple | Song | Week Performed | Viewer's Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie & Andrew | "Canadian Girls" - Dean Brody | Week 1 | Second Place |
| Kaitlyn & Sheldon | "Smile" - Nat King Cole | Week 4 - Stage and Screen | Winners |
| Ekaterina & Bruno | "Ain't No Sunshine" - Shawn James | Week 5 - R&B Week | Third Place |
Notes
References
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (September 24, 2019). "You loved him so much as a guest judge on #BOTB last week, we had to make him a permanent judge for the rest of the season! Congratulation @armdog, we'll see you on Thursday!pic.twitter.com/JA5gKNUnXh".
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (September 19, 2019). "It's been 48 hours since @tessavirtue and @ScottMoir made THE announcement. How are they feeling? #BOTBpic.twitter.com/UhnnxCGigk".
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (2019-09-18). "We're just hours away from the #BOTB premiere! Don't miss out on your chance to experience a live taping of Battle: http://cbc.ca/battletickets pic.twitter.com/E9LZwh0yOQ". @CBCbattle. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (2019-09-26). "The gang's all here! Our two guest judges @@16DarcyTucker, #BarbaraUnderhill and our newly appointed judge @armdog are ready to go for tonight! TUNE IN NOW!!! #BOTBpic.twitter.com/OQIBpgUfJp". @CBCbattle. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (2019-10-03). "It's Country Week on #BOTB tonight! @mf_dubreuil joins @armdog and @KurtBrowning as the judges for the week. Yeehaw! Airs tonight at 8 (9AT/9:30NT) on @CBCTelevision and @CBC Gem.pic.twitter.com/dSm5lRcXfP". @CBCbattle. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
- Blades ⛸️, ⛸️ Battle of the (2019-10-10). "It's Stage and Screens night on Battle of the Blades tonight! @nursey16 joins Colby Armstrong and Kurt Browning as the judges for this week. #BOTB Airs tonight at 8 (9AT/9:30NT) on CBC Television and CBC Gem.pic.twitter.com/faooFROf3L". @CBCbattle. Retrieved 2019-10-11.