The sixth season of Battle of the Blades premiered on October 22, 2020, on CBC Television featuring eight couples. The venue of this season was moved to CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario.
Production Ron MacLean returns as host, with Canadian singer Keshia Chanté joining as the new co-host. Previous host and judge Kurt Browning is the "Elite Battle Expert" this season acting as a correspondent, and provides colour commentary throughout the series. The judging panel saw a complete overhaul this season, with the additions of Olympic ice dancing gold medalist Scott Moir, Olympic ice hockey gold medalist and season 5 runner-up Natalie Spooner, and Junior Canadian figure skating champion Elladj Baldé. For the first time in the series' history, a record three female ice hockey players and three male figure skaters, were cast as contestants this season, besting the number of two female ice hockey players in season 5.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, there is no live studio audience for the taping of the season. Instead, viewers were encouraged to sign up to become "virtual audience" members to attend the tapings of the series, and have a livestream video of themselves broadcast via screens placed in the audience sections of the arena, to the effect of having these viewers being in the actual audience inside the arena.
The season premiere date was originally scheduled for October 15, 2020. On October 7, 2020, all training and pre-production was halted, after a member of the production team was tested positive for COVID-19. The season premiere is then postponed and rescheduled for October 22, 2020.
Ratings The rescheduled season premiere on October 22, 2020 was broadcast up against the 2020 United States presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The debate brought in over 3 million viewers and was the top rated television program of the week. The Battle of the Blades premiere drew in 455,000 viewers. For the first time in the history of the series, the season premiere did not place in the Top 30 for the weekly most watched television programs in Canada.
Couples Hockey player Team/s played Professional Partner Charities StatusAnthony StewartVioletta Afanasieva Canadian Tire Jumpstart CharitiesEliminated 1st Meghan Agosta Andrew Poje BC Children's Hospital Eliminated 2nd/3rd [a] Jennifer Botterill Eric Radford Canadian Cancer SocietyBryan BickellKaitlyn Weaver The Bickell Foundation (in support of MS Society of Canada) Eliminated 4th Akim AliuVanessa James The Time to Dream Foundation Eliminated 5th Kris VersteegCarlotta Edwards Opokaa'sin Early Intervention Society (Versteeg) Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area (Edwards) Third Place Jessica CampbellAsher Hill Do It For Daron (Campbell) FreedomSchool Toronto (Hill) 2nd Place Wojtek WolskiMeagan Duhamel The Hospital for Sick Children’s Patient Amenities Fund (Wolski) Sandra Schmirler Foundation (Duhamel) Winners
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 (*bottom three in week 4) the previous week, but won the Skate-Off. indicates the couples in the Skate-Off that were declared safe due to the Skate-Off finishing in a draw. indicates the winning couple. indicates the runner-up couple. indicates the third-place couple.
Team Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 (Part 1) 6 (Part 2) Wojtek & Meagan 1 16.2 16.9 17.1 17.417.7 Jessica & Asher 2 16.4 16.4 17.0 17.6 17.7 17.7 Kris & Carlotta 315.5 16.4 16.6 17.3 17.8 Akim & Vanessa 4 15.9 16.716.817.4 17.518.0 Bryan & Kaitlyn 5 16.2 17.1 17.3 17.517.4 Meghan & Andrew 6 (T) 15.7 16.7 16.617.0 Jennifer & Eric 6 (T) 16.1 16.6 16.817.0 Anthony & Violetta 8 15.816.3
Average chart
Rank by average Place Couple Total Number of skates Average 1 1 Wojtek & Meagan 121.0 7 17.28 2 2 Jessica & Asher 120.3 7 17.19 3 5 Bryan & Kaitlyn 85.5 5 17.10 4 4 Akim & Vanessa 102.3 6 17.05 5 3 Kris & Carlotta 101.2 6 16.87 6 6 (T) Jennifer & Eric 66.5 4 16.63 7 6 (T) Meghan & Andrew 66.0 4 16.50 8 8 Anthony & Violetta 32.1 2 16.05
Individual songs & scores Individual judges scores in charts below (given in parentheses) are listed in this order from left to right unless specified: Natalie Spooner, Elladj Baldé, Scott Moir. The couples are listed in the running order of each episode.
Week 1 Couple Scores Song Bryan & Kaitlyn 16.2 (5.4, 5.4, 5.4) "Knocking at the Door (Acoustic)" - Arkells Anthony & Violetta 15.8 (5.3, 5.3, 5.2) "Cheap Thrills" - Sia featuring Sean Paul Meghan & Andrew 15.7 (5.3, 5.2, 5.2) "Flying on My Own" - Céline Dion Akim & Vanessa 15.9 (5.3, 5.3, 5.3) "Nina Cried Power" - Hozier featuring Mavis Staples Kris & Carlotta 15.5 (5.2, 5.2, 5.1) "Castle on the Hill" - Ed Sheeran Jessica & Asher 16.4 (5.5, 5.5, 5.4) "Purple Hat" - Sofi Tukker Jennifer & Eric 16.1 (5.3, 5.4, 5.4) "Sparrow" - Emeli Sandé Wojtek & Meagan 16.2 (5.5, 5.4, 5.3) "Unstoppable" - The Score
Week 2 - Halloween + Couple Scores Song Status Jessica & Asher 16.4 (5.5, 5.5, 5.4) “Every Breath You Take” - Chase Holfelder Safe Wojtek & Meagan 16.9 (5.6, 5.7, 5.6) “Bad Things” - Jace Everett Safe Akim & Vanessa 16.7 (5.6, 5.6, 5.5) “Silence” - Marshmello featuring Khalid Safe Jennifer & Eric 16.6 (5.5, 5.5, 5.6) “Toxic” - District 78 featuring Cheesa Safe Bryan & Kaitlyn 17.1 (5.7, 5.7, 5.7) “Kill of the Night” - Gin Wigmore Safe Kris & Carlotta 16.4 (5.5, 5.5, 5.4) “Joke's on You” - Charlotte Lawrence SafeSkate Off Anthony & Violetta 16.3 (5.4, 5.4, 5.5) “You Send Me” - James Andrews Lose - Eliminated Meghan & Andrew 16.7 (5.6, 5.5, 5.6) “Bury a Friend” - Billie Eilish Win - Safe
Week 3 - Personal Motivation + Couple Scores Song Status Kris & Carlotta 16.6 (5.6, 5.5, 5.5) “Little Cowboys” - Gord Bamford Safe Jessica & Asher 17.0 (5.7, 5.7, 5.6) “I Lived” - OneRepublic Safe Meghan & Andrew 16.6 (5.6, 5.5, 5.5) “Rise” - Katy Perry Safe Wojtek & Meagan 17.1 (5.7, 5.7, 5.7) “Don't Give Up on Me” - Andy Grammer Safe Bryan & Kaitlyn 17.3 (5.7, 5.8, 5.8) “To Build a Home” - Glenn & Ronan SafeSkate Off Jennifer & Eric 16.8 (5.6, 5.6, 5.6) “The Girl You Think I Am” - Carrie Underwood Tie - Safe Akim & Vanessa 16.8 (5.6, 5.7, 5.5) “Freedom” - Kygo featuring Zak Abel Tie - Safe
Week 4 - Canadian Music + Couple Scores Song Status Jessica & Asher 17.6 (5.9, 5.9, 5.8) “Got Your Number” - Serena Ryder Safe Bryan & Kaitlyn 17.5 (5.8, 5.9, 5.8) “Ball and Chain” - Crystal Shawanda Safe Kris & Carlotta 17.3 (5.8, 5.8, 5.7) “Betterman” - Virginia to Vegas Safe Wojtek & Meagan 17.4 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8) “Hometown Kids” - The Reklaws SafeSkate Off [a] Meghan & Andrew 17.0 (5.7, 5.7, 5.6) “Mine” - Felix Cartal & Sophie Simmons Lose - Eliminated Jennifer & Eric 17.0 (5.6, 5.7, 5.7) “It was in Me” - Avril Lavigne Lose - Eliminated Akim & Vanessa 17.4 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8) “Ruin” - Shawn Mendes Win - Safe
Week 5 - A Night Out + Couple Scores Song Status Akim & Vanessa 17.5 (5.8, 5.9, 5.8) “Twist & Turn” - Popcaan featuring Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR Safe Jessica & Asher 17.7 (5.9, 5.9, 5.9) “Honey, I'm Good.” - Andy Grammer Safe Kris & Carlotta 17.8 (6.0, 5.9, 5.9) “Can't Help Myself” - Dean Brody & The Reklaws SafeSkate Off Bryan & Kaitlyn 17.4 (5.8, 5.8, 5.8) “Katchi” - Ofenbach vs Nick Waterhouse Lose - Eliminated Wojtek & Meagan 17.7 (5.9, 5.9, 5.9) “Reset” - Rich Aucoin Win - Safe
Week 6 - Finale The judges' score from the performance this week combined with the viewer's voting from last week determined the 3rd and 4th placing couples. The top two couples then advance to the next round and reprised a skating performance from a previous week. The couple with the higher judges' score from the Reprise Skate wins the competition.
+ Couple Scores Song Status Akim & Vanessa 18.0 (6.0, 6.0, 6.0) “Scared to Live” - The Weeknd 4th Place - Eliminated Wojtek & Meagan 18.0 (6.0, 6.0, 6.0) “What a Wonderful World” - Reuben and the Dark Advanced to Top 2 Kris & Carlotta 17.6 (5.9, 5.9, 5.8) “Good Things Fall Apart” - Illenium & Jon Bellion 3rd Place - Eliminated Jessica & Asher 17.7 (5.9, 5.9, 5.9) “You Can't Stop the Girl” - Bebe Rexha Advanced to Top 2Top 2 Reprise Skate Wojtek & Meagan 17.7 (5.9, 5.9, 5.9) “Reset” - Rich Aucoin (reprise of Week 5 Skate) Winner Jessica & Asher 17.5 (5.9, 5.8, 5.8) "Purple Hat" - Sofi Tukker (reprise of Week 1 Skate) 2nd Place
Notes a ^ Due to the Skate-Off in Week 3 resulting in a scoring tie with no elimination, there was a double elimination in Week 4. The bottom three couples were in the Skate-Off with the lowest scoring two couples of the Skate-Off eliminated.
References
External links Official site