Masterchef Canada Season 2 Current Standings

This chart covers the progress of the 16 Finalists who will face off against each other in the MasterChef Canada Season 2 Kitchen, beginning with Episode 3 (Sunday February 15, 2015) To see how the rest fared in episodes 1 & 2, CLICK HERE

NOTES

Episode 3:
Jon won Mystery Box Challenge and saved David and Jennifer from elimination
Line and Andrew won Pressure Test and will be captains in the Team Challenge in Episode 4

Episode 4:
Team Challenge: Red Team (Andrew) wins. Blue Team (Line) lose.
Pressure Test: Jennifer and Line saved from test.

Episode 5:
Cody wins Mystery Box but voluntarily forfeits his advantage
David and Sabrina win Elimination Challenge and will be captains in the Team Challenge in Ep 6

Episode 6:
Team Challenge: 3 Teams - Green Team (Line); Red (David) and Blue (Sabrina) face Pressure Test for elimination

Episode 9:
Announcement made that one of 3 eliminated home chefs will return: Andrew, Cody or Kevin.

Recap of MasterChef Canada Episode 203 "Constant Cravings" OR The First Mystery Box Challenge is Brought to You By....

Here we go. It's the first Mystery Box Challenge of season two. Sounds exciting, no? No, not really.

The Phyllo with no name. Who made you, poor Phyllo?

The first Mystery box contains standard fare: phyllo, pineapple, maple syrup, peppers, berries, walnuts, kale and "one succulent
pork chop". Meh. Oh, I forgot the cream cheese. How could I miss the obvious sponsor? The first Mystery Box is brought to you by Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Duh. I can also tell the phyllo was not made by a sponsor because it just gets a miserable typed label. It could have come from anywhere.

Recap of MasterChef Canada 2 Premiere, "Fit To Be Tied" OR May I Please Have a Hashtag With That?

The best part of MasterChef Canada's season premiere airing right after the Superbowl is that you

don't have to sit through all the insufferable post-game analysis. Cos no-one needs that crap. And the best part about watching the MasterChef Canada auditions is you can pretty much tell who is going to get a white apron (or who doesn't) as soon as they open their mouths. In addition to that, you can tell who is going to make it through the first few eliminations when their auditions are "featured". We are given a back story and for a select few, there is now a hashtag. The way I figure it, if a home chef gets a hashtag during the audition, production REALLY wants us to get behind them, emotionally speaking. Yeah, it's just that simple.

MasterChef Canada 2 Audition Results

Who scored a white apron and who left empty-handed? Here are the results from Episode 1 "Fit to be Tied" and Episode 2 "Patriotic Pantry.

• Out of the 49 finalists, 25 white aprons were awarded.
• Of these 25, nine were cut in an elimination Stress Test.
• The 16 survivors will go on to face their first Mystery Box Challenge and Elimination in Episode 3, Sunday February 15, 2015
• Not all of the finalists are seen auditioning, including those who receive white aprons.

Contestants were given one hour to prepare their "signature dish" and 5 minutes to plate in front of the judges. To get their white apron, the home chefs needed the approval of 2 out of the 3 judges: Alvin Leung; Claudio Aprile; and Michael Bonacini.

MasterChef Canada 2 Finalists

Here are the finalists who made it through the final round of auditions:

Afaf Roubi, a Stay-at-Home Mom from Thornhill, Ont.
Andrew Al-Khouri, a Tax Officer from Halifax, N.S.
Anh Nguyen, a Business Student from Ottawa, Ont.
Ann Wilchynski, an Educational Assistant from Sherwood Park, Alta.
Carmen Araiza, an Actress, Writer, and Spanish Dialect Coach from Toronto, Ont.
Chris Mask, a Firefighter and Paramedic from Wahnapitae, Ont.
Christopher Siu, a Pharmacy Student from Markham, Ont.
Clarissa Diokno, an Academic Research Telephone Interviewer from Waterloo, Ont.
Cody Karey, a Recording Artist from Vancouver, B.C.
David Jorge, a Concrete Contractor from Surrey, B.C.
Deanna Brown, a Stay-at-Home Mom from Milestone, Sask.
Debbie MacDonald, a Special Needs Teacher from Port Hood, N.S.
Debra Pangestu, a Public Relations Officer from Richmond, B.C.
Gav Martell, a VP, Product Management from Thornhill, Ont.
Georgio Theofilpoulos, a Florist and Travel Agent from Toronto, Ont.
Holli Miller, a Bank Teller from Bolton, Ont.
Ian Giebelhaus, a Rural Veterinarian from Rimbey, Alta.
Inder Kambo, Real Estate Sales from Brampton, Ont.
Jennie Kelusky, a Marketing Coordinator and Office Manager from Toronto, Ont.
Jennifer Innis, a Dental Hygienist from Vernon, B.C.
Jon Hameister-Ries, a Retired Pro Football Player and Financial Advisor from Vancouver, B.C.
Kat Wolf, a Film and Music Producer from Montréal, Que.
Kenya Hushagen, a Freelance Film and TV Wardrobe Stylist from Edmonton, Alta.
Kevin Gregory, an Applications Engineer from Fredericton, N.B.
Kristal Rice, a Hospital Administration Clerk from Gander, N.L.
Kristen Dwyer, an Early Childhood Educator from Conception Bay South, N.L.
Kwasi Douglas, a Community Facilitator from Ajax, Ont.
Kyle McKenna, a Bartender from Paradise, N.L.
Lauren Scheit, a Stay-at-Home Mom from Leduc, Alta.
Line Pelletier, a Canadian Military Veteran and Computer Specialist from Moncton, N.B.
Lisa Kacur, a Marketing Coordinator from Mississauga, Ont.
Meg Tucker, a Radio Host from Red Deer, Alta.
Michael Motamedi, an Entrepreneur from Toronto, Ont.
Michelle ‘Mishie’ Gordiev, a Bus Driver from Winnipeg, MB
Mina Tasic, a Pharmacist from Toronto, Ont.
Mohit Sharma, an Event Manager and Personal Trainer from Whitby, Ont.
Natalie Wallace, an Executive Assistant from Toronto, Ont.
Nathan Young, Digital Media – Marketing from Toronto, Ont.
Nikita Scringer, a Healthcare Sales Consultant from Calgary, Alta.
Robert Mitchell, an HR Manager from Toronto, Ont.
Sabrina Poirier, an Office Manager from Montréal, Que.
Sebastien Champagne, a Graphic Designer from Montréal, Que.
Shane Chagpar, an Engineer from Toronto, Ont.
Shaunna Leinster, a Holistic Nutritionist from Brampton, Ont.
Suzy Cui, a Casino Cashier Supevisor from Windsor, Ont.
Tammy Wood, a Retail Clerk from Agassiz, B.C.
Taj Chohan, an Accountant from Oakville, Ont.
Ted Meisner, a Security Investigator from Ottawa, Ont.
Ted Pechey, an Advertising Radio Sales and Volunteer Cooking Instructor from Prince Albert, Sask.

What does this all mean? Well, these are the people who we will see either get a white apron or be shown the door. Getting a white apron basically means the judges say, "Meh. You can obviously boil water. Your presentation dish doesn't make me want to gag." We will meet them all in the first two episodes (the audition episodes), February 8th and 15th.

Originally scheduled to premiere on February 8th, CTV has just announced it will begin Sunday, February 1, immediately following the Superbowl - whenever that will be. Episode 2 will air February 8.

MasterChef Canada 2

MasterChef Canada Season 2 will debut a whole new crop of home cooks on Sunday February 8th, 2015 at 7 PM ET.

UPDATE: CTV just announced they have bumped up the premiere to Sunday February 1st, right after the Superbowl. That's good news. February 8th was just too big of a TV night....The Walking Dead, Talking Dead and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver are my first priorities.

Check back here for contestant announcements, episode recaps and standings.

Poor Tim, Part 1: 15 Things I Learned from The Bachelor Canada 2 Introductions

The names and bios of Tim Warmel's 25 hopefuls were released this morning. These are the first 15 things I learned today.

1. When you're unemployed, it's perfectly acceptable to make up a profession. This raises more questions. What the frack is a Joyologist, and does it require a college or university degree? Warning: choose the title of your fake profession carefully, as this may be misinterpreted to mean something in the porn industry.

The Bachelor Canada 2 Premiere Date and Bachelorette Announcements

CityTv has announced the premiere of Season 2 of the Bachelor Canada. We will be introduced to Tim Warmels and his bounty of Mrs. Warmels wannabes on Thursday, September 8 at 8 P.M. (Eastern)

Filming began mid April and finished the beginning of June. That means IF Tim found his future wife, they will have a very long period of remaining incognito...meeting in secret, in undisclosed hideaways. They won't be able to show their faces publicly until the night of the finale, probably sometime in November. Let's think about that for a minute.

So two people fall in love by going on over-the-top, glamour dates in far off places. Then they are limited to seeing each other every weekend, if they are lucky, totally sequestered from the real world. No outside contact. Sure that's incredible...at first. But, I don't care how head over heals in love you are. That is going to get tired very soon. Not at first of course, but we are talking 5 months of that?

Come on.


Good luck with that, Tim.

But I am going to have a lot of fun with this season.

UPDATE: CityTV will announce 5 of Tim's 25 hopefuls per day on Breakfast Television beginning August 25th...and I will write my impressions next week as well. Oh boy, here we go. 

Recap of Amazing Race Canada 2 Premiere Episode "What's It Take To Get A Cup Of Tea?"

I expected Jon to be a lumberjack too. No dress, just tea.

These teams are beasts! BEASTS I say!

What a great premiere for season 2. Of course, I pretty much knew everything that was going down, but spoilers can only give you the basics and can't tell you all the details. I suspected this was going to be a fast moving episode and wondered how they were going to fit it all in. All things considered, this really should have been a 90 minute episode. Cramming it all into the one hour format does nothing for us getting to know these teams. That's my only complaint.

I am not going to give a blow by blow recap for this or the next couple of episodes. The show just jumps back and forth too much in between tasks with the teams, so the result would just be gibberish. There are just so many times I can say "meanwhile back at the ___". I am just going to tell you how teams placed after each task, then point out team strengths and weaknesses, and who impressed me/who didn't.

Amazing Race Canada 2: Season Spoilers Part 1 - Teams

*** There are spoilers here. If you don't want to know, then you better go away! ***

Looks like there are 11 teams this year, and I have to say, they are a pretty diverse group. Three of those teams are of fame...or maybe I should say, have a public life. There are also three gay teams...not that that matters. Although I have included a "last known whereabouts" line for each team, that doesn't necessarily mean that they were eliminated there. It just means that is where they were last seen. Well, except for the three teams spotted approaching the finish line.

Okay, look. In case you didn't see the notice at the top of this post, I am going to warn you one more time. Don't look any further if you don't want to know who made it as far as the final leg in Ottawa and who will win this season. Don't complain that I didn't warn you. And don't complain to me that you couldn't help yourself. I have already seen people tweeting stuff like "Ah, I read the spoilers. Why did I do that?" Here's a big clue. You have no self control. I know how you feel. I do it myself. My best advise is, don't Google "Amazing Race Canada season 2 spoilers."

Amazing Race Canada Season 2 Finale Spoilers!

***Yes. This is a spoiler. That's because this is a spoiler site. So if you don't want to know spoilers, then please back out the way you came. And while I am at it, don't blame me if you accidentally saw something because your eye caught an interesting word, then couldn't stop yourself from reading on.***

Amazing Race Canada Season 2 Ups the Ante

CTV announced today that they have sweetened the winnings for the first team to hit the mat at the finish line. The Grand Prize, estimated at 1/2 million, consists of $250,000 in cash, free travel in Business Class for one year to anywhere Air Canada flies (based on 10 trips for two), two Chevy Silverado pick-up trucks, and a lifetime supply of gas courtesy of Petro-Canada (based on 50 years). In addition, teams will compete for individual pit stop prizes from Air Canada and Scotiabank.

CTV will announce this season's teams beginning tomorrow (Tuesday June 17) and through until Friday - presumably 2 or 3 teams per day.

The season premiere is Tuesday, July 8 at 9 P.M. Encore presentations will be shown Saturdays at 8 P.M. and Sundays at 5 P.M.

*information courtesy Bell Media press release June 16 2014  http://www.bellmediapr.ca/Network/CTV/Press/CTVs-THE-AMAZING-RACE-CANADA-Gets-Pumped-Up-with-Super-Premium-Half-a-Million-Dollar-Grand-Prize-

Big Brother Canada 2 Final Standings and Voting History

    Final Comps:
Comp 1: Jon, Neda, Sabrina. Jon wins.
Comp 2: Neda and Sabrina. Neda wins.
Comp 3: Neda and Jon. Jon wins.
Jon eliminates Neda.

    
Jury Members: Canada, Arlie, Allison, Rachelle, Adel, Heather, Neda

MasterChef Canada Season 2 Now Casting

The first season of MasterChef Canada has not finished airing and already a second season has been announced.  Filming will occur over a period of approximately 40 days this September and October.

CTV has also announced that Michael Bonacini, Claudio Aprile and Alvin Leung will return as judges for season 2. The inaugural season has averaged 1.7 million viewers per episode, winning it's 8 P.M. time slot and making it the #1 new reality series in Canada.

Full details can be found at http://www.masterchefcanadacasting.com/

Casting is regional, with application deadlines set for 3 areas of Canada: Ontario; everywhere east of Ontario; and everywhere west of Ontario. If you intend to apply please read and follow all the steps carefully, and good luck!

Light Those Candles and For God Sakes, Someone Hose Down That Driveway!

Well, what do you think?

Here's what you need to know. He's 28. That's it really. Oh and his name is Tim Warmels.

Okay. If you really must know all that other stuff, here it is.

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190 lbs
Eye Colour: Hazel
Hometown: Campbellville, Ontario
Currently living: Toronto
Occupation: Entrepreneur
 

"Born and raised in the small countryside town of Campbellville, ON, the 28-year-old entrepreneur is as handy with a horse as he is with a hockey stick. Having grown up working on ranches and farms, Tim is a down-to-earth, all-Canadian guy who isn’t afraid to work hard and get his hands dirty. A natural athlete, Tim also enjoys sports such as hockey, sailing, and scuba diving.

A highly motivated student with a keen mind, Tim was accepted into Canada’s top business program – the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. After graduating with honours, he moved to Toronto and proved himself as an investment banker on Bay Street. Tim is now a successful entrepreneur with a number of tech ventures and his own boutique contracting business." (from bachelorcanada.ca)

But who cares, right? Just look at those eyes, that hair, that face!

You just know the producers are loving this guy. Not only is he extremely good looking, young

and photogenic, but he can actually form complete sentences...unlike the humongous fail that was Juan Pablo in the last season south of the border. I mean, I am still asking what were Mike Fleiss and his minions thinking? Geesh. Anyway, Tim looks pretty good. I can see his introductory montage for the series premiere now: playing hockey; some scuba diving; riding bare-chested atop a mighty steed; walking along a beach, hair blowing in the wind; wearing a construction helmet and plaid shirt - probably red, renovating his house in Toronto and showing us how well he can use his hammer. Wiping the dirt and sweat from his brow. You know, all that everyday, "I'm just a regular guy" stuff. 

Lighting the lights and wetting the driveway.

Filming began yesterday, on Good Friday of all days. The producers teased us with several pics yesterday of the exterior of the Bachelor Mansion, getting prepped for the big night. You know...fairy lights in the trees and lighting a million strategically placed candles. Oh oh. It looks like someone didn't measure the correct distance between those candles there in the foreground. And let's not forget the essential hosing-down of the driveway so it shimmers in that just right magical way with the light. Or for some unsuspecting Bachelorette to slip on with her stripper heels. I just want to know who has the job of making sure the interlocking bricks are evenly watered down? It's all in the details, you know. I hope someone fixed that candle placement or else Tim might not fall madly in love-at-first-sight with one of them. Or several.  Even though the second season won't air until the fall, the hype has already begun. Check out the HELLO! CANADA cover  Or the official Twitter account. Yeah, here we go..."Most dramatic Bachelor Canada Rose Ceremony ever" OR "Sexiest Bachelor Canada ever". Please. On the first night? Gee, seeing as how Tim is only the second Canadian Bachelor, that kind of sounds like a kick in the teeth to poor Brad Smith.

Spoiler Update: It looks like this season has turned into a road show right from the get go. The entire cast was whisked off to Los Cabos, Mexico. They are now in the Bahamas.

If you have any sightings you'd like to share, or have any questions please feel free to email me. suesrealitycanada@gmail.com.

Who's excited for #BachCan season 2? Here's another peek at @BachCanTim's spread in @HelloCanada pic.twitter.com/MXszZlWkXx
— The Bachelor Canada (@bachelorCA) April 19, 2014

The Bachelor Canada..."Big" Announcement

The Bachelor Canada teased on their Facebook page that a big announcement will be made next week. Gee, I wonder what that could be?

Looks like they finally found the perfect Mr. Perfect to be Canada's next Bachelor. Let's hope they aren't going for the douche-nozzle type like Juan Pablo this year. Any guy who is even half good looking will do...just as long as he can form a complete sentence, and at least a glimmer of sincerity in making the "journey" to find true love.

You have to admit that the show will have an uphill climb in the care factor after the massive failure that was Juan Pablo and the recent break-up of Brad Smith and Bianka Kamber.

Stay tuned to Breakfast Television next week. That's where they first introduced Brad Smith as Canada's first Bachelor two years ago.

Update April 13: Tyler Harcott teased he was on his way to Toronto and that he was having cocktails with Canada's next Bachelor.
Update April 14: The reveal will be announced this Thursday April 17 on CityTV's Breakfast Television. Go to http://www.bachelorcanada.ca/2014/04/fun-facts-about-our-new-bachelor/ for a teaser pic and facts about the guy.

Big Brother Canada 2 - Week 2 Recap

HOH: Andrew
Nominees: Paul and Neda
POV:Kenny
Replacement Nominee: Kyle
Target: Kyle


Live Feeds Updated regularly:

- Live feeds are very irregular... they are 'Hush, Hush' (down) more than up.  However, we do know that Andrew won HOH and nominated Paul as target and Neda as pawn. (Andrew's plan has since changed)
- lots of fighting among the HGs...so much so that the 3 in the War Room believe these people are mean. The fighting became so bad that Big Brother purposely stopped the live feeds and has taken steps to repair the damage. Note: feeds were down for Saturday almost completely. Only the War Room feed was up, and even that feed was short-lived.
- Kyle, Adel and Paul appear to be the troublemakers, because they know they are the targets this week. Paul continues to isolate himself and has accused Andrew of being a racist and a womanizer. He refers to himself as the virus in the house. Meanwhile, Kyle accused Ika of "playing him", after noticing that things said to her in confidence have gotten back to Andrew and Kenny. (I am not sure if that was the start of all the infighting, or if something happened even before that. There have been references to a couple of events since the beginning of the live feeds on Wednesday night) Adel called Sabrina a cow. Kyle and Adel suspect one of them will be backdoored this week and continue to look for ways to "stir the pot". Andrew has said that Kyle has to go.
- The HGs were given a game to play involving 3 tasks and having to work together. (reminds me more of a trust-building group therapy activity)
- The Final 3 are being given turns in the Diary Room to make a plea to Canada for votes. This will probably air tonight (Sunday)
- Adel and Kyle talking. Adel keeps referring to the big disturbance on Saturday. He says he "saw something", then he threw his mic in disgust. He then says "Big Brother changed the house rules because of it". Every time he says this, he is warned by production and/or the live feeds cut to a commercial.
- Kenny won POV and takes Neda off the block. Andrew puts up Kyle, as expected.
- Jon is talking of making a big move and targeting Andrew if he gets HOH.This immediately gets back to Andrew and Kenny via Sabrina (was this a test by Jon?). Sabrina asks if Kenny is pleased she snitched.
- Paul, Adel and Kyle are making the most of their limited time in the house. Hot tub, pool and making a blanket fort. They continue to isolate themselves from the rest of the HGs ...neither Paul nor Kyle are doing anything to try to stay. They have called themselves "The Outsiders" or after spending a lot of time in the hot tub, "Lobsters" (my opinion: I think Paul is continuing to play Adel and Kyle knowing Kyle is the target, making sure he stays that way)
- Jon is injured: he dislocated his shoulder by the pool. He is currently receiving medical treatment.
- Jon is back in the house
- Sarah, Sabrina and Ika fight over a potato chip - Sarah made chips for the Have Nots, Ika ate one
- the First Five alliance discuss taking in Jon and Rachelle, to become the final 7 HGs. The plan would remain the same though: the First 5 are still the final 5, and out of those, Arlie would be the first to go, leaving Andrew, Kenny, Sarah and Sabrina as the final 4.

Recap of Episode 3 Sunday March 9

- Rachelle approaches Kenny about Heather saying Kenny said he doesn't trust Rachelle. Confusing? The only thing we learned here is that Heather is a big snitch. Apparently Kenny fed this to Heather as a test. She thinks she is in with a Kenny/Andrew alliance, when in fact she is sitting on the periphery looking in.

The HOH starts with everyone dressed in the latest farm fashions. The line of the night goes to Kyle when he sees the out-going HOH Paul walk in to host the comp..."Paul comes out dressed as a big cock". The comp is called Fresh From The Farm. For Round one, the HGs are supposedly "randomly paired" in teams of two. Right. One team mate must keep a very large metal bin suspended with a rope, while the other must collect potatoes with their team colour on it. That same person must throw them into an opposing team's basket. The team who keeps their basket up the longest wins. The first two teams eliminated will become the first Have (Half) Nots. Of course the girls are out first. Sarah, Neda, Rachelle and Heather are on slop for the week. It's down to Kenny and Jon vs Andrew and Arlie. Jon gives out. Andrew and Arlie move on to Round Two. They take a short break. Arlie goes in the pantry and pretends to be exhausted. He does not want HOH. In Round Two they must dig through the potatoes and find the golden potato...aka the baking potato in gold foil. Arlie again feigns exhaustion and purposely passes over the gold tater several times. Finally Andrew finds it and claims HOH, of course thinking he found it fair and square. Heather is elated because Andrew ins. One thing is for sure, Heather is dumber than the average blonde. I never knew that was possible.

Andrew shows off his HOH room, and everyone shows their happy face. This is immediately followed by the Have Nots being introduced to slop and potatoes, then their Half Not room. Wah. How will they survive?

The First Five alliance is revealed to us formally. They were the first group who went into the house and decided to ally with each other right off the bat: Andrew, Kenny, Arlie, Sabrina and Sarah. Meanwhile, Paul knows he will be Andrew's biggest target this week, so he tries something with Ika. He says Andrew is a racist, has been tormenting him and actually starts to cry. Ika recognizes bullshit when she sees it.

Time for Andrew to ponder his nominations. He's got a revenge hard on for Paul, but is also considering some of the girls. He is also listening to Kenny's suggestion of booting out Kyle -  the physical threat with rocks rolling around in his head. But in the end, Andrew nominates Paul and Neda. Andrew says he nominated Neda because she is a strong player. Then he exposes Paul for slandering him. In his Diary Room confession, Paul indeed admits to lying, saying Andrew is not a racist. This is the start of the disturbance that lasted all weekend. It got so bad that feeds were down for most of Saturday. On top of that, whenever any HG starts discussing it, they are given a warning and/or the feeds are cut. There is more...much more to come. It will be interesting to see how much makes it to air.

Recap of Episode 4 Wednesday March 12

The show starts with a review of the big snit after the nomination ceremony. In a nutshell, Paul first accused Andrew of being a racist in a convo with Sabrina. He then reinforced it by crying over it with Ika. Ika got back to Andrew about it. That's why Andrew called him out in the nomination ceremony. Paul states in the Diary Room he knows Andrew is not a racist. He just wants to be the Richard Hatch, the bad guy to get him to the final two.

Kyle and Adel think they are now screwed because of their association with Paul. But instead of cutting the guy loose, they only make things much worse. You can read my recap of what really went down HERE

Big Brother makes the HGs go through a series of team building exercises to calm the house down. Before the POV Comp gets under way, Kenny gets Andrew to agree on making Kyle the new target. The plan is now to win POV, take Neda off the block and make Kyle the replacement nominee.Eventually Adel and Kyle clue in to the plan.

The POV players are picked: Paul, Neda, Andrew, Kenny, Sarah and Jon are the players. Arlie is the host. Big Brother informs the players and the host that they will receive a gift...a special screening of the soon to be released movie, Divergent.

The comp is an obstacle course based on the movie they just saw. Jump off a 10 foot wall, crawl, climb up and over a rope wall, jump into freezing water, grab a puzzle piece, then zipline to the puzzle board. They must repeat the course until they get all the puzzle pieces. Paul knows he is screwed. He takes what seems forever to even jump off the first wall (and land on a big cushion). People are getting their second puzzle pieces before he even gets over the ropes.

The episode ends before a winner is determined. Gee, they have a lot to cover tomorrow night. POV winner, POV ceremony, Live Eviction and the Final HG enters the house. I guess they won't have any time to cover the big fight that happened on Saturday. Funny how that happens.

Recap of Episode 4 Thursday March 13

The POV comp continues....Kenny wins. No surprise there. Then there is the gratuitous analysis of whether or not to use the veto. Kenny saves Neda and Andrew nominates Kyle as the replacement. Of course Paul believes his plan to be the villain is working. He also says if he becomes HOH he will seek vengeance.

Kyle makes the most of his remaining time in the house by learning to pray with Adel. He does not do any campaigning or bargaining to save himself. He, Adel and Paul call themselves the Outsiders, and spend most of their time in the backyard or in the hot tub - completely separate from the others.

But the writing was on the wall, and Kyle is evicted by a vote of 9 to 1, with Adel the only dissenter.

New HOH competition,...it's a trivia contest. They must discern between fact or rumour.
Paul out first. Then Neda, Rachelle, Adel, Heather, Jon, then everyone except Ika. She wins. The comp was short and sweet...so I wonder if they suspected something was up - like a twist.

Meanwhile in the War Room...the secret 3 are given a "last supper". This happened yesterday. Arisa gets right to it. Allison won. She can make up any story she wants, but can never reveal the War Room, or that she has been watching them all week. She gets escorted in by the BB Secret Service. They held the HGs in the backyard and let Allison wander around. When they open the gate slowly, the HGs notice her and the reaction was hilarious. Especially from Arlie who gives a little wave to her. She plays dumb...they all run up to her and she says, "You guys are here already?" Kenny says, "We've been here for two weeks". Hopefully, she will be able to keep up the story.

So what are her chances? Pretty darn good. Even if Ika puts her up on the block, the First Five are unlikely to vote for her. Chances are Ika will follow whatever the main alliance wants - which is getting rid of Paul and Adel. 

Big Brother Canada Season 2: Preview Part 2 - The New House

The Season 1 House was gorgeous. That kitchen. The HOH room. The Haves bedroom. I absolutely adored the Subway themed bathroom. And then there's Marsha. Dear old Marsha. So when I first heard that a new house was being constructed, I was kind of shocked. What a waste of money...tearing down that set and building another. But then again, with The Brick as the major sponsor of the show, why not?

Here are some of the pictures that were released. My first impressions were, "Nicely done!". But, then...

The Bathroom.
Larger than a lot of apartments. Sleek. Looks incredible when clean...which makes me wonder about the scale of the disaster that will be created once the House Guests get in there. All those lotions, powders, scents, wet towels, and dirty underwear. Well at least there won't be any glitter (or will there be? Hmmn.) Take note of the spaces which look specifically designed to encourage and facilitate conversations. Those designers are tricky, aren't they?

The Haves Bedroom
Another room that looks great when tidy. Extremely bright. Wait a minute, not too sure about the red, and the textured walls. Looks like it could be a bedroom for Santa's helpers OR the guest room in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. You know, when Superman entertains the rest of the Justice League.

Diary Room Hallway
Look at all those keyholes. Curiouser and curiouser. No Marsha. Where did you go, Marsha? But the picture frames seem odd, don't you think? The whole area makes me feel like I am in a Rene Magritte painting of Alice In Wonderland. Who gets to go down the rabbit hole first?

HOH Bedroom
Pretty, but those overhead lights look like they were strategically placed to deter bouncing on the bed. No, not that kind of bouncing.

Kitchen
Personally, I don't care for the wood. Gives it a bowling alley look. And those sloped walls and ceiling? Very tempting to invent a new game of rolling heads of lettuce and seeing if you can get one right up to the ceiling. That's what I would do. I hope those one-way mirrors are shatter proof. I also hope there are no bowling balls in the house. Warning: do not get drunk and run around that bar. Maybe one of them will invent a new drink called "Twisted Ankle".

Main Room
Will you look at that. Green. I hate green. Still...it's pretty. Sunken circular seating. Custom made by The Brick. Note the separate double couch for the nominees. This will be great for the Eviction Vote. There is no hiding from the nominees, no looking away, is there? There are also five, that's right, five TVs. Something has to be up with that...there is usually just one for contact with the host.

Swimming Pool
Hope those tiles are non-slip! Look at those nice sharp corners. Nope. Not liking this at all. Has a public swimming pool feel to it. Well except for the one-way mirrors. Chairs all lined up like that? Boring.

Of course, we haven't seen all of the house. Some things have to remain a surprise. Like the Have-Not bedroom. There is also supposed to be a new room called, The War Room. I presume it is specifically meant for strategy discussion, but with Big Brother, anything is possible. Could be a totally new aspect of the game. It may even involve the new Side Show, with Gary Levy, Peter Brown and Arisa Cox.

There are more cameras. The entire set has increased in size, which is amazing because even the old set looked bigger than BBUS. Speaking of which, it looks like BBC has really upped the ante on the U.S. show. The ball's in your corner now BBUS. Time to refresh that set. I wonder if they have ever gone in there with a black light. You know, the kind that detects, well... Blech.

Big Brother Canada Season 2 Preview: Part 1 - The New House Guests

Big Brother Canada 2 House guests. Don't they look happy, all Photoshopped together like that?

Big Brother Canada Season 2 begins this Wednesday, February 5th. Although enough has been written elsewhere about these people, I just have to add my two cents in.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Big Brother process or schedule, the cast is already safely sequestered inside the house. They have been since Slice made their official announcement last week. Even though the premiere will appear live, it has all been pre-taped. That's just the way it is done. There are several reasons for this. First, production doesn't want the media to know these people in advance. Nobody can get at them now. Also, the premiere episode has a lot to cover. Last year's premiere episode covered HOH, Nominees for Eviction and the Power of Veto Competition, while the second episode was the Power of Veto Ceremony and the Live Eviction. No reason to believe they will change it. If it was live, it would just be one hour of 15 people introducing themselves to each other. Sixty minutes of these people going through all the social niceties...showing their pretend faces. So, if you tune into the 'After Dark' show, which also begins Wednesday, you will see that they all seem to know each other pretty well. That's because they have been together for a whole week.

Now for the bios and my impressions. here are the 14 House Guests identified to date. Of course there is a Mystery 15th HG. Ooooh. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Got to be a celebrity or a returning House Guest, right? Like maybe Emmett or Talla? Nope. Not a sibling of one either. Don't get your hopes up. When they introduce him on the first night, you are going to say what? Why all the secrecy? Speculation has ranged from William Shatner to a goat. The most viable guess is a local celeb from Nova Scotia, a Drag Queen named Scott Bosse. Well whoever it is, I am sure it will involve the first major twist of what the showrunners have promised to be a barn burner.

Adel Elseri, 27
Edmonton, AB
Welder/Inventor

When asked to describe himself in 3 words, his response was "The. Peoples. Champ". I don't know about you, but I don't care for "THE-y" type of people. Also, I keep wondering who he had to fight for that title, and if there is some kind of trophy that goes along with it. Maybe a wide 6 inch belt with a big shiny buckle. Apparently, people listen to him, and he listens to people. What do they call that? Ah, wait a minute. Oh yeah, communication skills. He loves people, hates stickers and believes himself to be aggressive. He wants to go for HOH right off the bat, and is looking for a guys alliance. Wait a minute. He hates stickers? Just great. This season's sticker-hater. There's always one in the bunch.
Character Rating: Mr. Perfect
Reminds Me of: A.J.
Survival Rating: Medium

Andrew Gordon, 27

Calgary, AB
Restaurant Manager

Out-going, energetic, intense. He loves people too, except for the narrow-minded. He describes himself as a "gentle giant". Maybe he is the one that Adel had to fight for the title. He wants to be perceived as everyone's friend, completely non-threatening. I don't know about that. Those muscles spell physical threat no matter how much the guy looks like a lovable teddy bear. He says he is good at reading others, and hates close-minded people.
Character Rating: Buddy
Reminds me of: Emmett
Survival Rating: Medium

Anick Gervais, 28

Hanmer, ON
Reiki Master

Eclectic, out-going, spiritual. I don't know where to start with this one. She hates bullies. I don't know what a Reiki Master is. Not sure I want to know, although I am sure we will be hearing all about it in the days to come. She is one of those people who claim their strategy is no strategy. She wants to leave it to destiny, and intends to meditate about it. Leave it up to the universe to tell her what to do. Sounds a bit too new-agey, hippyish to me. She also likens her life lately to a cocoon - a protective barrier around her.  But she is now ready to break free and bloom into a butterfly - on the show. Wow. Can't wait to see that. That sounds more like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers to me, so the others better watch out. On top of that, she is afraid of being sucked into negative tornadoes. Most people fear shark tornadoes. All of this indicates Anick just might be first out, except for the fact that she wants to give body massages. Unless hidden in that cocoon, Anick will probably miss her BFF, Mary Jane the most. 
Character Rating: Nutbag
                                                           Reminds Me of: Talla
                                                           Survival Rating: Low to Medium

Arlie Shaban, 25

Claremont, ON
Unemployed

Passionate, energetic, conniving. He says he has a magnetic personality. I will reserve judgement. He also says he is completely untrustworthy - a bold face liar. Then he says he is offended by others who lie to him, thinking he is stupid enough to fall for it. You can derive your own conclusions about this, but what I am reading is that he lies to stupid people. How is this guy not employed? He will miss his friends who are presumably either too smart to lie to or too dumb to catch his lies. He is a Big Brother superfan who wants the public to respect his gameplay. He has no long term plan. In the first couple of weeks, he is just going to make friends, then adapt to people and events. Okay, what he just described is what most people do when they start a new job.
Character Rating: Back-Stabbing Co-worker
Reminds Me of: Peter
Survival Rating: High
 

Heather Decksheimer, 23  

Barrhead, AB
Model Agency Coordinator

Fun, out-going, bubbly. Who'd have thunk? Her strategy is basically playing the dumb blonde, although she is actually really, really smart. So she says. Then she goes on to say she fears any challenges that involve math. Does something not add up here? She also does not like overly smart people who throw it in your face. She loves happy people. Aww. Definitely a Heather. Like most Heathers, she is probably easily distracted by bright, shiny objects. Oh and here's another shocker. She has aspirations of being an actress, and is hoping the show will get her started.
Character Rating:Tease
Reminds Me Of: Danielle 
Survival Rating: Medium

Ika Wong, 29

Thornhill, ON
Hair Stylist.

The 3 words Ika chose to describe herself were: extra; witty; and charming. I don't know what the "extra" refers to. Did she mean extra-witty? Or did she hint that she might have some extra body part? She hates chores. She hates cleaning up after other people. She hates nasty people - nose-pickers and booger flickers to be exact. She hates annoying people that don't know they are annoying. She seems annoying. Maybe extra annoying. I think she just doesn't know it yet.
Character Rating: Picky
Reminds Me Of: Liza
Survival Rating: Low

Jon Pardy, 23

Clarenville, NL
Student

Fun, energetic and goofy. He is also messy. This is sure to annoy Ika. He will miss his dog, and he is sure that his dog will miss him. I am sure it will, every time it licks itself. Like most 23 year old students, Jon fears "brain" challenges. He intends to play a social game. Although he is not confrontational, he won't back down in situations either. What is he in it for? Why the experience, of course. It will look great on a resume.
Character Rating: Slacker
Reminds Me Of: Aneal
Survival Rating: High

Kenny Brain, 25

Grand Falls Windsor, NL
Model

Ambitious, confident and intelligent. Just like Jon, he will miss his dog. I kind of think the dog likes Kenny because of the bacon he can hide in that beard. His strategy is to be completely non-threatening, reserved and laid back - an open book. He says he refuses to divulge his sexuality...yes he's gay. If he completely hides this, it WILL hurt his game. If he confides it to people, it will build a lot of trust, form alliances and get him far. He hates messy people. I am sensing some weird dynamic between Kenny, Ika and Jon. He admits that strangely, he gets along with older people.  I vote for Kenny to be the House Guest most likely to hide a couple of bags of cheesies in his beard for when he's on slop. Just kidding. It's a lovely beard, really. Very trendy lately. I just want to say to these guys who sport these type of beards that the North won.
Character Rating:Confidant
Reminds Me Of: Alec
                                                               Survival Rating: High

Kyle Shore, 24

Porter's Lake, NS
Personal Training/Picking-Up-Ladies-Downtown

Jacked, charming and athletic. Yes you read that right. He considers being a womanizer a profession. Fine. Whatever. He's still young and stupid enough to get away with that attitude. But here's the clincher. Shhh, don't tell anybody, but he lives in his Mom's basement. Okay. See, you can look at that two ways. On one hand, you could say "what a friggin loser". Or you could say that he must be good at his so-called job if he can convince these ladies to leave the bar and go with him to the basement. Tell me something Kyle. Do you at least have your own car? Is it your Mom's? Or do you ride your bike to the bars? He wants to win so he can get out of his Mom's basement. Great life plan. So much easier than what most people do. I can't wait for this imbecile to interact with Paul, the motivational speaker. I guess that means if he doesn't win, the only thing left to do is to learn Klingon. This guy has to be most likely to construct a BJ tent (a la Jill and Emmett). 
                                                               Character Rating: Village Idiot (Steroid-Induced)
                                                               Reminds Me Of: Tom and Talla
                                                               Survival Rating: Low

Neda Kalantar, 22

Vancouver, BC
Freelance Fashion Stylist

Blunt, sassy, clumsy. Sounds like Neda is the best attempt by the producers to fill the Talla-esque spot in the cast. Her strategy is to be nice. Awww, isn't that nice. Who can't be nice to nice people? The problem is that nice people don't last long in the game. However, she hates people without manners, so maybe this combined with her self described bluntness might lead to some blow-ups.
Character Rating: Best Work Friend
Reminds Me Of: Talla
Survival Rating: High

Paul Jackson, 43

Toronto, ON
Consultant/Motivational Speaker

Analytical, funny, creative. Hey, wasn't Suzette some sort of Consultant/Motivational Speaker? Didn't she think she was funny too? Here's the thing. More often than not, people who describe themselves as funny are usually the only ones who think so. Or they think they make people laugh, when people are only laughing AT them. His strategy is to bring his life skills to the game. Meh. Probably not the best thing to do. The young ens won't take to that too well. More must-knows about Paul is that he hates whiners and he is a biter. A nail biter that is. This is sure to bug the crap out of everyone. If he lasts that long. He's also a snorer. He's the oldest of the House Guests, and that doesn't bode well for staying power in this game. Maybe it's time to look a bit inward and direct those motivational skills in encouraging yourself to stop the biting. I know how it feels - I've been there. Just stop Paul.
                                                                  Character Rating:Dad
                                                                  Reminds Me Of: Suzette
                                                                  Survival Rating: Low

Rachelle Diamond, 20

Edmonton, AB
Student

Loud, talkative, funny. Sounds like a second Talla wannabe. Rachelle is aware that she tends to be confrontational, so her strategy is to tone it down a bit. She is also planning on being nice. Great, another one who thinks nice people get ahead in the game. The problem is that confrontational people can't keep up the "being nice" facade for very long. She has two pet peeves: girls with squeaky voices, and people who can't use proper grammar. At 20, she is the youngest of the house guests.
Character Rating: Mom's Favorite Child
Reminds Me Of: Jillian
Survival Rating: Medium

Sabrina Abbate, 25

Montreal, QC
Hairdresser/ Make-up Artist

Fun, big-hearted, big-mouthed. Her strategy is to start off under the radar. She hates messy people but it sounds like she might go a bit overboard with it. Actually, she hates "dirty people". She specifically said in her bio that she doesn't like dishtowels being used for both dishes and hand-wiping. She insists on two towels...one for each purpose. Geez. I hope she labels them "Dishes" and "Hands". Well, I guess it would be okay as long as she doesn't have ones that are labelled "Dog" or "Feet". One more thing to know about Sabrina is that she wanted to be on TV ever since she came out of mother's womb. Which of course begs the question, how did she know about TV while in her mother's womb? Was there a TV in there? Was it a TV womb?
Character Rating: Mom
Reminds Me Of: Gary
Survival Rating: Low

Sarah Miller, 32

Osgoode, ON
Mortgage Broker

Fun, out-going, kind. Her strategy is to be kind and likable. Just because she hates mean people and other bullies. She also describes herself as sneaky. Not sneaky as in evil, lying and conniving. Sneaky in a good way. She is a bit of a prankster. Likes to scare people. I presume she really enjoys hiding somewhere, then jumping out and scaring the Bejesus out of them. Personally, I love this. Could be great fun. Or it could backfire. Some people don't take too kindly to it, or she could be accused of spying on her fellow house guests. But she does look like a fun time girl, doesn't she? Yep. And her biggest fear? Pooping with a mic recording the sounds. Love it.
Character Rating: Best Friend
Reminds Me Of: Topaz
Survival Rating: Medium


Got to say, when these people were first introduced, I thought "Oh God, ...bunch of losers". But somewhere between reading the bios and my writing this preview, I think I am getting kind of anxious to see the premiere. They have all grown on me.

***all photos courtesy CNW  http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1313103/big-brother-canada-reveals-season-two-houseguests

The Amazing Race Canada Season 2 NOW CASTING

Well, it's not like we didn't see it coming, but CTV recently announced open casting calls for Season 2 of The Amazing Race Canada.

For Eligibility Requirements, Online Agreement & Release, Video Tips, FAQs and Application, go to www.theamazingracecanadacasting.com

Please read everything very carefully! The deadline to complete the application is December 26, 2013 at 11:59 P.M.

Here are some interesting points:

• Each team may only apply once. Although you may apply multiple times with different partners, they advise you not to, as they are looking for the strongest relationships between team members.
• If you applied for Season 1, and you would like to try again, you must re-apply. They will not review Season 1 applications. They also strongly advise you to make a new video.
• Both team members must possess a valid Canadian Driver's license by March 1, 2014, valid for 6 months from that date.
• Both team members must be 19 years old by April 1st, 2014.
• Both team members must possess a valid Canadian passport by March 1, 2014, valid for 6 months from that date.
• Casting will create a pool of 20 teams. (Translation: they will review thousands of applications, then whittle them down to 20 teams going into the final days before the start of filming. You may even get called to Toronto or to the site of the start line. BUT they probably won't decide until the last possible minute on the finalized cast)

What does this mean? Well, first and foremost, it appears they will be traveling internationally this season - at least partially. In addition to the above points, the requirements also state you must be able to travel within Canada, as well as internationally. I hope they hit at least a couple of provinces they snubbed in Season 1: Manitoba; Prince Edward Island; and New Brunswick. The requirements mention "you, along with approximately 12 other teams". Will they have 13 teams competing? I doubt it. Even the original U.S. series has only 11. But it does give more credence to the show going international...they would need more than 9 teams to have a viable show.

It looks like the earliest date they will begin filming is April 1, 2014. Season 1 began filming May 3, 2013. I don't think they will stray much from that date. One major reason is that Jon Montgomery is competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. GO MONTY!!! He will definitely need a rest. The games end February 28th, so all that info above referring to March 1st, to me is just ridiculous. They will film over a period of 30 days (Season 1 was filmed in 22 days from the start in Niagara Falls to the finish line in Toronto). It's just too much to ask of Monty, especially if they want him to perform the challenges like he did last year - both for the show and as part of the online extras.

If you are applying for Season 2...

Please remember, you aren't just applying...you are being cast to be on a television show. You must stand out and capture the casting agents attention. (read my outline of Jet and Dave's tips below). Also keep in mind that because of the popularity of the first season, and the fact that they are going international in Season 2, you can expect the number of applications to increase significantly. Just a word of warning, the agreement you sign warns you that production is free to portray you in any way they want. We saw a bit of this editing last year: Vanessa and Celina were seen as inexperienced and naive. Brett and Holly were constantly referring to their experiences as doctors helping them in the challenges. Who can forget all the Hol, Hol, Hol? Oh, and if I were you, I wouldn't try to imitate the characterizations we saw in the first season. I think we've seen enough of the Brett and Holly types - if there is such a thing. Besides, there can only ever be one team like Jet and Dave.

Speaking of which, last Friday, Jet and Dave made several appearances on the CTV network. They gave a few tips and also wanted everyone to know that instead of sending them a PS4 for Christmas, they would appreciate a donation to World Vision Canada. Here is a recap of some of their tips on applying:

• There is no winning formula for your application video. Make a smart video - be yourself...the casting agents know fake when they see it. 
• Be "quasi-animated".  You must be a character that people will want to watch each week.
• Hit them with a "boom" in the first 10 seconds. Remember they must go through thousands upon thousands of casting videos, and you must have something to grab their attention quickly.
• Have a "twist ending". Like a movie by M. Knight Shyamalan. I don't know if Jet was just kidding, but I think what he was trying to say is don't let the video peter out at the end in some sort sleep inducing boredom.
• Your video doesn't have to have high production value. It doesn't have to be filmed on first rate equipment - your cell phone will do. You don't have to have a sound track or special effects.

I don't know if they are still on Youtube, but practically all of last year's teams' casting videos were posted there. They may even be on CTV.ca. Look at them for ideas.

If you are fortunate enought o be cast on the show, here are my favourite two tips:

1. Read those clues carefully. Then read them again!
2. Notice all the little things. make notes during your travel and rest periods, and reread them to in effect, memorize them. Do you remenber Season 1 winner Tim Hague Sr. taking his wife's advice about this? Specifically she told him to take note at all the pit-stops. It's the reason the Tim's won. The producers (in all probability) won't be doing the flag/flower thing again in Season 2. You can research final challenges from The Amazing Race U.S. on Wikipedia.

Good luck!!! BUT read the requirements very carefully!!!