Hosted by Brandon Gonez, season two is filled with unpredictable twists and turns as teams travel to Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia
Watch Canada’s Ultimate Challenge Season Two trailer here
March 20, 2024 – CBC today announced the 20 Players who will compete on the second season of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (7x60), the original reality competition format that transforms Canada into a giant obstacle course. Hosted by Canadian broadcaster Brandon Gonez, season two features 20 fierce competitors divided into five teams of four taking on spectacular challenges that put their physical and mental skills to the test. Plenty of unpredictable twists and turns stun the Players and will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Produced by Insight Productions and The Gurin Company, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE debuts Sunday, April 28 beginning at 9 a.m. ET on the free CBC Gem streaming service, and at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC TV.
“The new season of Canada’s Ultimate Challenge features a diverse cast of players. They each bring their own unique energy, skills, and background to their teams; creating exciting and entertaining team dynamics," said Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director, Unscripted Content, CBC. “Viewers will be drawn in by the raw emotions, high-pressure strategizing, and heart-pounding challenges, set against the backdrop of our breathtaking landscapes.”
“We scoured the country to find the toughest, most competitive, and compelling cast for season two," said Erin Brock, EP and Senior Vice President, Insight Productions. "We believe audiences will relate to the players' intense drive to succeed no matter the obstacles, and with the new player-led format - there are no longer coaches - they have the opportunity to more closely follow the dramatic journeys of the authentic and truly extraordinary Canadians featured on the show.”
Beginning in St. John’s, NL and stopping in Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC, Ottawa, ON, Hamilton, ON, Canmore, AB, Revelstoke, BC and Vancouver Island each episode takes place at an awe-inspiring location that showcases the beauty and grandeur of Canada. Host Brandon Gonez guides viewers through the competition, drama, and eliminations as the Players sweat it out across the country. The winning team will receive a trip to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to cheer on Team Canada. Watch the season two trailer here.
Meet the 20 competitors who have stepped up for CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE:
Team Blue
- Angel Anderson (she/her), 42, a scaffolder and former competitive boxer from Winnipeg, MB
- Daniel Ginnane (he/him), 27, a stunt performer and former MMA fighter from Vancouver, BC
- Harvin Sangha (he/him), 27, a correctional officer and professional Kabaddi player from Brampton, ON
- Whitney Beers (she/her), 29, a personal trainer, nutritionist and entrepreneur from Saint John, NB
Team Green
- Darko Boskovic (he/him), 38, a fitness model and coach from Calgary, AB
- Ninko Pangilinan (he/him), 36, a writer, vlogger and personal trainer from Innisfil, ON
- Sandra Wendland (she/her), 41, a real estate agent and fitness trainer from Toronto, ON
- Shasily Matowe (she/her), 31, a fitness trainer and dancer from Edmonton, AB
Team Orange
- Dominic Kehoe (he/him), 43, a pipeliner from Valleyview, AB
- Jacqueline Le (she/her), 31, a wellness coach from Vancouver, BC
- Jenny Laviolette (she/her), 29, a communications advisor and cheerleading coach from Ottawa, ON
- Sandrick Cadet (he/him), 30, a fitness trainer, model and construction worker from Laval, QC
Team Red
- Adam Pike (he/him), 31, a digital creator and former Big Brother Canada Houseguest from St. John’s, NL
- Ayoleka “Leka” Sodade (she/her), 25, a sales executive and former college basketball player from Windsor, ON
- Brandon Rodwell (he/him), 35, a construction worker and amateur motocross rider from Woodstock, ON
- Courtney Copoc-Hopkins (she/her), 32, a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Education Counsellor and former competitive gymnast from Vancouver, B.C.
Team Yellow
- Chassidy Sule (she/her), 23, an office administrator and competitive bodybuilder from Dartmouth, NS
- Paul Kobilke (he/him), 29, a transit worker from Vancouver, BC
- Quinton Maclean (he/him), 29, a Twitch streamer from Oakville, ON
- Shannon Torgerson (she/her), 37, a sheep farmer from Warburg, AB
Season one of CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE has been nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Reality/Competition Series.
Commissioned by CBC, CANADA’S ULTIMATE CHALLENGE is executive produced by Erin Brock, John Brunton, Mark Lysakowski, and Jeff Thrasher for Insight Productions (A Boat Rocker Company) and Phil Gurin for The Gurin Company. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; and Ann-Marie Redmond is Executive in Charge of Production. The format was co-created by CBC and The Gurin Company. International format rights are handled by TGC Global Entertainment.
For all things Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, including team bios, interviews and updates, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/television/canadasultimatechallenge. Follow us on Instagram: @canadasultimatechallenge and Facebook.
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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, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, 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 (A Boat Rocker Company)
Insight Productions is known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts and is Canada’s most established content producer and an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of hit programming. The company has created some of the most dynamic and top-rated programs including The Amazing Race Canada (the most watched Canadian show on record), Big Brother Canada, Stronger Together/Tous Ensemble, Canada’s New Year’s Eve: Countdown, and The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration, a live concert special on CBC watched by one in three Canadians. Insight has also collaborated with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation as executive producers on Every Child Matters: Reconciliation Through Education and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of ground-breaking content. For more information on Insight Productions, please visit www.insighttv.com or on Twitter @insightprod or Facebook at www.facebook.com/InsightProductions
About The Gurin Company
With the world as its market, The Gurin Company is one of the leading independent creators, producers and distributors of non-scripted television, focusing on entertainment, game shows, live events and factual formats. The Gurin Company is led by award-winning Producer/Writer/Creator Phil Gurin, who has won four Prime Time Emmy Awards as an Executive Producer on ABC’s Shark Tank, and an international Rose d’Or (Golden Rose) for the comedy game show Oh Sit!, which he co-created for The CW. His The Singing Bee (NBC/CMT) is one of the Top 30 most produced original formats in the world. He has also produced and written over 3000 hours of television that have been seen in more than 185 countries, and many other formats, including Fridge Wars (CBC, CW and Sat.1), Weakest Link, Lingo, Test The Nation, Candid Camera, Double Dare, Remote Control, Your Chance To Dance, Wanna Bet?, All-New 3’s A Crowd, Make The Grade, Win Lose or Pawn, So You Think You’d Survive, FOX’s New Year’s Eve Live, Women Rock, US Olympic Hall of Fame, KISS: Live, Miss America, Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe. Gurin has Executive Produced 9 NAACP Image Awards and he recently Executive Produced Friday Night Vibes with Tiffany Haddish and Deon Cole for TBS, and Honoring Our Kings: A Celebration of Black Fatherhood starring Oprah Winfrey and Sterling K. Brown for OWN. Gurin is also Co-Chair of FRAPA and serves on the Board of NATPE. He speaks, moderates panels and writes frequently about the world of formats and the international television business. Visit The Gurin Company at: www.gurinco.com.
Media Contacts
Joanna Landsberg (for CBC)
647-628-4788
Gabrielle Free (for Insight Productions)
416-220-0201
Cheryl Clarke at Mushroom Media (for The Gurin Company and TGC Global Entertainment)
+44 (0)7939554109
