Amazing Race aims for teams with ‘relatability’
There’s always a chance a new season of The Amazing Race Canada could end in a dead heat.
Good thing one of the teams competing this summer are undertakers.
Canada’s most-watched homegrown summer series returns for a fifth season tonight on CTV. The network has just announced the 10 teams from all across Canada who will be competing for the grand prize, which includes $250,000, two compact SUVs, and a trip around the world for two.
Among them are Deb and Aaron Baker, a mother and son team from the B.C. border town of Grand Forks. The two funeral directors refer to each other as “last responders.”
They should be easy to spot during the competition: both plan to wear their dark blue funeral attire throughout the entire race.
“Yes, we are running in our suits,” says Deb, 54, who insists she has a fun job. “People come in grieving and for some reason I get them laughing.”
Deb is the second oldest contestant this summer, as teams get younger and stronger.
“We try to make the race harder every year,” says executive producer John Brunton, who feels the new cast truly represents all of Canada. “They’re going to remind viewers of themselves, or of their sons or daughters, older sisters or whoever. Relatability is the key.” Among the other teams: Kenneth McAlpine, 25, and Ryan LaChapelle, 25, best friends from Collingwood, Ont., who call themselves Team Give’r. “That’s us,” says Kenneth. “We give’r all we got, full commitment, 100 per cent.” These two well-travelled surfer dudes will be easy to spot in their Hawaiian shirts. Think of them as mellower, sober Trailer Park Boys.
Karen Richards, 31, and Bert Richards, 36, a married couple from Edmonton, tried to get on Family Feud — they used the game show theme as their wedding song! — until they found out Canadians weren’t eligible. The Amazing Race Canada is probably a better fit anyway, with Bert in the delivery business. He’ll drive and Karen will give forewarning “three streets before.”
Sam Lambert, 25, and Paul Mitskopoulos, 24, are a dating couple from Toronto. “We’ve both always been huge fans of the show, starting with the American version, watching every week with our families,” says Paul, who met Sam on a dating app almost two years ago. “It’s been love ever since.”
Andrea Croxen, 29, and Ebonie Roberge, 29, friends and business partners from Montreal, are exmodels who met when they were 16 at a bridal fashion show. “This is really a year of taking risks for us,” says Ebonie. They launched their own business running fitness retreats in Costa Rica last year.
Megan Burden, 23, and Courtney Roberts, 21, cousins from St. Lunaire-Griquet and Corner Brook, NL. It’s win the Amazing Race or bust for Courtney, who, when asked what she’d do with the grand prize money, answers without hesitation: “I’m probably going to buy fake boobs. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was 10.”