Hal and Joanne o Amazing Race Canada
There was no F-bomb.
Fitness guru Joanne McLeod says it was selective editing and creative “bleeping” that made her less-than-sporting response to Brett Burstein sound more profane and outof-the-blue than it actually was on this week’s Amazing Race Canada.
In a conference call after Team Bodybreak was eliminated in Monday’s Regina-based episode, McLeod directly addressed what appeared to be her against-type outburst: telling Burstein to “eff off” after he wished her team good luck following a challenge at Taylor Field.
“I said, ‘get off,’” she insisted. “But through the magic of editing, you can ‘beep’ it and then have ‘off’ and you can let your mind go to wherever it wants to go,” partner Hal Johnson said.
The buzz on social media suggested most people’s minds went to the conclusion that an exhausted McLeod had reached her boiling point when it became increasingly clear that Team Bodybreak was in deep trouble.
They were eventually eliminated, thanks to a disastrous three hours spent in a pit of lentils, injuries that made the football challenge difficult and a U-turn imposed by the Two Tims.
But McLeod insists she was merely telling Burstein to get off the field, a reflection of earlier conflict between the teams that never made it to air. “The things you didn’t see is that Brett had really chastised Joanne, and I had stepped in in Whitehorse,” Johnson says.
“He verbally attacked me in Yellowknife,” McLeod says. “He’s a loose cannon.” Whatever the case, Team Bodybreak remained positive — perhaps even a little cocky — Tuesday morning when chatting about their time spent on Amazing Race Canada.
While Tim Hague Sr. claimed the decision to U-turn Team Bodybreak, which forced the fitness icons to go back and do another challenge on Taylor Field, Johnson insists the move was personal.
The episode also included a challenge at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police training academy, where teams were required to put together a cadet room that met the standards of a discerning inspector. There was also some joyless Ukrainian dancing in front of Regina City Hall before the teams hit Taylor Field, where they could choose between an athletic football challenge or one that required cheerleading. Thanks to the U-turn, Team Bodybreak had to perform both.
“We were physically exhausted, but we also started to lose it mentally,” Johnson says.
Team Bodybreak said they were proud of their accomplishments on the show, although disappointed they were not able to try out upcoming challenges.