WIPEOUT CANADA CONTESTANTS REVEALED!

- Production begins October 9 on iconic Wipeout set -

ATTN: Editors - A complete list of contestants and their hometowns is available at: canwesttvmedia.com

TORONTO, Oct 4 /CNW/ - Following an extensive search that entailed reviewing almost 45,000 applications, embarking on a three-city audition tour, countless follow-up phone and video interviews plus untold sleepless nights for the producers, TVtropolis and Lone Eagle Entertainment Ltd. today announced the contestants selected to compete on Wipeout Canada.

In all, 260 hopefuls will tackle the famed obstacle course for a shot at $50,000. Originating from every corner of the country -- from the smallest hamlet in the Maritimes to one-horse Prairie towns -- the competitors reflect a colourful cross-section of Canadian culture -- from a lobster fisherman, to a dairy farm herd manager, to a House of Commons messenger!

Editor's note: a list of contestants and their hometowns is available at: www.canwesttvmedia.com

"Working with our producing partners Lone Eagle Entertainment Ltd., we have selected some of the most colourful individuals ever seen on television," said Karen Gelbart, SVP, Content, Lifestyle Channels, Canwest Broadcasting. "We look forward to introducing all of them to viewers this spring."

"There were so many incredible applications, it was a challenge to choose only 260," said Michael Geddes, Executive Producer, Lone Eagle Entertainment. "Ultimately, we were looking for a variety of contestants who were enthusiastic about the show, daring, energetic and proudly Canadian."

Between June 2 and July 1, almost one in every 750 Canadians answered the highly buzzed-about Wipeout Canada questionnaire.  With questions ranging from the silly to the serious, applicants submitted their photos and video links while sharing their stories of adventure and inspiration for an opportunity to win $50,000 and compete on the world's largest obstacle course.

Production of the 13 one-hour episodes of Wipeout Canada, hosted by quick-witted Canadians, Jonathan Torrens and Ennis Esmer and co-hosted by Jessica Phillips, begins on October 9 and runs through to November 3 on the iconic set in Argentina. The production promises to provide the most spectacular and often painfully hilarious spills, face plants and, of course, wipeouts. The 260 contestants will participate in Wipeout Canada, giving 20 contestants in each episode the chance to conquer the course, ultimately leading to the winner -- who will earn the episode's $50,000 grand prize.

For exclusive news, interviews, contests and behind-the-scenes footage and photos, fans are encouraged to join the official Wipeout Canada Facebook fan page at www.Facebook/WipeoutCanada.com.

Wipeout Canada is slated to premiere on TVtropolis in the spring of 2011. The Wipeout format is licensed to Lone Eagle Entertainment and is distributed in Canada by Disney and internationally by Endemol, a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The Canadian format will air on TVtropolis - joining an already robust lineup of hit reality shows including Hoarders, America's Worst Drivers, The Marriage Ref, and Intervention.

WIPEOUT CANADA - BY THE NUMERS

50,000 - dollar amount of the grand prize for each episode
44,619 - total number of Wipeout Canada applicants (1 in every 750 Canadians!)
800 - number of shortlisted applicants interviewed by producers and industry influencers during three-city contestant callback tour
260 - number of Wipeout Canada contestants
129 - female contestants
84 - contestants from Ontario
67 - number of questions on the Wipeout Canada official application form
61 - contestants from Alberta
47 - contestants from British Columbia
30 - number of days Wipeout Canada application process was open (June 2 to July 1)
20 - number of contestants in each episode
16 - contestants from Nova Scotia
15 - number of contestants over the age of 50
13 - contestants from Manitoba
12 - contestants from Saskatchewan
10 - contestants from New Brunswick
4 - number of rounds of competition in each episode: Qualifier, Sweeper, Dizzy Dummies, Wipeout Zone
5 - contestants from Newfoundland & Labrador
5 - contestants from Prince Edward Island
4 - average number of hours entrants spent online, filling in the application, submitting photos and uploading a personalized video
3 - contestants from the Yukon
3 - number of cities producers visited during contestant callback tour: Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver
2 - contestants from Nunavut
1 - contestant from the Northwest Territories
1 - The most common answer to application form question, "How would you use your Wipeout Canada winnings?" Take a vacation
1 - contestant from Botha, Alberta (population - 185)
1 - The wackiest answer to application form question, "How would you use your Wipeout Canada winnings?" Pay for my cat's hysterectomy

About Canwest Broadcasting
Canwest Broadcasting operates Global Television and nineteen of the country's most popular specialty channels, including HGTV, Mystery TV, National Geographic Channel, Showcase, History Television, Food Network and TVtropolis. Canwest Broadcasting is a division of Canwest Media Inc. 

About Canwest Originals
Canwest is the proud home of the most diverse slate of Canadian Original programs across the Dramatic, Lifestyle and Entertainment genres. As a steadfast supporter of the Canadian production community, Canwest is dedicated to bringing the best of the country to audiences nationwide - including shows such as: Rookie Blue, Pitchin' In, Holmes Inspection, Ice Pilots: NWT, Lost Girl, 16:9, The Opener, Princess, William Shatner's Weird or What? and Canada's most trusted entertainment news show Entertainment Tonight Canada. 

About Canwest Media Inc.
Canwest Media Inc. is a subsidiary of Canwest Global Communications Corp. (www.canwest.com), Canada's largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, operating 19 industry-leading specialty channels and having ownership in 5 specialty channels, Canwest is Canada's largest publisher of English language paid daily newspapers and owns and operates more than 80 online properties.

About Lone Eagle Entertainment
Lone Eagle Entertainment Ltd. is an independent production company based in Toronto. Founded in 1996 by Michael Geddes, Lone Eagle develops and produces high-concept television such as the smash hit series Popstars, the #1 rated Canadian series for three consecutive seasons. Lone Eagle has also brought TV audiences Inside the Box, You Bet Your Ass, The Office Temps, The Call, Supermodels, Tribes of the 21st Century and Carlawood. www.loneeagle.tv.

For further information:

For contestant interview request, please contact:
Vanessa Andres
Unit Publicity Coordinator
Holmes Creative Communications
416-628-5612
[email protected]