In a ground-breaking new twist each of the final competitors are fighting for more than just the title, with a $20,000 donation to be made in the winner’s name to a charity of their choice

Mr. D’s Gerry Dee to appear as celebrity guest

After an incredible season of mind-bending challenges and intense competition, Canada’s Smartest Person has crowned five final competitors who will go head to head in the series’ first ever spectacular holiday special finale, airing Sunday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. (8:30NT), on CBC and featuring fan-favourite challenges injected with seasonal spirit.

The show’s classic “Crosswalk” challenge will be transformed into a winter wonderland with falling snow and bustling holiday shoppers making their way across the stage. Special guest and star of CBC’s Mr. D, Gerry Dee, will test the competitors’ social intelligence in the “Lie-Detector” challenge, regaling them with his most over-the-top, hilarious holiday stories, both true and false. The grand-finale known as the “Super Gauntlet” will find the two last competitors in a fast and festive face-off where Christmas trees and snowmen become the key to the ultimate prize, the title of Canada’s Smartest Person. New this season, in the spirit of the holidays, a $20,000 donation will be made to a charity of the winner’s choice.

The five finalists who made it through the season to battle it out in Sunday’s finale are:

Eric Yue, 40, a recreational hockey league commissioner, was the fifth and final competitor to join the champions’ circle. High-energy and always ready to take on a challenge, Eric can’t wait to battle for his chosen charity, the BC Cancer Foundation.

Brittain Bancroft, 30, a mechanic from Minto, NB, is a goofy, friendly and happy-go-lucky powerhouse whose good nature may just lull his competition into complacency. Brittain is hoping to take the win for the The Canadian Red Cross to support their Refugee Crisis Appeal, as he specifically would like to contribute to their efforts to help Syrian refugees.

Maria Samson, 33, a former national team rugby player from Calgary, AB is a passionate sports advocate, with a determined drive to promote sport to young people. To this end she is excited to compete on behalf of Right To Play International, a charity that shares her goal of inspiring youth through sport.

Joshua Williams, 25, a program director from Edmonton, AB, learned personally the power of a helping hand in a young person’s life during his own struggles going from elite athlete and student to homeless youth. He battled his way back and will put that determination to good use in his fight to win on behalf of The Boys and Girls Club of Canada.

Stephanie Harvey, 30, a pro gamer from Quebec City, QC, is nothing if not a focused competitor. The gaming world is tough on women but Stephanie knows how to keep her eye on the prize, which she’ll to do as she competes for her chosen charity, Operation Enfant Soleil, a foundation that raises funds for pediatric care for sick children throughout Quebec.

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Each week on CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON, host Jessi Cruickshank (The Goods), with special guests and judges, guides the competitors and viewers through the hour-long competition series, which illuminates how Canadians are smart based on the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. In each of the first five episodes, six competitors went head-to-head in a series of fun and revealing challenges that test six areas of intelligence: linguistic, physical, musical, visual, social and logical, with one winner advancing to the championship finale. In next week’s climactic season finale, the five finalists will battle it out to claim the title of CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON and a $20,000 donation made in their name to the charity of their choice.

New this season is CSP SmartPlay, where viewers can join in on the fun from home by playing along in real-time during the broadcast, and CSP LIVE, an exclusive behind-the-scenes interactive show, hosted by Joe Motiki and streamed live Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET – both accessible via the CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON Facebook page.

Find CANADA’S SMARTEST PERSON:
Website: cbc.ca/smartestperson
Twitter: @CanadasSmartest #SmartestPerson
Facebook: facebook.com/canadassmartestperson
Instagram: @CanadasSmartest

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About Media Headquarters
Media Headquarters is a leading Canadian television and digital media production company founded by executive producer Robert Cohen. The company is recognized worldwide for producing popular and innovative original content. Media Headquarters’ productions have earned dozens of international awards and the company consistently makes the Realscreen ‘Global 100′ List celebrating the world’s best non-fiction producers. Media Headquarters specializes in the creation of unscripted series, formats, drama and children’s programming. For more information visit mediahqs.net/.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will be at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.

For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre. Follow CBC’s publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

For more information or to request interviews, please contact:
Simon Bassett, publicist
simon.bassett@cbc.ca
416.205.8533

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