Ms. Tanya Koivusalo reports

AN UNEXPECTED DOUBLE ELIMINATION SENDS DEBBIE MACDONALD AND KYLE MCKENNA HOME ON CTV'S MASTERCHEF CANADA

It was a night of surprises for BCE Inc.'s Masterchef Canada season 2 top 16 as judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile revealed that two home cooks would be leaving the kitchen following the first mystery box challenge and elimination challenge of the season. Debbie MacDonald, a special needs teacher from Port Hood, N.S., and Kyle McKenna, a bartender from Paradise, N.L., both relinquished their white aprons following the unexpected double elimination. With 14 home cooks remaining, Masterchef Canada returns in two weeks on Sunday, March 1, 2015, at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. CT) on CTV, with the first team challenge, which will be no easy feat, cooking for the acrobats and crew of Cirque du Soleil's show Kurios: A Cabinet of Curiosities.

In the episode aired Feb. 16, 2015, a mystery box challenge had the home cooks using Philadelphia cream cheese, and Jon Hameister-Ries's cream cheese phyllo tarts gave him the win heading into the elimination challenge. Being safe from elimination was not the only advantage Mr. Hameister-Ries received, as he also got to select which of the judges' favourite Asian food cravings the other home cooks would have to prepare; he chose Mr. Claudio's Chinese stir-fry with rice. In the first surprise of the episode, Mr. Hameister-Ries earned the opportunity to save one of his fellow home cooks from elimination and selected David Jorge. Following the elimination challenge, the second surprise was revealed, and Mr. Hameister-Ries received the opportunity to save another home cook, and he chose Jennifer Innis. Andrew Al-Khouri was the winner of the elimination challenge and Line Pelletier took second place, making them both team captains in the next team challenge. In the end, the judges revealed Ms. MacDonald, Mr. McKenna and Kwasi Douglas were in the bottom three, before eliminating Ms. MacDonald and Mr. McKenna.

In the next new episode of Masterchef Canada (Sunday, March 1, 2015, at 7 p.m./8 p.m. CT), the home cooks face their first team challenge, and it requires them to cook a hearty but healthy performance-day lunch for the world-class acrobats, performers and crew of Cirque du Soleil's show Kurios: A Cabinet of Curiosities. Once back in the Masterchef Canada kitchen, the losing team faces the dreaded pressure test, in which they are challenged to master a historic Quebec dish.

The remaining home cooks vying for the title of Masterchef Canada and the $100,000 cash prize are:

• Andrew Al-Khouri, a tax officer from Halifax, N.S.;
• Christopher Siu, a pharmacy student from Markham, Ont.;
• Cody Karey, a recording artist from Vancouver, B.C.;
• David Jorge, a concrete contractor from Surrey, B.C.;
• Debra Pangestu, a public relations officer from Richmond, B.C.;
• Jennifer Innis, a dental hygienist from Vernon, B.C.;
• Jon Hameister-Ries, a former pro football player and financial adviser from Vancouver, B.C.;
• Kevin Gregory, an applications engineer from Fredericton, N.B.;
• Kristen Dwyer, an early childhood educator from Conception Bay South, Nfld.;
• Kwasi Douglas, a community facilitator from Ajax, Ont.;
• Line Pelletier, a Canadian military veteran and computer specialist from Moncton, N.B.;
• Michael Motamedi, an entrepreneur from Toronto, Ont.;
• Sabrina Poirier, an office manager from Montreal, Que.;
• Tammy Wood, a retail clerk from Agassiz, B.C.

Masterchef Canada also streams on demand on CTV Go and the CTV website, and episodes encore following their broadcast premieres on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on M3, Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Two and Sundays at 5 p.m. ET/PT on CTV. Viewers can also enjoy the season 1 cooking all over again, with the full season of Masterchef Canada available exclusively on CraveTV.

The Masterchef format is represented internationally by Shine International, the sales and distribution arm of Shine Group, and is based on a format originally created by Franc Roddam.

Masterchef Canada is produced by Proper Television in association with CTV. The president of Proper Television, Guy O'Sullivan, is executive producer, along with Proper's vice-president and creative director, Cathie James. Shine America's Paula Warwick is creative consultant. For Bell Media, Tina Apostolopoulos is production executive, factual and reality, independent production. Robin Johnston is director, factual and reality, independent production. Corrie Coe is senior vice-president, independent production. Mike Cosentino is senior vice-president, programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is president, CTV, sports and entertainment programming.