Toronto, ON (June 21, 2005) – For the first time, two females have advanced together into the Canadian Idol Top 10. Casey LeBlanc and Emily
Vinette, both 17, are the two newest members of the Top 10, it was announced live on CTV this evening. The two teens emerged victorious after
1.4 million votes were cast after last night’s Top 32 performance episode.
LeBlanc, from Nackawic, NB and Vinette, from Ottawa, ON become the third and fourth competitors to receive the coveted Top 10 positions after 2.1
million watched last night. LeBlanc is New Brunswick’s first-ever Canadian Idol Top 10 competitor. As well, Vinette’s advancement marks
the first time the nation’s capital has produced a Top 10 competitor. The four members of the Canadian Idol Top 10 are now comprised of three females and one male, all 18 years old or younger.
In tonight’s live broadcast, host Ben Mulroney announced that LeBlanc had received the most votes following her performance last night of Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me. Vinette logged the second biggest vote tally for her rendition of Melissa Manchester’s Don’t Cry Out Loud. Never
before have both finalists advancing from the Group of Eight been female. Toronto’s Vince Benenati, 25, fell short of a Top 10 berth with his third-place performance of What a Wonderful World.
Six additional Top 10 competitors will be decided by the Canadian public over the next three weeks. LeBlanc and Vinette join previously announced Top 10 finalists Daryl Brunt (16, from Sudbury, ON) and Ashley Leitao (18, from Burnaby, BC). The finalists return to Canadian Idol on Tuesday,
July 19 in the first live, Top 10 performance show.
Benenati and the other five competitors eliminated tonight still have a shot at the Top 10. Spots in the July 12 Wild Card episode that will determine the final two positions are still up for grabs. Canadian Idol’s third group of Top 32 competitors take to the stage next Tuesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.
Canadian Idol is Canada’s Number One show in all demos. Performance episodes in Season Three are attracting an average audience of 2.2 million
viewers, up 17 per cent compared to 2004.
Credit: CTV
