A local family will be featured on CBC’s Family Feud Canada next week.
Samah Othman, her father Abdel, sister Hoda, daughter Yasmeen, and brother-in-law Ahmad have been ardent, long-time fans of Family Feud and have always dreamed of one day being on the show.
“My Dad immigrated 45 years ago from Egypt, and when we first came to Canada one of the first shows that he watched was Family Feud. We would watch it as a family religiously,” Othman said.
This past June, the Othmans decided to send an audition tape to CBC, hoping for a chance to realize their dream. Just days later, they were asked to join a Zoom call with the show's producers.
Show me...OTHMAN FAMILY! YES - we made it on @FamilyFeudCa Season 2 starts on Oct 12. Taped this weekend - it was amazing. Now to watch to see how we did. Sorry, no spoilers. Thanks to the CBC crew for all their work. @gerrydee is awesome! #surveysays watch #FamilyFeudCanada pic.twitter.com/IESOv1DMCj
— Samah Othman 🇨🇦 (@samahothman2) September 21, 2020
After their July 1 virtual audition, the Othmans were asked to provide family photos and were then told they would be contacted in late August if they were successful candidates for the show.
“It was a little nerve-racking. The whole month of August went by and we didn’t hear anything," said Othman.
"All of the sudden, in early September, I got a phone call from a producer from CBC, and she shared with me the great news that our family had been selected for Family Feud Canada,” Othman recalled.
When the Othmans arrived at CBC’s Toronto studios for filming on Sept. 20, they were overcome with emotions and fuelled by adrenaline.
“It’s so much easier playing the game when you are in the comfort of your living room then when you are on the set with lights, cameras, directors and the host standing right there in front of you,” Othman said.
To add to the pressure, Othman is a huge fan of the show's host, Gerry Dee, and felt starstruck while in his presence.
“He is so funny and so cool. He is such an amazing host and such a great person. We were so lucky to meet him,” Othman said.
CBC gave the Othmans an opportunity during the show to highlight their culture as they are the first Egyptian contestants in the history of Family Feud Canada.
“That brought us all together, we shared a memorable family moment that really connected us during times of isolation where it’s easy to feel separated from family,” Othman said.
“It was such a positive experience and something we are going to remember forever.”
One of the most impressive parts of the whole experience for the Othman family was seeing how the producers, directors, and film crew kept all the contestants and the host safe while filming during the pandemic.
The local family was put through COVID-19 testing and spent days in isolation before arriving at the show.
“We really want to thank the CBC crew for all their hard work, especially with the added measures in place due to COVID. They honestly did a great job with physical distancing and keeping the studio clean,” Othman said.
The Tiny Township family is excited for the community to see how they fared on the show - which rules dictate must remain a secret - when it airs Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 pm.