Host : they are the most decorated figure skaters in history. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Host : Good evening and welcome to Tout le monde en parle. At the Olympic games in Pyeongchang, you won gold in ice dance. You won the competition with a World Record. 206.07 points. Congratulations. I think everyone here live, or delayed, has seen your performance. I've personally been following you since Vancouver and it's an honor to have you here. Let's watch a clip of your performance.
*shows clip of THAT lift. y'know*
Host : You usually try to ignore the crowd while performing. Did you manage to do it that night.
Tessa : It was hard to ignore it. I mean, the energy in the building was electric and honestly we weren't quite expecting that kind of a response. There was so many canadian flags in the audience as well which was extremely heartwarming and the support we've received from Canadians but also people internationally has been so touching.
Host : You offered a performance that was extremely sensual. You even modified a move because it seems that you thought it was too filthy. I've named that really pretty move the "get a room" but some specialists on social media named it the cunniliftus. Have you censored something or we saw the original?
Scott: You've embarassed me! You've embarassed me, I'm telling you.
Host : There's only a million people watching. It's just between us.
Tessa : between friends. I mean, we wanted the program to be a little bit risky and there is a sensuality and sexuality that comes with Moulin Rouge. So aesthetically it was kind of in line with the vision we had with the program but we actually didn't think it was that controversial?
Scott : *agrees*
Host : No, controversial isn't the right word. Exciting, magnificent, sensual, are the right words.
Co-host : That's what marked people's spirits.
Host: Expressions such as sexual tension, sultry looks, torrid complicity have been used to describe your performance. Of course, I now have to ask you the question that is on everyone's lips : Do you sharpen your own skates before each competition.
Everyone : *laughs and cheers*
Tessa : I had prepared an answer. *looks at scott*
Scott : What?
Tessa : *in french* No we are not a couple.
Host : *surprised* You're not a couple?
Tessa : Which is my French practice.
Scott : We now have to say we don't sharpen our skates.
Co-host : *laughing* So you're telling us you're breaking up tonight?
Both : *laugh*
Host : Congratulations. Cause you give the impression that you are one and that's important when you work as a duet in sports.
Scott : Well, it's part of our job I think. I mean, we take it as a compliment. Obviously, we like to talk about out relationship, the 20 years partnership, our friendship, so many great ups and downs that we've been through together and we do love each other and we love skating together but at the same time it's our job to tell that story of a man and a woman on the ice. And especially when we're playing character like in Moulin Rouge. Hopefully you did see some of the smoldering gazes and you know, some of those riskier moves because they're all on purpose. At the same time we have personal life that's separate and *in french* it's normal.
Crowd : *awww*
Interviewer : Of course, it's normal, you're not a couple-
Scott : *fist in the air looking at the crowd, all happy* Yaaayyyy!!! (pretty sure he was proud of himself for that little bit of french and the crowd's reaction to him speaking french.) Next time we come on, we're gonna be all in French. Can you believe we've been in Montreal for 18 months and I feel like a bad Canadian. I need to work my French.
One of the other guests on the show : It's hard.
Host : It's true. You live in Montreal now. You've been for 18 months.
Co-host : You still live in Montreal?
Tessa : *in french - side note she looks really cute when she speaks french* I really love Montreal and the Quebecois, the restaurants, the art and especially how cheerful they are.
Host : We'll do a little summary of you two. You were both born in London, Ontario but we're not judging you.
Both : *laughs*
Host : Tessa in 1989, Scott in 1987. You were skating at the same club on your own at first but then together. You started doing competitions in 1998 so you've been skating together for 20 years. Let's watch a little clip of a really moving montage that sums up your career. *shows clip of CBC montage*
Tessa : (i'm not entirely sure but she says something along the line of we were babies)
Co-host : You are great actors because you always seem in love.
Host : Is it true that, at the beginning, you were so shy that you weren't talking when you were on ice?
Scott : Very true. It's one thing that we tell people. we did date but when Tessa was seven and I was nine. And in order to be productive on the ice and to start talking to each other, we had to break up that relationship. So we're nervous to go back because now we have a great relationship and we want to make sure we're protecting it.
Host : In 20 years, you've won 5 olympic medals, 4 World Championships, 3 Four Continents Championships, 8 Canacian Championships. Has it always been an harmonious relationship or you've wanted to know another partner at some point. I'm speaking skating here.
Scott : *laughs*
Tessa : Never did, I ever imagined skating with anyone but Scott.
Interviewer : *laughing* Not even one night? Not even one evening?
Tessa : *laughs* No because to me-
Scott : He's funny. *pointing to the host*
Invertiewer : A one night skate?
Both : laugh.
Scott : one- nah, I can't say that
Tessa : No, everything that we loved about skating was part and parcel was skating with together and we worked really hard on our partnership with counsellors and therapists and sports psychologists and that we really nurtured and we're grateful for that but it's been hard work as well.
Host : In 2010, you won gold in Vancover. 4 years later, you got silver, ending up second behind the american team. It's been told that this second place tasted bitter for you. Why?
Scott : Well, we like to win. It's pretty simple. That's why you have competition. Everybody that goes to that competition wants to come out on top and wants to be olympic champion and if they tell you otherwise, they're liars. Because that's why we all go. When we look back at Sochi though, it's not bittersweet for us. We actually have quite fond memories. It was a great part of our journey. We had four great skates. We came home with two olympic silvers. Actually, it's something we're very, very proud of. Maybe it's a little more fun to come home with two olympic golds like we did last month. But our journey to Sochi and in Sochi, we felt like we were very present. We got to take in a lot of the olympic experience after we were done competing. We went to hockey games, curling, pretty much anything else they let us into and it was a lot of fun. So it wasn't bittersweet. When we came back for 2018, it wasn't because we wanted to get revenge or to settle the score. It was a different part of our journey. Working with Patrice and Marie-France, our coaches, they're Quebecois heroes in my mind, they didn't really have that experience that they wanted to have in 2006. She fell in a lift and was hurt and couldn't finish so it was kind of a different olympic experience for them as well and to have that with them has been extremely special to us.
Host : Now your coaches are Quebecois. Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon.
Scott : *claps as they show a picture of Marie-France and Patrice and the crowd joins him*
Host : You say it's your association with B2Ten that exceeded your expectations especially when it comes to mental preparation. B2Ten are experts in mentoring athletes. So you had your coaches, you had B2Ten. Why did you neglect that aspect of the sport in the past and what did B2Ten did in particular.
Tessa : I think, before, we've developed a team of people around us of experts in various field but we were at the center communication all our information to other team members and with B2Ten, it's an all integrated sports service team, so our mental prep coach, our nutritionist, our massage therapist, our osteopath, everyone is communicating daily and talking about how we can improve as athletes and what we need. It's a very different dynamic and one that I think was the absolute difference maker in our comeback and resulting in our success in Pyeongchang.
Host : We'd never see an NHL coach coach two rival teams but in figure skating, it's possible. Marie-France and Patrice were your coaches but also coaching your closest rivals, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. What are your relations with these skaters. Are they friends, rivals or enemies?
Tessa : We've always loved surrounding ourselves with the best and it's not new territory for us. Our entire career we competed and trained alongside of our rivals so to speak, and with Gabriella and Guillaume we adore their skating. We've been fans of theirs and I think we've kinda pushed each others to new heights. I hope at least that they felt that too. We have such respect for what they've done and what they brought to the ice dance world and we're certainly friendly. We have to be civil and I think Marie-France and Patrice-
Scott : Romain
Tessa : And Romain of creating an inspiring and inspiring atmosphere.
Host : But you're not going to the restaurant with them.
Tessa : Maybe not.
Co-host : When you watch them skate and they make a mistake, you're happy..?
Scott : No, definitely not.
Co-host : Well, you're competitive or you're not.
Scott : We're very competitive but we want to beat them when they're at their best.
Tessa : *agrees*
Scott : And these kids - well, kids - these athletes are fantastic and they're very talented. Like Tessa said, we're huge fans so for us to beat them in 2018 was huge but there's a lot of respect. Every day we watch them train and every day that we get to be on the ice with them, we'd rather be on the ice with them than any other team in our school and that because they're so professional and the energy and motivation they bring us everyday. So no, we don't like to see them make mistakes in competition but we want to win.
Tessa : Well with that Scott reminded me of when we took the ice for the free dance in Pyeongchang we were last to skate. They had set a world record score unbeknownst to us at the time but Scott kept saying this is what we asked for. We're competitors. We want all of the pressure. That kind of on that world's biggest stage, you gotta have to embrace that.
Host : Tessa, you have your own jewelry collection with Hildberg & Berk.
Scott : *applause*
Host : You also joined the Montreal brand Bonlook. You launched a glasses collection. You are now the first Canadian ambassador for Nivea. You clearly have a lot of projects going on.
Co-host : *laughing* leave some for the rest of us.
Tessa : No, it's been really fun. I had to say BonLook was thrilling, that collaboration to a Montreal based company, and it was really carte blanche, whatever I dreamed of, they were ready to create and so it was so fun to go through that design process and sort of delving into the technical elements of what makes eyewear accessible to people and that's what they've done such a phenomenal job. I mean, it can just be a fashion accessory now and anyone can try it.
Host : And you, Scott. What are your projects?
Scott : That's a great question. That's really fun to see all these companies realizing how brilliant Tessa is. I've been kinda hanging on for years to try and keep up with her but I think I'll be more involved in the sport going forward and trying to give back to the younger generation. You know, what we've been so lucky to have, all those opportunities and hopefully, I'll stay kind of involved with B2ten and Patrice and Marie-France. There's a very talented group of skaters coming up. Very talented athletes that are Canadian, that are ice dancers, that are single skaters and do everything we can to support them.
Host : So, if you stay in Montreal, you'll learn French.
Scott : Yes I better move to the East. Yes, I'll come back and speak French.
Host : And it's a language that's so easy to learn. It's a bit like Norwegian. It's easy. These last Olympic games were your swan song. Will you sometimes do professional shows or is it really a retirement for the both of you?
Scott : Well we do.. Skating has changed a little bit so it's not so much amateur and professional where you can still be an amateur and participate in shows like Stars on Ice and do shows across the world. And we're lucky to have a sport where we can have that transition. So maybe it's the end of our amateur skating but we'll be able to skate together and create different kind of art in arenas across the world for at least a couple more years. We'll be starting doing that. That's why we're here in Montreal. We have to create some new numbers for our Stars on Ice tour. We'll be in Japan and then across Canada so that gives us work for at least the next 4 months.
Host : I have another personal question to ask you. Will you have wine with us?
Tessa : Oui!
Scott : How can we say no?
Co-host : Can you read that? *hands them a card*
Tessa : Thank you for the pride and the thrills. You are officially the most beautiful non-couple in Canada.
Scott : Merci.
Host : No but it's real, you really make us want to NOT be in a relationship.
Co-host : Maybe that's the secret! Pretending to be a couple.
At the end, the Host thanks all the guests.
Host : Thanks to Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. We wish them good luck for their post-olympics career and their future non-wedding.