Yellowknife family planning to 'crush it' on Family Feud Canada

Yellowknife family planning to 'crush it' on Family Feud Canada

Team made up of cousins, siblings from N.W.T. and Manitoba to appear on game show in the fall

Some Yellowknifers are in Toronto this long weekend, competing on Family Feud Canada’s eighth season — although it’ll be some time before Team Chanthalangsy's appearance makes it to screens.

The team is led by captain Sousanh Chanthalangsy and includes her husband Alex Bornilla and her cousin Linda Khounkhong, all from Yellowknife, along with cousins Somkid Khoukhong and Bounmee Chantharangsri from Manitoba.

Yellowknife residents may recognize Chanthalangsy and her family, as they run the popular food local truck One of a Thai.

“I am feeling excited, nervous, like my stomach has been in knots for the past few days,” Sousanh Chanthalangsy said, before the weekend. “I’m less nervous because I’m with my family.”

Speaking to CBC News along with Chanthalangsy, Linda Khounkhong said she was looking forward to the experience.

“This is such a positive thing that we can take away, and it’s a lasting memory that we’ll carry with us,” Linda said.

Chanthalangsy said a Family Feud producer reached out to her on Instagram and asked if her family would want to apply to be on the show.

Chanthalangsy said she had "no hesitation."

“Before I even applied, I just made sure I asked my family members … everyone’s like, ‘Yes, let's go!’" Chanthalangsy said.

“I feel like we have this competitive nature,” Linda said. “We’re confident that we’re just going to go and crush it.”

On the show, two families compete to guess popular answers to survey questions asked of 100 people. The grand prize for winning the final "Fast Money" round is $10,000, and a family can defend their title for up to three games, meaning they could come home with up to $30,000 in prize money.

The cousins said the group was practicing answering questions quickly, and working on their strategy as they prepared to tape their appearance in Toronto.

“Basically we watch the show, and we’ll tap the counter and be like, ‘yes, that’s the answer,’” Linda said. “Just hoping that whatever comes to our mind will be the top answer.”

The team discussed strategy as well.

“If it’s easy, we’re going to play, but if it is something that we know is going to be really hard, we’re going to pass,” Chanthalangsy said.

Linda said she hoped the team could put any differences aside during the game.

“Hopefully there won’t be pushback between, especially, the sisters … well with my sister,” she said. “We can butt heads a little bit … but that’s part of the 'feud'!”

Chanthalangsy said Family Feud Canada is a show her family watches “all the time.”

“This is like a dream come true for us to be on this game show,” Chanthalangsy said.

Their episode will air in the fall, when season eight of Family Feud Canada premieres on CBC Television and CBC Gem.

Julia Parrish is a digital associate producer at CBC North in Yellowknife. You can reach her at julia.parrish@cbc.ca