Hollanov Supreme

Heated Rivalry is basically Everybody Wants Some because… well… everybody does. It is by far the most popular and most viral series of the moment, arguably even more than the final installment of the final season of Stranger Things. Which is why award season wants a piece of it. Of them, of Hollanov, Shane and Ilya, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

Heated Rivalry is not eligible for the current round of awards because of its release date. It was released within the time window for the Emmys but, as it stands, the show is also not eligible for Emmys because it was entirely funded and produced in Canada, although there’s been some speculation that the Television Academy could make a rule adjustment but, whatever, this is not today’s point. Today’s point is that during this award season, on all these award show carpets, the story that everyone wants to talk about is not one of the contenders, it’s Heated Rivalry – mentioned so many times at Critics Choice, both on and off stage, these people can’t keep Hollanov out of their mouths, and that’s why Hudson and Connor are being invited everywhere, not even two months in their fame and already they’re stars among stars. This is not hyperbolic, because even the very minor adjacents attached to this show are being recognised. There was an ETALK cameo in episode four, with our anchor Tyrone Edwards and me. I’m not trying to say that Tyrone is a minor adjacent, just that our moment was all of 15 seconds? And still, when Tyrone was on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, several celebrities actually came up to him excitedly to talk about the scene.

Hudson and Connor are a very big deal, they are being thirsted over by the entire industry, or at least by the people who are putting on shows in the industry. Connor will be co-announcing The Actor nominations (Screen Actors Guild) later today with Janelle James. Hudson will be on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight. And late yesterday The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that both have been confirmed as presenters at the Golden Globes on Sunday. Everyone is trying to involve Heated Rivalry and Hollanov in any way possible. And remember, the series has still not yet premiered in other territories. The show will drop in the UK and Ireland this weekend, on Saturday, on Now which is Sky’s streaming service. So expect another round of promotion, another round of viral moments resulting from their interviews or appearances, and yet another extension of all this hype. More hype than, ahem, the actual sport that they’ve managed to amplify. I’m not sure hockey culture and the National Hockey League deserve the boost they’re getting from Heated Rivalry considering how they’ve treated the queer community in the past. But they’re benefitting, no doubt, from the interest, more interest than they’ve had in years. And ahead of the Olympics too.

Hockey is one of the primetime sports during the Winter Games, and Shane and Ilya both compete at the Olympics on the show. You’ve heard about Shane’s Team Canada fleece? It was designed by costume designer Hanna Pulli (a friend of mine – and yes, I’m boasting a little because I’m proud of her but I’m also sharing this to underscore, yet again, how important the success of Heated Rivalry has been for Canadian talent in front of and behind the camera) and it’s become a viral piece, so many people think her creation should be the actual Team Canada Winter Olympics 2026 zip-up, to the point where there’s a petition, and people who want to buy it for themselves. It’s gorgeous and it looks so soft but it’s also SO Shane, right?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hanna Puley (@hannichka)

So… Hollanov at the Olympics? Will that be one of the next stops? If that’s actually on the table, I hope they show up for figure skating, just like we saw in the Olympic episode and also for women’s hockey, a much more inclusive community.