Canadian Press

The shark has tanked his bid to be the leader of the federal Conservative Party.

Celebrity businessman Kevin O’Leary has decided to drop out of the race and will throw his support behind Quebec rival Maxime Bernier.

Bernier has scheduled a news conference in Toronto, the venue for tonight’s final leadership debate.

O’Leary, star of reality T-V’s “Shark Tank,” was widely seen as the front-runner, but he lacked support in Quebec and his lack of facility with French was always considered one of his biggest liabilities.

Filed under: Canadian Press, Conservative Party, Kevin O'Leary, local news