Speaker 1: It's in the news today, but it was actually on
Speaker 1: TV Reload the podcast last week Theylight. Welcome back to
Speaker 1: TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris, and on this
Speaker 1: podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players
Speaker 1: in television. Each episode you will get a front row
Speaker 1: seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, editors, and
Speaker 1: casting agents, plus the talent that we see on our screens.
Speaker 1: TV Reload reloads the shows that you are currently watching
Speaker 1: and gives you a better insight into our television industry
Speaker 1: and our streaming services. Today on the podcast, I'm back
Speaker 1: talking about The Block as I have two more of
Speaker 1: the contestants from Channel nine's latest series. It is the
Speaker 1: much talked about contestants, Sharon and Uncore. This year, the
Speaker 1: Block took a tree change and we have seen more
Speaker 1: drama than any other series before, with five houses situated
Speaker 1: on ten acres of land and weather conditions harsher than
Speaker 1: any season before. It's actually surprising that the contestants have
Speaker 1: an all quick the competition. So is there any wonder
Speaker 1: today we are talking to Sharon and Uncore about their
Speaker 1: tumultuous time on the series. I don't think so. I
Speaker 1: actually quite like them both, as I feel like they're
Speaker 1: very real and make great reality TV contestants. We all
Speaker 1: sit at home and say, oh, they're so ungrateful, but
Speaker 1: we haven't been in their shoes, and no doubt we
Speaker 1: would all throw a tantrum or two. From builders spats
Speaker 1: to picking that big house. There's plenty to unpack and
Speaker 1: we will do just that. So stick around and get
Speaker 1: the goss from the horse's mouth, grab yourself a coffee,
Speaker 1: and Block lovers please enjoy as we welcome Sharon and
Speaker 1: Uncore to TV Reload.
Speaker 2: It's the questions as a result of what's played out
Speaker 2: on TV.
Speaker 3: Met Uncre and Sharon. It's not like us against the world,
Speaker 3: but it can feel like that at times. This is
Speaker 3: going to be the big question mark hanging over the
Speaker 3: season of the Block.
Speaker 2: It's just hard because it's like, where do you stop
Speaker 2: and where do you start with defending yourself.
Speaker 3: I listened to you, you didn't, Yes, you've done to
Speaker 3: compoint you be honest, I want to say it. So
Speaker 3: it was more like, let's do this, Let's get out
Speaker 3: of our comfort zone. You know, there's a lot to
Speaker 3: love here, but they've got to rethink the relationship between
Speaker 3: all these elements the crux.
Speaker 2: So it is like misunderstandings about expectation from the start.
Speaker 1: Hi, guys, how are you both going well?
Speaker 2: How are you going really well? It's lovely to see you.
Speaker 2: How are you?
Speaker 1: I'm doing very well, And I'm going to start off
Speaker 1: by saying congratulations on getting onto the block twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1: I think this has been a massive ride for the
Speaker 1: two of you.
Speaker 3: That's the absolute understatement. But yeah, it's the right of
Speaker 3: our lives, I think right now. So, yeah, amazing experience.
Speaker 3: Amazing is the word for it, positive, negative, whatever, it
Speaker 3: is all wrapped into one. But yeah, going.
Speaker 2: Well and the experience is continuing, hasn't ended yet.
Speaker 1: I need to ask how much therapy will you both
Speaker 1: need after this series?
Speaker 3: Yeah, so if we win any money, I think it's
Speaker 3: all going towards the therapy. Probably. I don't know, I'm
Speaker 3: gooing for my lifetime.
Speaker 2: Probably.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 2: I feel like with you know, just in line with
Speaker 2: what other contestants have said, probably for a little bit
Speaker 2: of time. But it's day by day, isn't it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think, and you come compartmentalize things and you're like, okay,
Speaker 3: this is some reality TV part of it. This is
Speaker 3: the real part of it, and just yeah, see where
Speaker 3: that blurred line leads and how you sit with it
Speaker 3: really because.
Speaker 2: You're essentially reliving it as you're watching it now and
Speaker 2: it's like not what you'll remember sometimes and then you're
Speaker 2: like was that how that was? And it's just a
Speaker 2: massive trip.
Speaker 1: As you would know, it's not a normal experience as well,
Speaker 1: because you know, you guys all lived this a few
Speaker 1: months ago and then having to watch it back. What
Speaker 1: the rest of Australia doesn't understand is that is not normal.
Speaker 1: It's not a normal experience at all, and no one
Speaker 1: else could cope with it either.
Speaker 3: No, that's so it's a big pressure cooker and I think,
Speaker 3: I mean, you go on National TV, so you're going
Speaker 3: to invite opinions from every Tom Dick and Harwry basically,
Speaker 3: So I mean it's as part of it you sort
Speaker 3: of deal with it. But for us, it's been a
Speaker 3: positive experience for our relationship if anything, Like we've definitely
Speaker 3: grown from that point. So yeah, that's the biggest positive
Speaker 3: I take out of it.
Speaker 2: What's interesting is that people truly believe like that forty
Speaker 2: five minutes or an hour whatever they see a couple
Speaker 2: of times a week is all that happens in that
Speaker 2: whole day, and they hold you to account for every
Speaker 2: single word you use, and if you actually think about it,
Speaker 2: obviously we're real people. People say a lot of things
Speaker 2: in the course of a day, and you know they
Speaker 2: can't put everything in an hour episode. So it's an
Speaker 2: interesting one because like you feel like you kind of
Speaker 2: like cop it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm a reality TV fan from the well, some
Speaker 3: of my opinions are go on in my head. They
Speaker 3: have been terrible, and now I'm like what I stand
Speaker 3: on the other.
Speaker 2: Side of it.
Speaker 1: Isn't it amazing what people can read into as well?
Speaker 1: Just the smallest look, the smallest thing you might say,
Speaker 1: the inflection, and then all of a sudden, it's about
Speaker 1: three blog posts deep in what they believe they know
Speaker 1: about you. It's crazy, yes, and then.
Speaker 2: News articles as well, So I mean you you know,
Speaker 2: you know they'd be like, you're resting, bitch face, just
Speaker 2: cut into something else, like where you totally didn't react
Speaker 2: that way. People are like, oh my god, look at her.
Speaker 2: This is what she thinks about them. And it's just
Speaker 2: hard because it's like where do you stop and where
Speaker 2: do you start? With defending yourself, do you bother? Do
Speaker 2: you care? It's all of those kind of thoughts as
Speaker 2: you go through the journey. Its obviously the people that
Speaker 2: love you and know you, they know who you are.
Speaker 2: The problem is is if people form an opinion about you,
Speaker 2: they tend to look for evidence to support that opinion
Speaker 2: and that narrative the whole way through, and it's like,
Speaker 2: can't win them over. And I think the whole thing
Speaker 2: is is you can't please everyone. And if you're someone
Speaker 2: that's used to being liked and being received, well generally
Speaker 2: this is a massive shock, like because you're like, oh
Speaker 2: my god, you're questioning myself. Am I a shit person?
Speaker 3: Like?
Speaker 2: Is that normal? Is that not normal? But we definitely
Speaker 2: just like wear ourselves absolutely under intense, intense pressure. It's
Speaker 2: a pressure coo because for sure we absolutely were, but
Speaker 2: we didn't play the game per se and like hiding
Speaker 2: and unswitching off the microphone and you know, you forget
Speaker 2: that the cameras are there. But it's also like, well,
Speaker 2: that's real life. If you've got to talk about something
Speaker 2: or whatever happened in the day, eventing, that is a
Speaker 2: natural part of life.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what's interesting is like if you go through someone's bone,
Speaker 1: like if you go through your partner's phone. I always
Speaker 1: say to people, you're going to find what you want
Speaker 1: to find, you know. Reality TV is like that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, I mean and yeah that's what people do.
Speaker 3: You get an echo chambers and you support those thoughts. Yeah.
Speaker 2: And the other thing is is like what you forget
Speaker 2: and I forget it too, is just like people they
Speaker 2: get you and the people that are kind of like
Speaker 2: decent and kind of can see through and go, oh,
Speaker 2: that's just entertainment, that's throung whatever. They're not going to
Speaker 2: go to the effort all the time. I do get
Speaker 2: heaps of positive stuff too, but like to tell you
Speaker 2: that it's generally the people that are those negos that
Speaker 2: want to like pick, they're the ones who go to
Speaker 2: the effort and writing and finding you and finding your
Speaker 2: family and just telling you how crappy of the person
Speaker 2: you are. But that's kind of like the minority because
Speaker 2: everyone else is busy enjoying their lives and being happy people,
Speaker 2: so they're not going to be contacting you. Let you know.
Speaker 1: We'll get more into it though. But Sharon, you know
Speaker 1: you've been in a pretty exciting profession being an actress
Speaker 1: and being on shows like Neighbors and playing different roles,
Speaker 1: How does this compare being in front of a camera
Speaker 1: and such a different way.
Speaker 2: Well, I really should have continued playing the role coming
Speaker 2: into this show, but I did not because I was like,
Speaker 2: it's reality. You want reality, let's you know, be real.
Speaker 2: And I thought that this show was going to be
Speaker 2: basically We're going to just be building and renovating the
Speaker 2: whole way through. I didn't really understand the TV production
Speaker 2: aspect of it, and I didn't handle that well at all.
Speaker 2: But it's a completely different thing. So you know, some
Speaker 2: people will say, like, what how do you feel about
Speaker 2: the switch from scripted to reality? Like there was no
Speaker 2: deliberate switch or anything.
Speaker 1: Well, the question I have for your showon is does
Speaker 1: being an actress help in a format like the block?
Speaker 1: Are there any times where you can use those skills
Speaker 1: in a capacity to help yourself in a show like this.
Speaker 2: I suppose some actors would definitely do that if they
Speaker 2: wanted to invoke sympathy or if they wanted to like
Speaker 2: make out that they're not bothered by something. I definitely
Speaker 2: didn't have that restraint, and I definitely didn't play anything
Speaker 2: I did, you know, like people sometimes I did cry
Speaker 2: a lot, obviously, but they were real tears and I
Speaker 2: really went through those emotions. I think I don't think
Speaker 2: necessarily it helps you being an actor in the sense
Speaker 2: of like you're connected to your emotions like quite highly,
Speaker 2: and you say how you feel and all that. It's
Speaker 2: not necessarily always received well. Like I think generally a
Speaker 2: lot of people hold back with what they feel and
Speaker 2: what they say, whereas I'm just it's at the forefront
Speaker 2: and I'm vulnerable all the time and that can come across,
Speaker 2: I suppose as being a winder on this show. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I don't think it helped per se. I wish it did.
Speaker 3: Though.
Speaker 1: Do the fact that you were a recognizable name help
Speaker 1: you get cast? I mean, actually, the better question to
Speaker 1: ask you is how did the block happen for the
Speaker 1: two of you?
Speaker 2: Yeah, so a couple. I think it was just straight
Speaker 2: after COVID time, wasn't it. We watched the block like
Speaker 2: everybody else. To be honest, we weren't massive blockheads. We
Speaker 2: didn't watch it all it's fun because.
Speaker 3: We found it really stressful to watch and I was like,
Speaker 3: there's no way they're building this stuff like that.
Speaker 2: As already inducing whatever, but we watched it during COVID
Speaker 2: time and then we're like, that looks like a really
Speaker 2: fun thing to do and also to learn, like it
Speaker 2: could be a master class in learning how to renovate.
Speaker 2: And we are passionate about design and all that, but
Speaker 2: we've never really had the opportunity to do it. So
Speaker 2: on a whim we just.
Speaker 3: Like applied yeah, and through COVID, I think your busted
Speaker 3: out of that and said let's do something like crazy
Speaker 3: that we wouldn't do before, like because tomorrow is not promised.
Speaker 3: Sounds cliche, but I think COVID showed us that, so
Speaker 3: it was more like, let's do this, let's get out
Speaker 3: of our comfort zone.
Speaker 2: And I think there was a bit of a push
Speaker 2: from Channel nine et cetera to push for a bit
Speaker 2: of diversity and look for that. So I think not
Speaker 2: necessarily that was recognizable, but probably because I was from
Speaker 2: a diverse background that might have helped and for us
Speaker 2: as well, like one of our objectives was really like
Speaker 2: to open this whole media space up like I've done before,
Speaker 2: to our communities and being positive. You have some positive
Speaker 2: role in Australian media where it hasn't necessarily been that way,
Speaker 2: so it kind of like worked both ways. But then
Speaker 2: we didn't really think we were going to get on,
Speaker 2: and then it happened, and then it just snowballed, and
Speaker 2: then we were on, and now we heard.
Speaker 3: It happened so quickly, I was like, what, I just
Speaker 3: started a new job. What am I going to say?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: I remember when I met you, you said this show
Speaker 1: has actually brought you both closer together. Why do you
Speaker 1: think that has been the case?
Speaker 3: I think you just have to rely on what you know, right,
Speaker 3: and you've got each other, and it's like the stability
Speaker 3: that you need on the Block because nothing else is stable, right,
Speaker 3: it was just mayhem going around, so it was just Yeah,
Speaker 3: we had to rely on each other through everything. So
Speaker 3: it's not like us against the world, but it can
Speaker 3: feel like that at times. So I think when you've
Speaker 3: only got that support, it's only going to grow that bond.
Speaker 2: Essentially, it's like we went into isolation again for three months.
Speaker 2: You know, you don't have access that they take your phone,
Speaker 2: so you have the block phone, but you don't really
Speaker 2: talk to your friends like you would.
Speaker 3: You don't have that like time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you don't have time as well, so you
Speaker 2: just literally got each other. But we've been together for
Speaker 2: like fifteen years, so I didn't think we could get closer.
Speaker 2: I didn't think that that could happen, but I feel
Speaker 2: like we did.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. And that was from Keith. Actually he
Speaker 3: goes mate if anything, the only people you can rely
Speaker 3: on in the places yourself. So just make sure you've
Speaker 3: you've got that down pattern you you should navigate it, Okay.
Speaker 2: I will say I'm really proud of Bunks, Like I
Speaker 2: haven't really seen it much on mainstream television before, where
Speaker 2: you know, the husband is so openly supportive and sensitive
Speaker 2: and vulnerable when it comes to speaking about how they
Speaker 2: feel and supporting me. And that's been a lot of
Speaker 2: the feedback we've been getting back is like you know,
Speaker 2: they were made in appearance like the Melbourne Show, and
Speaker 2: like so many people and women are like I'm raising
Speaker 2: two boys and it was so great. It's so great
Speaker 2: to see how he is and how he is with
Speaker 2: you guys, and it's just so supportive. And I think
Speaker 2: that's a great role model to especially in that particular industry.
Speaker 1: Absolutely. I mean there's a lot that goes into producing
Speaker 1: a show like this. Do you think that you've learnt
Speaker 1: a lot about yourself watching this back?
Speaker 3: I mean, yeah, I just look at myself and go,
Speaker 3: how naive is this bloke? Like you're just like walking
Speaker 3: around pretty stunned most of the time. But I think
Speaker 3: my biggest learning for myself is I used to put
Speaker 3: barriers up in my brain and like what I could
Speaker 3: achieve and how hard I could work. And I think
Speaker 3: this just forced me into a completely different realm of
Speaker 3: accepting just letting life come at me instead of worrying
Speaker 3: about the outcome and where you're going and that anxiety
Speaker 3: inducing part of it. Now I'm like, yes, taking my stride.
Speaker 3: The amount of awkward conversations I've had on this show
Speaker 3: is ridiculous, Like it's just a daily occurrence.
Speaker 2: So Fanks never never really liked or dealt with front
Speaker 2: confrontation very well, like before this, and we kind of
Speaker 2: and I'd always kind of be the personality had to
Speaker 2: like do that, but now we have found that it's
Speaker 2: turned the opposite way around. So Alex come out super
Speaker 2: resilient and I'm a little bit like I was taking
Speaker 2: a bit of a step back, But I personally have
Speaker 2: learned a lot about myself, just the way I can
Speaker 2: be really hard of myself, Like I could be really
Speaker 2: hard on myself, and I can see the negative self
Speaker 2: talk of like, you're so crap at this, you don't
Speaker 2: know what you're doing, and I put so much pressure
Speaker 2: on myself. I'm like, God to make the right choice.
Speaker 2: If I don't. And when we don't do well in
Speaker 2: judging and stuff, it's like, oh my god, this is
Speaker 2: so embarrassing and humiliating answers like what did you expect?
Speaker 2: Like we're the ones with no experience. Did you think
Speaker 2: you were going to win every I'm like no, but
Speaker 2: I didn't want to come dead last and have you
Speaker 2: know this kind of negative feedback on whenever. So I
Speaker 2: learned to obviously be kinder to myself and obviously, like
Speaker 2: we all have regrets, and there's I think I shoot,
Speaker 2: I tried to like be I suppose not thorough, but like, yeah,
Speaker 2: compassionate and empathetic in the way that I do things
Speaker 2: and speak. But I definitely feel like I could learn
Speaker 2: from taking a step back and just listening more and
Speaker 2: not just shooting from the hip.
Speaker 1: Out of everyone that's on the show this year, people
Speaker 1: are talking about you guys the most, and before the
Speaker 1: season even started, I heard that you were the best
Speaker 1: casting out of the season. You know, is that interesting
Speaker 1: for people for you to hear that about yourself considering
Speaker 1: that there's been so much talk about you both.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's an interesting one. Like I didn't have a
Speaker 2: producer hat on or whatever or like you know, network
Speaker 2: cut on. When I kind of came into I was like,
Speaker 2: we just want to build a house together. But I
Speaker 2: can see why, Like, you know, I spoke to one
Speaker 2: of the higher upset Channel nine with the upfronts and
Speaker 2: they were like, you know, viewership is up thirty percent
Speaker 2: and a lot of it's distributed to you guys, And
Speaker 2: for me meant to I kind of go, yeah, but
Speaker 2: like at what expense, because like, nobody wants to hear
Speaker 2: anything negative about them. But I have to change my
Speaker 2: mindset in like what the conversations are about the fact
Speaker 2: that we've got people talking about both sides like and
Speaker 2: saying like this and that and what about this and
Speaker 2: wanting to see how we go. And there are definitely
Speaker 2: people cheering us on and people realizing that we're real
Speaker 2: human beings or which we always were. It's been an
Speaker 2: interesting journey to kind of see and like, I don't know,
Speaker 2: it's an awkward thing because it's like I don't like
Speaker 2: seeing anything negative about myself. But then people will be like, oh,
Speaker 2: where any publicity is good publicity, and the fact that
Speaker 2: you guys about they've given it. It goes great. But
Speaker 2: literally every day waking up to some news article about
Speaker 2: us from the episode, I'm like, biggest shit happened in
Speaker 2: that episode? Then what happened with us? But I suppose
Speaker 2: it's clickbait and people are interested, and.
Speaker 3: I just find it surreal. I'm like, what what now?
Speaker 3: What did I say? I don't even remember saying that.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a lot of cringing moments. But I mean, look,
Speaker 3: we've been.
Speaker 2: Told we brought We've brought lot to the show, and
Speaker 2: I will definitely be memorable, that's for sure.
Speaker 1: Well, the executive producer Jules said Sharon that you are
Speaker 1: probably one of the best contestants in the history of
Speaker 1: the Bloc.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Obviously, as a as a producer, you want the
Speaker 3: contestants to be like every decision is like the end
Speaker 3: of the world if it gets goes wrong. Like that
Speaker 3: perspective can get taken away pretty quickly and some of
Speaker 3: the conversations having with Chazzi, she literally thought the world
Speaker 3: would end if like that color was wrong, that was happening,
Speaker 3: this was happening. So she was in that mindset, and
Speaker 3: I think that's what shows like reactive emotional, like all
Speaker 3: of those things.
Speaker 1: You want real people to have real responses, you want
Speaker 1: real meltdowns, and you know, I think there's been a
Speaker 1: fair share of people complaining about your complaining. Has that
Speaker 1: irony been lost on you?
Speaker 2: I totally agree with, Like, I don't know, it's just
Speaker 2: like bending complain, and I think they just people just
Speaker 2: want you to. There's some real Australian mentality of something
Speaker 2: you just suck it up and just what do they
Speaker 2: say full of cement or something. But it's like why
Speaker 2: are they both one or the other? Like can you
Speaker 2: not be grateful the experience but also talk about like
Speaker 2: how it makes you feel. I think we don't really
Speaker 2: talk about how we feel all enough, and so I
Speaker 2: talked about half of that. And also you get asked
Speaker 2: that by producers like how do you feel. I'm like, well,
Speaker 2: this is what's happened, and blah blah blah blah, and
Speaker 2: then it's like.
Speaker 3: You know, Windy Yes, it was hard, mate, Like that's
Speaker 3: that's the crux of it.
Speaker 2: And we're not obviously the only ones. You've said that.
Speaker 2: All the contestants been saying the whole way through. Crew
Speaker 2: have been saying, production have been saying it. So I
Speaker 2: think there's also like a bit of a bias with
Speaker 2: all the privileged actress who's just the.
Speaker 3: Glamor unemployed all the time.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like it's like obviously you're super rich. Not true,
Speaker 2: but like it's come on this show and she doesn't
Speaker 2: deserve this opportunity. That was really hard at the start
Speaker 2: actually when they we had a bit of feedback and
Speaker 2: people just talking and even one of the contestants was like,
Speaker 2: what the for you doing here? You don't deserve to
Speaker 2: be here, Like this is for Ozzie Butler's and it's like, well,
Speaker 2: what's your definition of a NUSSI battler? Like where the
Speaker 2: kids of immigrant parents? We also like this would change
Speaker 2: our lives, like whatever happens that option, like grateful for whatever,
Speaker 2: but this will set us up if we get to that,
Speaker 2: but also this experience yet yeah, but we have a
Speaker 2: right to want to do it too.
Speaker 3: So yeah, but that's what you learn. I mean everyone's
Speaker 3: got an opinion, that's their opinion, and is going to
Speaker 3: be secure in your own self.
Speaker 1: What's worse the judge's critiques or the public's critiques.
Speaker 3: I feel as though as the judge's critique was worse,
Speaker 3: just more impactful because you have given everything in that week.
Speaker 3: You haven't slept for say, like I'm like thirty forty
Speaker 3: hours and you've rolled into judging. You're already on tender hook.
Speaker 3: So I think the impact of that is more than
Speaker 3: the public. I mean the public. You're gonna some people
Speaker 3: love you, some people hate you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously looked like the judges stuff was really like
Speaker 2: it did it hit me?
Speaker 3: Like, you know, every Sunday she was like so anxious
Speaker 3: to roll in there.
Speaker 2: I reckon it would be really cool to like watch
Speaker 2: the judges do it on a screen instead of Scottie
Speaker 2: telling you, because then you can kind of get the
Speaker 2: context of, like in the tone of how they're saying it,
Speaker 2: because sometimes it's not as harsh as what it comes
Speaker 2: across when you watch it. And even we ran into
Speaker 2: Neil the other day, Neil Whittka, and he was just like,
Speaker 2: there's a lot of stuff that you guys didn't hear
Speaker 2: about me saying amazing things about your rooms. I just
Speaker 2: want you to know that, so you know, like that.
Speaker 2: But for me it's also like it's that real weird
Speaker 2: thing of like people don't know you have such strong
Speaker 2: opinion about you. Also they never have the guts to
Speaker 2: say it to your face. You walk down street and
Speaker 2: everybody wants to have a photo with you and they
Speaker 2: love you. But like on social media, which is you know, yuck,
Speaker 2: like then they'll saill that stuff. So for me, I'd
Speaker 2: say the public thing is a bit because it feels
Speaker 2: reputational and it's like, oh, I don't like you know,
Speaker 2: I don't want you to think I'm a digged Yeah I'm.
Speaker 3: Not, you're not.
Speaker 1: The opinion of people on social media is not real.
Speaker 1: It is not the majority, it's the minority. Because the
Speaker 1: people who are going to comment online behind a keyboard,
Speaker 1: they are a certain type of person, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean. For every one person who's going to say
Speaker 1: they hate you, there's going to be ten people that
Speaker 1: love you. They're just not going to get on social
Speaker 1: media and say, hey, Sharon, I think your hair looks
Speaker 1: nice today.
Speaker 2: You know, like you're not going to do They're going
Speaker 2: to tell your lipstick color looks like cow sheep, and
Speaker 2: they're going to tell you, like, I hate it when
Speaker 2: you're always holding your husband's hand. It really pisses me off.
Speaker 2: I'm like, oh you hate love, then, okay, well that's you.
Speaker 2: Obviously wouldn't respond, But.
Speaker 1: More about you, my friend, that it does about us.
Speaker 2: Yes, So did you do you feel like when you
Speaker 2: went through it was a journey too, like to get
Speaker 2: to that conclusion and that inside that you've got now
Speaker 2: or did you feel that straight away? You're like, no, dismissing,
Speaker 2: I'm not even listening to any.
Speaker 1: Of that because my show was a live show and
Speaker 1: it was on Telly and I never saw it, so
Speaker 1: they watched. You have to remember that, like when I
Speaker 1: was in that show. The first few weeks I was
Speaker 1: the headlines, were the most hated reality television contestant in
Speaker 1: the history of Big Brother. You yeah, and then I
Speaker 1: won the show, so you know, look through a drink
Speaker 1: in someone's face, I called someone a bitch. I just
Speaker 1: did all these things and people hated me for it.
Speaker 2: But see I like that too though. It's real right,
Speaker 2: you're yourself and that's you know, and.
Speaker 1: Also for you and how this is going to finish up.
Speaker 1: Because Mitch and Mark you know who turn up on
Speaker 1: the show this you know, this week. It's a really
Speaker 1: interesting experience to see them come back because it reminds
Speaker 1: you of the tumultuous journey that those boys went on
Speaker 1: both times they are on the show, only to come
Speaker 1: out of the end, you know, quite well liked and
Speaker 1: also with you know, three quarters of a million dollars.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that, and everybody did tell us along the way,
Speaker 3: like when we were having our downs, We're like, just
Speaker 3: keep the long game, like it's going to be a
Speaker 3: roller coaster, but yeah, keep that auction date at the
Speaker 3: back of your mind, and yeah, you guys will be fine.
Speaker 3: We're just in the eye of the.
Speaker 1: Storm, I think.
Speaker 2: And the other thing is is like just the family,
Speaker 2: like your mum and dad who get really upset at it,
Speaker 2: like and your you know, your family and your friends
Speaker 2: who're just like, we we haven't love you. We just
Speaker 2: don't get like why and how this is happening and
Speaker 2: all that kind of stuff, And that's that's probably the difficult.
Speaker 2: Then I get embarrassed, and I'm like try to just.
Speaker 3: I don't get embarrassed, like all.
Speaker 2: Of that stuff. But no, that's absolutely great advice.
Speaker 1: For people listening to this. You both in the real
Speaker 1: world not in the television world, are just lovely people
Speaker 1: to have a conversation with you.
Speaker 3: I appreciate that, Thank you.
Speaker 1: And I know people who know the two of you
Speaker 1: as well and also speak highly of you, So they're
Speaker 1: the sorts of things we should be listening to, you know.
Speaker 1: But interestingly enough, look, this week you have talked about
Speaker 1: it in the media about a villain edit. You said
Speaker 1: that you didn't expect it. How did you want to
Speaker 1: come across? Do you have an idea of how you
Speaker 1: wanted to come across and is there a side of
Speaker 1: you that we have been missing?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I just wanted to come across as us like
Speaker 2: who we are, so you know, we're funny, We joke
Speaker 2: around a lot, we laugh a lot.
Speaker 3: We are generally positive people, like even at the time
Speaker 3: like where there's obviously a lot of doubt, but there
Speaker 3: was a lot of vies where we're having great times
Speaker 3: with trades.
Speaker 2: And people, so like you're seeing like at the minute
Speaker 2: stuff going on with our builders, which is two people
Speaker 2: of the whole site like basically and yes, we've had
Speaker 2: our like you know, bargie bargies with Scott Camp but
Speaker 2: we love him and we also love Keith and like,
Speaker 2: you know, that's very much the TV character aspect whatever,
Speaker 2: without building in terms of the real people, like our builders,
Speaker 2: they're the only ones. All the other trades we love,
Speaker 2: you know, beers many catch us many five hits, like
Speaker 2: and we've caught up since like we got along with
Speaker 2: everyone and the contestants and so you know, like that's
Speaker 2: more true reflection of who we are. We're like the
Speaker 2: friends that are reliable. Yes, of course I'm a strong,
Speaker 2: sassy woman, but like you know, it's that's okay to
Speaker 2: be a woman and have an opinion. It's fine.
Speaker 3: We did.
Speaker 2: He's definitely a supportive husband. But I think, yeah, the
Speaker 2: side of us is like the fun side.
Speaker 3: Like it's reality, but it's the completely most weird situation
Speaker 3: to be in, right, So, like we've never been in
Speaker 3: this situation before, so saying how we wanted to be
Speaker 3: portrayed definitely like ourselves, but ourselves in this situation, like
Speaker 3: we didn't know what we were going to be like
Speaker 3: on it anyway.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so yeah, I feel like with the villain edit thing,
Speaker 2: like it was a joke, but like it is, there's
Speaker 2: obviously truth for everything. Like whatever it was more about,
Speaker 2: I just felt like what happens. We all know like
Speaker 2: what reality TV shows are like and how they are,
Speaker 2: and they're telling a story and then you're going to
Speaker 2: find bits that add into the storyline that you know,
Speaker 2: go and push narrative and whatever and our contexts and
Speaker 2: like that sort of stuff. I felt like I was
Speaker 2: a little bit half done behying that, and but then
Speaker 2: I'm trying to accept that it's just a show and
Speaker 2: everyone kind of has the time and that's just how
Speaker 2: it goes, you know, like, yes, it's just a journey
Speaker 2: that I'm trying to like navigate my way through.
Speaker 3: It was all happy days and we were painting a wall.
Speaker 3: No one's going to watch that show, that's it, and
Speaker 3: then that's just what it is.
Speaker 2: The other issue, I think, just the other issue that
Speaker 2: I had with that was the fact that because we
Speaker 2: were like the first like Indians on the show and
Speaker 2: like first time we've been on a like the highest
Speaker 2: rating show in Australia, it's mainstream and it's four times
Speaker 2: a week, there are implications associated with that in the
Speaker 2: sense that people it's new and it would be great
Speaker 2: if they saw us who was happy, go lucky like
Speaker 2: kind of people, because what happened was like when you know,
Speaker 2: different that one side was focused on. I suppose one
Speaker 2: fast side of appisode is it opened us up to
Speaker 2: like horrific you know, racism and like death threats and
Speaker 2: stuff like that, which we were not prepared for because
Speaker 2: it's just a building show for God's sakes, Like it's
Speaker 2: not life or death.
Speaker 3: And like, my honest opinion is that is not to
Speaker 3: pay attention.
Speaker 1: It would be remissive me not to talk about this.
Speaker 1: I mean, the relationship with the Builders has now spilled
Speaker 1: out into the media. Would you say that it would
Speaker 1: you say that there might be a bit of truth
Speaker 1: on both sides of the scale? I mean, how do
Speaker 1: you feel reading this? He said? She said, that's kind
Speaker 1: of played out amongst yourselves and the Builders.
Speaker 2: It's hard because like, yeah, absolutely, like there are there's
Speaker 2: truth to both sides. Obviously, the biggest worst part of
Speaker 2: it was like the stealing of the tiles one hundred
Speaker 2: percent true, like because that he like, and it's not
Speaker 2: both of them, so we should be like be particular
Speaker 2: and specific. I just didn't want to single anyone out,
Speaker 2: particularly but our carpenter. He was the one that actually
Speaker 2: said I want these for my house and as a joke.
Speaker 2: And then next thing I knew a couple weeks later
Speaker 2: in hallway week when it wasn't any sort of tiling
Speaker 2: week and they were bright pink tiles I used in
Speaker 2: my second mate main on spitet room, never going to
Speaker 2: use them again in the house there was no planter
Speaker 2: and we a had omd room done. He ordered those
Speaker 2: and ordered for them to be picked up by him.
Speaker 2: He also got the tilers that we had and lied
Speaker 2: to them and said hey, I need to pick up
Speaker 2: these for Sharon Nunks. Can you give them to me?
Speaker 2: And I had no idea about it. I only found
Speaker 2: out about it when the lady from Beaumont said, hey,
Speaker 2: do you want grout for the tiles.
Speaker 3: That was of a shock, that's a big shock. Yeah,
Speaker 3: she was undermining the relationship that was there. Like if
Speaker 3: they think were lazy or any of that, that's one thing.
Speaker 3: If it's it's different when it's come to.
Speaker 2: And before it played out on television, I told Julian
Speaker 2: like Julian knew about it straight away and we were
Speaker 2: trying to figure out how to handle it and you know,
Speaker 2: but the issues and like a lot of people like
Speaker 2: why wouldn't you get rid of these builders early in
Speaker 2: the piece when they were bitching about you and they
Speaker 2: were trying to get camera tirement saying stuff, And the
Speaker 2: reason is we were looking couldn't get anybody.
Speaker 3: We also didn't know though early days we didn't know
Speaker 3: what they were saying to production, like they didn't know
Speaker 3: what we were saying to production, but that we had
Speaker 3: no idea there was. It was some days it was passive, aggressive,
Speaker 3: some days it was great. So I don't know where
Speaker 3: we sat with it, but also with.
Speaker 2: The truth on their side, Liam definitely worked hard, he
Speaker 2: definitely did. It was more the carpenter chippy who didn't
Speaker 2: Who was the one who wasn't working on Saturday, So
Speaker 2: it was on both of them, it was one in particular.
Speaker 2: And then Lee himself had a conversation with us saying
Speaker 2: because they only worked together for a little bit of time,
Speaker 2: they actually worked together on the outside, that's why they
Speaker 2: came together as package. And he had a conversation with
Speaker 2: us saying, I was really it's really opened my eyes
Speaker 2: to working with Scotti here. I didn't expect that he
Speaker 2: wasn't going to work on Saturdays, and I have to
Speaker 2: think really hard about whether he's going to be in
Speaker 2: my employee when I get out of here. So it's
Speaker 2: hard because everyone was like, you know, and we haven't
Speaker 2: gone out of our way to specifically go and talk
Speaker 2: about it. We get asked questions, but it's questions as
Speaker 2: a result of what's played out on TV. And it
Speaker 2: is really sad we got.
Speaker 3: It because it's a big risk for tradestick come on
Speaker 3: the show also, right, like that's their lively, so we're
Speaker 3: not in the game to ruin anyone's lives.
Speaker 2: These conversations were had behind the scenes before they made
Speaker 2: it to camera to try to solve which you don't see.
Speaker 2: Like even the one earlier in the piece where Im
Speaker 2: texted us at three o'clock in the morning, he admitted
Speaker 2: he was drunk. He sented it, he was angry, whatever,
Speaker 2: that's fine, But I had said to him, I was like,
Speaker 2: in messages block phone, I said, it's better if we
Speaker 2: don't do this on camera because I know that the
Speaker 2: reputations and I don't want you know, they're good guys,
Speaker 2: like I don't want them to have to go through that,
Speaker 2: but he didn't take my advice and then it played
Speaker 2: out on camera and then you know, you don't know
Speaker 2: how he's going to be portrayed. We don't know we're
Speaker 2: going to be portrayed. And basically it's made us all
Speaker 2: look like shit, let's be honest. And for them to
Speaker 2: kind of continue it on in social media posts and
Speaker 2: do that is a bit sad.
Speaker 3: Like I get it they want to defend themselves and that,
Speaker 3: but like the more you talk about these things, the
Speaker 3: more it didn't flames the situation, right.
Speaker 2: So, but also just like trying to cover up the
Speaker 2: biggest thing, which was the titles and whatever and trying
Speaker 2: to say like we knew about it, that is kissing
Speaker 2: me off a little bit. But I but again, like
Speaker 2: only because you've asked me, I'm talking about it, I don't. Yeah,
Speaker 2: it's just really sad, like we've just never been through
Speaker 2: an experience like that before, and unfortunately happens in Australian
Speaker 2: families and when you have renovations and things like that,
Speaker 2: these are the awkward things you go through.
Speaker 3: This is like exactly like one's basically one hundred percent.
Speaker 2: And everybody's under pressure, you know, like everybody's tired, everybody's exhausted.
Speaker 2: Is a big commitment for three months, and we are
Speaker 2: very grateful for their work, like their quality of work
Speaker 2: is great. They seem to just be, you know, annoyed.
Speaker 2: Maybe it is because Chippy worked on two seasons before
Speaker 2: and you know, he's a different expectation than We're different
Speaker 2: contestants to the other ones.
Speaker 3: And we Ronnie loves painting, Like I don't know anybody
Speaker 3: who loves painting that much. I was like, you might
Speaker 3: be a little bit of a psychopath with that uncle.
Speaker 1: He's got to get that energy out somehow, Like he's
Speaker 1: a Rude's got a lot of extra energy going on.
Speaker 1: They get that out on your painting, and we're not
Speaker 1: all the same. I think the best advice for everyone
Speaker 1: at this point is to stay off social media with
Speaker 1: their opinions because we're only halfway through a story being told,
Speaker 1: and you know, you're feeding into an environment that's uncontrollable
Speaker 1: and it can be really hurtful for both sides. So
Speaker 1: it'll be corrects and everyone's for everyone involved to stay
Speaker 1: off it. But here I am asking the question, so people,
Speaker 1: and we're going to.
Speaker 2: Be honest and truthful. This is why we're responding. But
Speaker 2: like we've also got receipts. We don't want to we
Speaker 2: don't want it. We don't want to bring anybody down, like,
Speaker 2: we don't want that, and we never have. Unfortunately, it's
Speaker 2: played out on the show, so now there's commentary around it.
Speaker 3: But yeah, it's true. The more it was about it,
Speaker 3: the more it just.
Speaker 2: I think the crux of it is like misunderstandings about
Speaker 2: expectation from the start, so like and not having that
Speaker 2: communicated and instead talking to producers about it, and then
Speaker 2: it just kind of like snowballed into this thing. So
Speaker 2: they might have expected more from us and we might
Speaker 2: have expected more from them, and then you know, like
Speaker 2: it just was passag and all this kind of crap,
Speaker 2: which gets.
Speaker 1: What about now we are running out of a bad
Speaker 1: of time? But everyone who joins the podcast gets asked
Speaker 1: this question, what's something from behind the scenes that we
Speaker 1: did not see that we will not see throughout the
Speaker 1: rest of the series, kind of a behind the scene
Speaker 1: secret of making the block that you can share with us.
Speaker 2: I've got one. Do you have one?
Speaker 3: No, I've got one.
Speaker 2: Do you have a think? Well, I'll tell this one
Speaker 2: really quickly when we first yeah, when we first had
Speaker 2: when we first moved into House three, and we did
Speaker 2: like the first room. You know, generally like when you
Speaker 2: do all the demo and stuff, there's just beams everywhere
Speaker 2: and you have to walk over the beams and do stuff.
Speaker 2: And we had a portoloo that was like, you know,
Speaker 2: I don't know, it's forty fifty meters away. In the
Speaker 2: middle of the night, aunts would just we through the
Speaker 2: beams pull it out. It was like, so you wouldn't
Speaker 2: have seen that because it's not family.
Speaker 3: Friendly, and you don't see it ever again because I
Speaker 3: saw a go for it.
Speaker 1: That's two contestants now, two chats on this podcast that's
Speaker 1: had the reveal. I mean it's pretty scary. I mean
Speaker 1: I don't know anyone going to the bathroom. That's the
Speaker 1: last thing they want is to be recorded or being recorded.
Speaker 1: Don't worry, no one had seen anyone's Geniti on the
Speaker 1: block this season or any season anytime soon. I just
Speaker 1: want to say, before you both go, thank you so
Speaker 1: much for your time. I have seen your rooms, I've
Speaker 1: seen it all in the flesh, and I absolutely think
Speaker 1: you have done a brilliant job. I think you're both
Speaker 1: gorgeous people. Enjoy the rest of this season because it
Speaker 1: may not ever happen again, and good luck you know.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for your time and support. That's unreal.
Speaker 2: Such a sweetheart. We absolutely loved meeting you when you
Speaker 2: were there and we really appreciate your support now. Thank
Speaker 2: you so much.
Speaker 1: And all the money, because you know we'll talk about
Speaker 1: when you've made three quarters of a million dollars. Then
Speaker 1: you won't care about what anyone.
Speaker 3: Has to say.
Speaker 1: I can turn up with those gigantic overpriced coats and
Speaker 1: wander around.
Speaker 2: About both fair fair.
Speaker 1: Already, guys, Thank
Speaker 2: You, thanks lovely,