There’s always plenty of bombshells that rock The Block. The 2024 season this week had a massive explosion.
After 20 seasons, Nine’s juggernaut reality format qualifies as the biggest show on TV by most measures.
Viewers saw engaged couple from WA, Jesse and Paige, make the decision to leave The Block in order to prioritise their mental health.
In a Block first, a new couple will join the show five weeks into filming to continue the build on House 1. They got the call, dropped everything, and moved to Phillip Island in a matter of days.
The youngest team to ever compete on The Block are sisters from Sydney, Maddy (24) and Charlotte (22).
“Since we can remember we’ve grown up watching The Block with our family, and as kids we dreamed about maybe one day being contestants,” the girls said. “We feel very grateful for the opportunity.”
They may be the youngest team in the history of the show, but they are also among the most experienced contestants when it comes to renovations.
Nine reports that while working in accounting and multiple odd jobs, such as babysitting, tutoring, shifts at McDonald’s, and piano teaching, the duo realised their real passion was for renovating and saved their hard-earned cash to put towards the purchase of a fixer-upper, a shack in Newcastle, when they were 21 and 19 respectively.
“It has taken a lot of sacrifices to get where we are,” Maddy said. “I think our generation believes things come easy, but there is nothing that has come easy with what we have done and achieved.”
Maddy and Charlotte
The shack in Newcastle has since been renovated, subdivided, and sold in 2022. They now have multiple builds on the go, with more planned, while still juggling their odd jobs and working in the family business.
“Our goal is to create a beautiful home that’s welcoming, warm, comfortable and a special place for families to make precious memories,” Charlotte said. “We hope to grow as individuals, push ourselves to our absolute limits, and inspire young people who may also want to pursue a dream or do something very different.”
“We are anticipating the challenges and stresses that are about to come,” Maddy said. “I have no doubt we will struggle and be pushed far out of our comfort zone.”
The girls said they owe it to watching The Block for the inspiration to become renovators, builders and entrepreneurs in their own right.
Maddy and Charlotte’s first week on The Block continues tonight at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.