Less than 24 hours on from their well-deserved The Block win, Maddy and Charlotte say their achievement “still hasn’t sunk in.”
Speaking with New Idea from Phillip Island where season 20 took place, the Sydney sisters were quick to gush about how appreciative they were for their time on the show, the bonds they formed with their fellow cast members and crew, and the overwhelming levels of support from the Australian public.
But despite their $1.65 windfall at just 25 and 22 years of age, it’s clear their new levels of fame haven’t gotten to their heads as they shared with us just how “grateful” they were for their The Block experience, and the good and the bad that came with it.
“We’re just so grateful for all that we’ve learned. It’s all just so crazy and we are both so excited,” Maddy tells us the morning after the auction aired to millions of viewers across the country.
Despite starting the season a third of the way in after Jesse and Paige made the shock decision to quit, the sisters worked tirelessly to bring their vision for House 1 to life.
And while their predecessors sadly missed out on the opportunity to take home any money from their time on the show, Maddy revealed to us that only moments before our interview Paige had sent through a heartfelt message of congratulations for their win.
“She said that [her and Jesse] were really happy for us,” says Maddy.
As for their fellow blockheads, the girls’ tumultuous relationships with their competitors were a serious point of contention all season long.
Thankfully, in the final weeks of filming all five teams seemed to become closer, bonds of which have only become closer in the months post-filming and pre-auction.
“Everyone is friendly [now]. It’s water under the bridge for us. Life’s too short to hold grudges, we’re friendly with everyone.”
While Maddy and Charlotte it would be “lovely to catch up” with Ricky and Haydn, and Kylie and Brad in the future, they revealed they were especially close with couples Kristian and Mimi and Courtney and Grant and will “really miss” their ‘Block-dad’ Scotty Cam.
While multimillionaire Adrian Portelli had given a strong indication to all five teams that if he rocked up he would be purchasing all five properties, the sisters couldn’t believe how quickly, and how high he bid on their property, especially with them being the fifth and final auction of the day.
“We worked our butts off and we are just so grateful for how it ended,” says Charlotte.
“We just wanted people to see who we are and know that it is far more important to be kind,” Maddy adds.
As for what the future holds, while they would “never say never” to returning to compete on another season of The Block, they have more pressing plans – a holiday!
“We definitely need a holiday and then we will absolutely be purchasing another property to renovate.”
“[And] if we were given the chance to [go on The Block] again, we’d be crazy to say no!.”
