The Block’s 2023 winners, Steph and Gian Ottavio, have officially welcomed their first child into the world!
The couple shared the exciting news in a joint Instagram post on November 9, revealing their little girl’s name.
“✨ ILARIA OTTAVIO ✨,” they wrote. “You have changed our lives forever 🥹”
They shared a carousel of photos with their new addition, as well as photos and videos of their family of three.
“Congratulations Family 💕💕💕💕” The Block’s host Shelley Craft wrote.
2024 winners Maddy and Charlotte also congratulated the couple.
“Ohhh she’s just divine 💕,” they wrote. “Congratulations beautiful people! We can’t wait to meet her 🫶🏻”
The Block fan favourites Rachel and Ryan also sent their love.
Months before Ilaria arrived, Steph and Gian hosted a stunning baby shower attended by their closest family and friends.
At the time, they revealed that she was due in October.
Sharing a series of sweet snaps to Instagram from their special day on August 24, the reality stars captioned the post “BABY OTTAVIO IN BLOOM.”
“We can’t wait to meet you, little one – we are so grateful to be surrounded by the love and support of our family and friends,” they continued.
The update comes after their last in June, when they revealed the gender of their unborn baby.
“I can’t wait to meet the mini you ✨✨,” they wrote on Instagram on June 2. “The excitement was real in creating this gender reveal, although don’t worry, as recommended, we washed it straight off! 🙈🌸🩵”
The heartfelt caption was joined by a reel of the couple dipping their hands into paint, blindfolded, and then pressing their handprints onto a wall.
While the video starts off black and white, it then turns to colour with the reveal of pink handprints.
The Block 2023 contestants, Eliza and Liberty were quick to share their excitement about a little girl: “Girlieeeeee 💕💕💕💕Girl gang super strong now (G has 3 wives and a little princess) PS. The paint on the floorboards 🫠.”
Former contestants Alisa & Lysandra also commented and said they “totally knew that it was going to be a girl”.
A family of two becomes three
The childhood sweethearts first announced their baby news in an emotional video shared to Instagram on May 18th.
“The start of our little family, when two become three,✨🍼” the video was captioned.
“We can’t wait to meet you, our beautiful baby Ottavio,🤍” the caption continued.
Eliza and Liberty were quick to offer their congratulations in the comments section, with Eliza and Liberty commenting, “BEST EVER! We can’t wait to be aunties 😍.”
Series villain Kristy Beames followed suit, writing “Beyond happy for you both 🥹🥰♥️.”
Adrian Portelli (aka the man who bought The Block in 2024) also shared his well wishes with the parents-to-be, writing, “Woohooooo, congrats guys. Another helper with the tools. 👏”
The Block 2020 runner-up team, Sarah and George, echoed these sentiments, writing, “Oh, stop, how gorgeous is this! A HUGE congratulations, guys, such an amazing journey ahead for you both. ❤️”
Rachel and Ryan also commented their congratulations: “So excited for you both! So much love xoxoxo.”
Steph and Gian made history in November 2023 when they won a record-breaking $1.75m on the renovation reality show, selling their house to Adrian Portelli for $1.65m and taking home an additional $100,000 in prize money for coming first.
With a reserve of $3.35m, it was an incredible effort for the then newlyweds, who described their auction result as “incredible” and “overwhelming.”
“It was such a surreal day, and to end on such a high like this after all the hard work is amazing. We are so grateful that Adrian Portelli saw something in our house that we love so much. This will change our lives,” the couple shared in a joint statement to Channel Nine at the time.
While they said on the auction say they had “no idea” what they would spend their prize money on, there is no doubt it has set them up for the next exciting chapter in their lives – parenthood!
