The Block’s Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie have spoken out about the vile homophobic abuse they’ve received from trolls online amid their appearances on the popular renovation reality show.
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In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the fan favourites – who have been together for more than 16 years – opened up about coping with abuse on social media, as well as from fellow Blockhead Tanya Guccione.
In case you missed it, Tanya famously referred to the couple as “pigs” during a heated argument on the job site on the series.
“In my life growing up through the ’80s and ’90s as a gay man, I’ve been called worse things,” Mark said of the scathing comment.
“You take it into context. At the time I discussed it with Tanya and asked her thoughts reflecting on it.
“If there being a reference to a pig is the worst thing that I’ve ever been called in my life, I’m doing alright.”
However, despite the “stylish granddads” being viewer favourites since they first appeared on the show back in 2019, it hasn’t stopped some trolls from attacking the couple on social media.
“We still get some people that send us messages that are disgusting, that we are f*****s and we should die,” Mark explained of the shocking abuse they’ve received online.
“In this day and age, that still happens. We still get messages saying that we are disgusting filth and we should die.
“Sometimes I’ve thought, ‘Maybe we should screenshot and share those on our social media?’ Because these people are clearly passionate about us and dislike us so much they would obviously want to share those opinions.”
He continued, “But those trolls are people who hide behind anonymity. You just have to delete and ignore, but it reminds you that in our society that still happens.”
WATCH: The Block 2019: Highs and lows with Mitch and Mark
Amid the duo’s bust-up with Tanya, the latter was seen telling Josh and Luke Packham, “Don’t fight with pigs because you get dirty and they love it.”
When Mitch and Mark demanded an apology from Tanya, she insisted that she had been referring to them as “animals”.
“That was the behaviour, not the person,” she said, adding, “The behaviour was animal-like.
“It was an analogy for the behaviour. It was about everyone. I wasn’t aiming it at you. So I will apologise to you for taking it personally and thinking I was aiming at you,” Tanya said.
Despite their argument, Mark insisted that it’s “water under the bridge” – though revealed he hasn’t spoken to either Tanya or Vito, despite reaching out twice.
“We all say things in the heat of the moment on the show, and if that’s the worst thing that’s been referenced to us, we’ll probably be alright,” he said.
“For me, I’d just like to move on,” he explained. “I haven’t had communication with Tanya and Vito since the show.
“I’ve reached out on a couple of occasions and shared my number, and basically said, ‘Look, whatever has happened is water under the bridge. If we can help you, I’m here. Here’s my number, any time you want to chat’.”
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