COURTNEY AND GRANT - THE BLOCK - CHANNEL NINE

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV.

Reload the podcast last week Their Life. Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading on today's episode with Courtney and Grant, two of the latest contestants on the Block, which has been dazzling the audience this year on Channel nine. I'm actually a big fan of this couple's work, and so far I think they are the most likely to win

Hi?

Ben?

Good mate? How are you?

I'm doing really well. I don't know why I'm laughing because I think I think this season's really shocked me in some ways. I think I was like, oh, it's the twentieth anniversary season. You know, there's going to be balloons and party pis and it's all going to be really, you know, sweet and lovely. But it actually is quite a dramatic season. So much drama, so much drama. There's so much for us to talk about today.

Let's do it. Let's do it.

I think the most important question that I have for you is what is watching this show back been like for the both of you? Do you drink a lot of wine? Do you have people come over?

I mean to know, honestly, it's actually been really fun.

Yes we have been one, but like that's nothing new recording okay in a fun way.

Yeah, Look, I think we've been pretty low key the first few weeks.

So well, we've enjoyed watching it. We were nothing but ourselves.

So nothing's really come across and shopped us, if we're honest from what we saw of us, yes, and other things that shopped us.

But I think in some ways, because there's so much happening in the other houses for you guys, we haven't seen as much maybe as what we could have. I think, you know, there's a lot of other things happening. What do you do when you come on screen? Are you excited, like, Hey, this is us? Or are you kind of cringe? Like what I want to know?

Now? We're excited?

So like last night? Was it last night? Yet whenever it was Wednesday, we're watching the episode and it was half an hour in. Like, are we even on the block in twenty what's happening here?

I wasn't sure if they booted, couldn't see it anyway.

They'll edit you in later. I remember doing Big Brother in twenty twelve, and I remember thinking, they eliminate me. Now, no one will remember me.

You need the drama.

You need the drama. So then I just threw drinks in people's faces. How has the Block experience. Grant you kind of did say it, don't it hasn't shocked you. But like in comparison to what you signed up to and what you expected to, what is the finished product now? Like are there shocks in that?

Look?

The only thing that sort of got me by surprise, and I still think.

About it, you know, even here, how quick everything moves on the block. That's the only thing that they really shocked us in terms of watching ourselves back or anything like that. I think Court and I we always said, will come in here and be you know, be ourselves, and you know it will be nothing. But yeah, it defends people. Then it defends people, and if people liked it, will then you.

Know even better. So yeah, that's the only thing I look back and.

Go that I was only surprised by the speed of the twelve weeks.

No, I think that this show is so fast paced. It's also one of the only reality shows that I think is still on television that quite real, Like we're actually capturing a lot of real content where a lot of other shows these days are quite manufactured and set up, where it's real, fly on the wall kind of television.

Yeah, we've been asked for so like what's scripted and what's not.

I'm like, no, no, no, this is this is all real, this is all happening, Like these things are actually happening. The tears are real, the tears are real, all the drama is real. Like it's just you look back now after doing it all, you just think, yeah, it doesn't really seem like it could be real. But it all happens. It all happens very quickly.

Does it change the way you guys talk to each other, because there's a lot of conversation about how the couples this year have like a love language that's quite volatile. And I've been watching it and changing my own behavior with my with my partner because I'm like I was saying to him, I'm like, these people are quite outspoken, you know, And he goes, you talk to me like that, He goes Everyone in Australia talks to their partners like this.

I was thinking about it during filming.

I think I not held back, but think I became a lot more patient because I didn't want to lose my temper all the time.

I feel like you definitely change for better.

But one thing with Cordy and I was and we always you know, it's always been so, even pre block was it's always been a two way street. So if we're arguing, we're both arguing, it's never been you know, we both can give it back. It's just as good as we as we get it. So yeah, some people might find it weird or confronting, but for us it was it's almost healthy.

Yeah, And we still support each other and you know, we laugh more than we're arguing, so it's all healthy.

What was really interesting was when I met the two of you. And this sounds bad because I'm making a comparison. Everyone that day was talking about there being a like some couples going to get a divorce or something, and

We have been told that before, Okay, Grant and I and I've said this before on the show, like we are, We're best friends, like there's no one else we're closer to, and we get each other through and through, and I think that's kind of what got us through the block.

And you know, without that support, Like Grant said.

It's two way and we both support each other through thick and thin.

But yeah, it made us so much stronger.

Definitely, it put you.

Yeah, and I'm sure having kids also has a similar feeling. Like you, it's those really intense moments that make you grow as a person and become closer.

So I feel like the block did that for us.

Yeah, for sure.

Well I may touch into this a little bit later, but I really want to ask you about what sort of preparation, Like I think about if I did the block, what the hell would I be doing? Would I be thinking themes? Would I be doing research? Would I know a kind of guideline as to what I'm going to bring? What did you guys try and do as like homework preparation before turning up in Phillip Island.

Yeah, I mean the hardest thing for us is I think we got told as one of the last couple, so we were told to be days I think days before before we got there, so we had a few things going on work wise and personal and whatnot, so we really didn't even have a chance to breed, to be honest, before we got there. We made you know, a little bit of a plan, but we came in almost very loose.

Not all our trains were confirmed and everything like that.

So in terms of design, we had a bit of a plan.

We knew, I mean, we were already planning on like hopefully building again in the future, so I already had a bit of a mood board, an idea of what we'd want to do then. So we thought we could just do a similar thing on Philip Island. So I came in you know, modern Mediterranean, the Moditerranean term. It was week one will kind of just like I fumbled my words and we came up with that. But each room we had an idea of what we want to do,

The modern Tranean theme is genius though, So I love that you've just revealed to us that you basically fumbled across that well done.

Yeah, no, it really the modern Mediterranean.

We definitely had a vision, but Moditerranean, I mean, I think that was just a fluke immunity, be honest.

Especially, hey we've got Moditerranean.

I think it was at Beaumont Tile the first time, and I.

Was like, we grant.

You were so hilarious because you kept getting corrected at the start, you know, this is the theme they have properly, and then later on we even call it out like I don't know if you've seen that, but later on you're like, oh wow, I just said it correctly. It just rolls off the tongue.

It's converted.

But after watching Stephanjiwn, I'm so surprised that that's the truth of that story because I just imagine, being as as smart as I know you both are, that you must have looked at Japande last year and realized that having a theme like this, having a comprehensive theme that's kind of fresh and exciting works on this series, like the Block, I.

One hundred percent agree, And I think what Stephan Jon did was amazing, Like they built the most amazing house. But I think when you're building anything new, any new house, you always have well, like from experience, like it's always really important to have a style or a theme. Otherwise if you don't, Like I'm one where I'll see something pretty and I'll be like, oh my gosh, I want that. If I don't have that direction, then you can just

It's a great pull through. And I think, yeah, something that's very easy to sell because you've simplified it and it actually really does explain your house in a very simple way, and that kind of pull through works for your branding moving outside of the block later on. That must have been a part of the conversation even if you started having that in the first week. Oh, come on, this is going to be the pool through it. This is going to work.

Yeah, And I think, I mean, we probably didn't and realized how important it was until the judges started giving us feedback and you know, talking about moderterranean and making it, you know, more than what we thought it was. So I think that was really encouraging from them.

I think that there's going to be some rivalry and I don't want to start this, but I just feel like Stephan Gian with their like when I walked through your house, and I may have it and said that to you on the day, like it's so comprehensive. This is the bathrooms, this is the bathrooms version of it, it is the loud rooms version. It's very well done. But there are some nodes that seem like have come

I think what is similar is just the both our houses have that consistent look so in each space, and I think that is really important. Obviously, you've got that term. They had Japane, so they followed that throughout the whole house.

They had that stone.

So with us doing modern Mediterranean right at the beginning, we knew that we would have that same cohesion look as well, although it's obviously a very different style. But I think like other houses had their own direction as well, but then maybe they just didn't permit like what we did made a big thing about it.

Yeah, I mean without saying, you know, this is not a spoiler, because nothing. We don't know how the show ends. I do feel like what you've decided to do in that space of modern Mediterranean is going to win you the show. And I want to know how you feel about audiences already saying that as well, that you guys, you know, are pulling comparisons to seven GWN they're going

If only the judges thought we're going to win it too, because right now we've lost by half a point two. It's a compliment, like we we've obviously you know, we've met Stephan Giann and whatnot, so and obviously we followed their journey last year, so they've done incredible things. No matter what, it's a compliment what happens on auction day. I think we've learned over you know, nineteen seasons and now the twentieth.

That nothing's guaranteed.

We genuinely came on the show to experience something that not many people can say they've done, prove that we could do it and do.

It without maybe losing our shit every two minutes so and just being creative.

I think that's what the main thing was like, We just.

We were ready to build again in our own in our own life, so we thought, well, why not get somebody else to pay for it?

So whatever way, the show ends where you know, we're happy and yeah.

People think we're going to be successful and win it, and obviously that's that's a compliment, but it's nicely.

You don't always do nice things online.

You don't stop reading the comments, Cordney, What is wrong with you? Don't read I have.

To stop stop comments.

Don't read them. You're just as bad ground and both of you need to stay away from that. There's no can I just tell you. There's a very famous quote from Sandra Bullock and she she says, never read the comments section, and then she reads out what she read on the comments section that day, and they were just horrific, Like what, who? Where? Do people feel like? This is what I don't understand if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't get online with your cats and your

Well, I'm hoping maybe at the end of the show you and I can sit down for another podcast and we can read out some of the meanest tweets about me. I've already got the theme it of it suggy because I don't listen to it.

Apparently grumpy reads grumpy comments.

Because you are really grumpy, because then that's one of my favorite grant do you know what it's? So you're so refreshing on this show because there are some moments with you interacting with your builders and things like that where I think some people are like, oh, wow, he's very grumpy, but I just think that's very real. You're just very passionate bloke who says what he's thinking. Isn't it better to be upfront than to, you know, be wishy washy and meek and mild.

What you see is what you get with me. You're only going to get the truth. You know.

I'm not going to be the type of person that goes in comments about something on Facebook or I actually don't.

I hate social media, so I'm on it. Don't get me wrong, but I do hate it.

And you know, if somebody, if I've got a thought about somebody, I'll make sure that they know it.

By the end of the conversation. But you're also very just honest. It's just I've got no time for bullshit.

Yeah, but I feel like you're also very respectful. Until someone obviously disrespects.

Somebody breaks trust or breaks loyalty, they they don't have respect anymore.

Yeah, yeah, pretty pretty much.

Look, I'll give everybody I grew up in, you know, from it in a mind frame where you know, you give everybody respect, you give everybody at the time of day, no matter what. But until you you know, you break loyalty or break trust, then yeah, then that's that all gets thrown out the windows.

To be honest, and you're pretty cut through.

Yeah, pretty yeah.

I don't just love anyone that anyone who takes someone to task. I don't know why. It's my favorite thing. Just just just get the popcorn out because just.

Do it like I love it to come.

Look, grant, I'm not surprised I'm not surprised. I'm here for it. You know, I'm wondering extra large boxes of popcorn.

But you'll need it.

Come on with this with the way you talk to the builders, what do you think about this? Like did you get bad builders? Like what what happened? Like what really has on down to have you at this situation of the show at odds with them?

Yeah, Look, I.

Think if I sat here and said that everything was smooth sailing and it was a great build, they were great builders, and that would be.

An absolute life the TV show.

As we mentioned before, they don't try and bend words or twist words.

It is what it is.

What's shown is what's shown, and obviously it was there was a there was a poor level of professionalism then. And you know, I'm in an industry where, you know, you hold professionalism in high regard. So yeah, I mean, look, it's there was also a part of me, and it's probably wasn't It was probably the only part of me that that wasn't my true self.

I thought I had to.

Be loyal throughout that, you know, throughout the period with the with these builders, so you know.

And that's something I probably should have cut ties with earlier.

And you wanted to see what would play out.

Yeah, I wanted to see what play I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, which I don't often do. I should have should have probably followed my brooper gut instinct that I had in you know, in week one. But you know, it is what it is, you know, Hunt, that's a wonderful thing.

So do you have advice for people that will go on the block out to you about their like, can you do things? Would you do things differently about hiring your builder? And how important is finding a builder that is right for you to work straight away?

It's so important, it really is. Like I think I had doubts from day one with our builders, and I mentioned that to court anyone when we met them, But you know, it is what it is. I would yet definitely suggest that, you know, any future contestants that they meet a few different types of people.

You know, it's really hard you're trying to pick these trades in them all. For us it was in the space of ten days. But I would say, if they.

Do get on the show and they're not happy, make the change quickly because the block happens so fast. You know what feels like a minute is actually you know three weeks, you've just experienced three three poor weeks, or you know, three disappointing weeks where and especially your builders. You other trades here, they come in and out, but your builders are there every single day. So you and when it got to the point where we realized we weren't happy the data data to work with them, so

I think that builders to me, now, my take home is builders are like psychologists, and it takes a while to find the right one.

Yeah, it's so true.

And personalities need to be aligned. There's a few things that need to click into place, you know, Courney, I wanted to ask you about your decision to do this show because it surprised me when I hadn't met you and I read it on paper, because you've really already got a very successful styling business. Forgive me for not knowing the number off the top of my head, but you already had a very large following. So yeah, I was surprised by your desire to come on this show

Look, I guess so my business, like I designed furniture, So I feel like this is in a little bit of a different ballgame. I mean, I've got a background of interiors and styling, so I think it was more for me.

It was, you know, it was a challenge. Could we do it?

I knew, you know, it was a really hard slog.

It also was to follow me.

We never ever, so we're not the type of person like, yeah, were actually what the following the business has, But we never came on the block to boost our exposure, if that makes sense.

So we came on for the challenge.

Yeah, and look, if it does wonders for my business, then that would be amazing.

But you don't want to be known as being influencers.

Yeah, I'm Look, I'm just going to clarify here, Guys, I'm definitely not an influence.

Don't you have like followers or something?

I know, But I feel like that's in a very different ballgame. Like I would love to say I'm a bit of an entrepreneur, you know, I've still got my full time role where I work in the events industry, and.

This is still my side business. So I live a very.

Busy life, and you know, I'm trying to kick start that business. But yeah, i'd say more like content creation in terms of my furniture, that's what I would be, not so much an influencer.

I guess I think that your ideas and your your furniture and your business has the following your personal life doesn't.

That's two separate things.

Yeah, we kept them more of my my life as a business owner. I guess that could be.

Yeah, But granted doesn't help the isn't She kind of looks like Courtney Coxon a way with a power Like. I'm like, that's not That's kind of a handy little side thing to have if you're going to try and have a following.

Looking partner in the relationship. But I think we've realized that that's Courtney while watching us on TV.

No, you're great, you look great. Let's not be creepy about this, grant. But you know, I know some people that are watching the show that you know, they're in the market to buy some Grand T shirts. That's all I'm going to.

Say, to.

Really get the merch out, get it out. Yeah, okay, I was going to talk to you about just go circling back on that love language. I really just felt like maybe I wanted to ask this question. It's very European. The banter that you guys have is the way that you guys communicate. Is that learned behavior from your families? Is that sort of how you your families have always interacted.

Definitely?

Yeah, from my family, I can't say any different, Like it's exactly the way we've always spoken to each other, and very loud, very loud, you know, f bombs and swear words. They get dropped like you know, like no tomorrow, my mom does it. It's just really my dad and my brothers. But it all happens around my mum, so it doesn't. It's never bothered it.

So you know, if you're not like, if you're not joking.

And you're not swearing with somebody, then in my head, you know you're not you don't really get along with them. I somebody will know I don't like them if I don't talk to them. It's as simple as that, And I'm going to know I won't be mean to them. I just got no time for them. Whereas you know, if I like you, I'm joking with you, I'm taking the piss out.

Of you and we're having a laugh like that. But you know, there's no in between. For me. It's definitely the way I grew up. I don't know any different. And some people, some people can be a bit taken aback by that.

And I'm sure there's going to be the Facebook Karen down the track that that hate Grant and hate the way he speaks and sell.

You know, he's bought a line abusive.

I can already see the comments coming in Stuggery and I can't wait. I can't wait to read those timents in twelve weeks with the event, So I can't.

Wait to do that. Seriously, I'm so excited. It's an interesting show as well, because there's so much like there's so much media and you guys, you know this is the show that you're doing. You know, not been on a big show like this. But let me tell you, there is more stories that come out about this show than any other reality series in the country. Someone gave me a stat yes, and I said, more people talk about the blog than they do about marrit at first sight? Wow, Wow,

I mean to let little comments here in there.

We've read comments and things like that that aren't true. And I'm just trying to think if.

The influencer tag, I guess I thought that was a bit untrue, but like, I'm not offended by it. I don't know.

I really try not to read into it too much.

Everything online has been something.

I've been mistaken for Christian A couple of times. I've actually called Christian, make sure you straighten this out. You're the you I told Dan where to go.

It's very different. I do think you apologize that idea.

Your relationship with those two I thought was really funny when I met you in person, like you could genuinely see there's a real connection. Is it fair to say that you connected to them more than the others.

Yeah, I absolutely love Christian.

You know, I'm someone that has less than a handful of mates and two of them and my brothers. So the fact that you know, I met Christian and yeah, he's somebody that I really trust. So we have the best time together. We went through some some shitty weeks and some good weeks. But we've always said at the end when we delivered our last room, we looked at each other and we couldn't have done it without each other.

Yeah, with all four of us, like we were just you know, we supported each other and it's just such a crazy time. I think having people around you like we went on We literally went on the show to say, you know, we're not going to.

Make it when I need a friend, we here to finish it. Yeah, which we got friends to life out of it. Like some of the best memories we've got is you know, to me, firstly, I don't know about Courtney, but you know when obviously you know, mem and Courtney couldn't really lift some of the heavy furniture in the living a dining room, and like, yeah, because Courtney and MEMI just by the best and the best and laced with marble and whatever but Christian would help you.

Yeah, and it was like Christian will come around, he would help me, we'd have a beer.

And this was like at three or four in the morning that I'd go around helped him with his table, you know, and just hope to God that we didn't break anything in the process, because we don't want to be blamed for it. But you know, they're some of the best memories that we had. But no matter how much stressful were under delivering a room on a Saturday night, we'd always make sure that we'd help each.

Other and we both got there so had we had so many lasts. It was so good.

I think that yet to be shown on TV. But my favorite moment of this season that I've seen is Courtney you having a few wines with Mimi, Like, oh my god, like the two of you need your own show.

Like and me, Me and I had the best time when we were driving to like go shopping and see all the different suppliers, and it's such a long drive and we're both very talkative, social people, so it just made life amazing.

I wanted to ask whether or not you as a group, like as a cast, are you in a group chat? Is there a WhatsApp and can you all share what's happening each episode? Is there some banter going on?

We had a group chat through the season, and then obviously we change our phones to our normal phones, and now there's one on there's one on Instagram.

But I feel like it's not as active, like I'll speak.

To I mean the girls, obviously they speak to them quite a bit, and obviously Christian, Ammi, Kylie and like Brad, like we all kind of speak to each other separately.

I'd say I was expecting it to be a little bit more controversial, like we need to publish that as a book at some point, but it's actually not. It's not a group chat for everyone to sort of weigh in on.

No, not really.

Maybe the group chat with me here Christian, me and me that no one can see that one.

I like that as a DVD commentary, you know, back in the day you'd buy a DVD in you'd have the actors like talking about the show. I think Steve, the commentary with the four of you talking about the show would be very.

We've both we both said that we want to go on the block again, but I'll go with me, me and you can go with Christian and you.

Won't have any rooms to style and we'll have rooms that smote be style.

Before you go, I think I should ask you, you know, did you notice yourselves that there was less drama between the houses this year and more drama and tension within the couples, Like was that was that something that consciously was made aware of?

For yeah, I think if though what happened last year, I think and you know, I think maybe next year will be different because it won't be as fresh in everybody's mind.

But I think.

Everybody, you know, we didn't even sit down and talk about this by any means, but I think everyone realized the amount of drama that happened between couples last year. And I don't think any I know, we personally did enjoy watching that part of it. We enjoyed more watching like the bans between Eliza and Liberty and Stephan Gion and things. I thought Leslie was the funniest people ever.

But yeah, you know, I also think in day to day life, like we're not bitches.

Yeah, Grant and I am going to sit there and I would say the same as like the majority of the contestants, like we're very honest. If we have a problem, we'll say it, but we're not going to dwell on it and bitch about it behind anyone's back.

Yeah, I think there is a little Yeah, there is a little bit that comes out throughout the season and whatnot. But yeah, I think everyone's honest and said it to their face from what I understand.

I know we did, you know, whenever, whenever it came up, and I.

Remember carrying that. Mimi was like she heard that someone had written somewhere that she was the villain of the series, and then she was like, I'm not.

I'm not that she is. She is to me, if you're listening, you villains.

I just wonder whether or not when that stuff gets written about in the press, whether it changes who you are on the show. Like I think, you know, it's sometimes disappointing when something like that gets called out while the show is in production, because it may change the way in which people behave.

Yeah, yeah, and I look like these other thingings, like, I mean, the only thing it's different, it's not about what's in production, but I mean, now it's post production and whatnot. But Christian and him being a suppose criminal and he's cutting corners, and you know he's an asshole. He's like one of the nicest pep you've ever come across. He's so genuine with his heart on his sleeve. But really, so you really can't take any of those comments seriously.

Honestly, guys, I had so much fun talking to you too today and I genuinely could talk to you for at least the entire afternoon and Grant.

We should do it again.

I'm circling back. I'm circling back, especially for those mean tweets. I think that's.

Ben like you have no idea about.

I am so ready to do that because I keep screenshotting them, because I'm the top person that I'll read these comments and go here an absolutely, dear, it does not phase me whatsoever. Sit behind your laptop and do what you want to do, so please end of the series. Let's read them.

Out than them in the meantime.

Don't you think it's something great about the fact that you two are watching this show and not taking it too seriously. There's something in that.

Yeah, it's exactly who we are. We're honest when we needed to be honest. We're angry when we needed to be angry, So why are we going to get the ships with that? Right?

And then anyone on Facebook that tries to challenge our room designs, I challenge to come on the block and build a better house because of you won't do it intelligent?

Is someone to a breakdown before we go? Yeah, everyone gets asked this question. What is something from behind the scenes though, something that we as an audience maybe have not had a chance to see, something ridiculous that has happened on the show that we won't see what.

You mentioned challenging, Like I'd still be a PTSD about the master digit. No, the whole Way domain challenge that week was study like that was you know, that was the only time where I've looked around going this is the hardest week.

Gave up.

But I think what people and I was saying, like, you just don't realize how tough the experience is.

It's not even about just the work.

Yes, you're on two hours sleep, you're not eating right, you're not exercising, you're not in a normal like routine. But it's so much more than that. There's just like it's so easy to get a little bit unhinged, and I feel like you're not your best self on this show, Like you're walking like you're a zombie. So I think that's really important for people to see as well. They're like, oh, you know on a Sunday, like why don't you do this? And why do you that?

Like I was really dead?

Why didn't you put the door Why don't you put the doorstop ten centimeters? Shut up?

Parents, fell asleep, Candy.

I've never seen two people look so good that a're so tired. You both always look so great, So I don't know what the secret is. Send me, send me the rest of the how to the moisturizing a good shower, amazing makeup, so over time. But thank you both for being so generous and chatting with me today. It's been a lot of fun and I can't wait to watch this journey and see how it all unfolds. And good luck on the wind. Thank you so Much's see you guys,