It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload, the podcast Past Deep that Mind. Welcome back guys to TV Reload. As you may know, my name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows that you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment, and yet very little is known about how our favorite
shows get made. So each episode I've been finding guests that want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast however you've found me. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a review or a comment on your chosen podcast platform.
On today's podcast, I have House two Queensland's contestants Ash and Leah, arguably the most talked about contestants from The Block twenty twenty three. This series of The Block, we have seen Leah upset Steph in a body corporate, befriend and be unfriended by Christy, take Leslie to task over her backyard budget, and side with Eliza in a green room showdown, all making her one of twenty twenty three's
most memorable reality TV contestants. Ash hasn't exactly sat back either, and I think it was nice to see him supporting his wife. Plus making a real go of their build, which I think has had some of the most character in terms of styling. This chap will give you everything that you could possibly need in terms of unpacking the houses and all the contestants, and I think, if anything, this episode will give you an insight into how to survive a reality TV show when you're a tad polarizing.
I will talk about that fallout with House three, Christy and Brett, and I'll ask if they regret pulling them aside and calling out their behavior. We will then find out their biggest regret and which contestant they wish that they'd had made more of an effort with during filming, and I think that one might surprise you. You will also get Ash's prediction on the final auction and some insight into who is the most different when it came to
being on camera. Plus we will get plenty of exclusives from behind the scenes of The Block twenty twenty three, which has its backyard revealed this Sunday on Channel nine, and you can catch up on nine now if you've fallen just that little bit behind. Anyway, guys, let's bring Ashon Lea into the podcast, and I really hope you enjoy this fascinating and very revealing look at the Block for twenty twenty three. How are you both?
Yeah?
Good?
One good?
Well, that's pretty hectic without the Block, but with kids in the business and lost of stuff and the Block just back, so it's super heavy.
I kind of believe that that's the truth with you too, Like I feel like, you know, while you're on the show, it was quite dramatic and quite engaging, and I kind of feel like you've just picked your life up and put it on the show, Like that's just kind of how your roll.
Oh yeah, we sure every one did that, but we thought we were going on a reality show, and you've had to sort of, don't know, whatever you feel, you showed, whatever you thought you said. We honestly thought that that's how you do it. But evidently I don't think people wanted to do that, but we did.
Leah. I will say to you that you make fantastic reality television because you do what a producer wants you to do, and you turn up and you unpack your bag of shit on television. Whether people love you or hate you, it makes for very authentic and compelling viewing. And so I'm sure the producer, Julian, the executive producer, just loved that you did that.
I mean, yeah, we have heard that a few times from all the higher up producers just saying thank you so much for turning up and not hiding and not putting on a mask. And I think, you know, some viewers might get confused with me, but it's because I'm taking the viewers on a journey of what is going on in my head.
If I'm it's like this big evolution of.
My thought and then I finally reached my final thought. But I've had to take you through all of my you know, all of the other little bits for that I unpacked. So I think, yeah, sometimes people can get a bit confused, and that's where they question me.
But I'm one hundred percent authentic.
There's no way I could have done that without being myself.
Is Leah on the Block for twenty twenty three. Is that just a day in the life for you? Carefore you don't want to end up with a divorce after say no.
If that didn't break this, nothing will break us. So I don't know. We came back and le was why did I think my personality would be safe on National TV?
Like?
What?
And I was like, Maye, you know what. Honestly the whole time, I've just been like, who cares? You can go right into it, And I think it's probably this part of us I reckon harder than actually doing it, watching it and seeing what people are saying and seeing what questions have brought up and that sort of thing. And so answer your question. Lea was later on there and I still love her.
I mean, the general consensus of this series is that it's the most drama filled series of the Block that we've ever seen. When you have watched the Block before, and I'm sure you have, and then you apply, do you feel like you know what you're getting yourself into? Is it one of those situations where you really have to do it to understand the pressures and the confinement that is created by a show like this To bring all of these emotions out of you.
Oh definitely. I mean I think the viewers don't really get it. It's impossible to accurately show what block experience is. And I think every season is a different narrative. I mean, that's progression, right, there's got to be a total spent thing. This season is very dramatic, and I think it has really comes down to the cast. Gosh, we were fiercely competitive and with fierce competitiveness plus no sleep, not eating, away from your family, cameras in your face, your sense.
I mean, for me, I was.
Stand through overload all the time, Like there's two hundred people on site every day. So it was just chaotic, and that's what comes out in the drama.
It is chaotic.
I love asking people what's the most common thing that people come up and say to you on the street, because I remember after a while, people would come up to me and say, you know, oh, you're a bit of a bitch on that show, and I would just look them in the face and say, I dare you to do that show? Like I hadn't eaten, I hadn't slept,
I was under so much pressure. I hadn't seen family in nearly four months, like you do it, And I'm assuming that all of these people that write this stuff online couldn't do a day in the block, you know, So it feels so strange that they feel so compelled to write to you or come up to you in the street and tell you. What do people say to the both of you though? Like, what's the most common thing when you're at the shops or someone comes up and talks to you about the show.
We had a couple at the airport coming home yesterday and they were.
Just like, we love that.
You guys were just straight to the point. Yeah, and then people really like, oh, bring in like parts of the show. They're like a lot of people are invested in it, and they're like, oh, yeah, that's so many people there.
How can I afford that? And I'm like exactly, yeah.
But then you've got all other people on the other hand saying what are they saying that for? But I think probably people like how all we were and they're like, that's how i'd be.
I'd just say it.
We honestly get a lot of positive We've only had positive interactions in the public that was like we love you, and so that is really really lovely, and they're the real people because hate.
They're out of their house, they're.
Not sitting on a computer just being absolute half brained numptyes see people, No.
I will do it there kicking off, we're kicking off.
I will go there.
People that who honestly in their right mind watches an entertainment show and then feels the need to go and say some really disgusting, spiteful, hateful future things.
I mean you, and you're an absolute nobody, one hundred.
Percent ready ready, I was ready one this morning.
This is the problem one sentence this morning with them pulled them pools are so ugly? Why would you put that in the multimoon all house? Which like whatever? And then the next comment was that day beds so expensive?
Why would you put why would she buy that? This one?
Here's two hundred dollars Like it's like you've just said it's a multimillion or the house and you want to put two dred all day Benny.
Yeah, but nothing is adding up nothing. Do not rationalize it, do not try and make sense of it, you know, and let them have that. I mean, the show. This is the one thing I have to fall back on, even no one's watching your show, no one comments. So I've got friends that have been on reality shows that have had no audience and no one's ever said a
bad word to them in their life. By being on one of the number one shows in the country, it has such a big audience that of course you're going to get a few nutters along the way.
And we're okay with that.
I've got nine friends, right, I don't need anymore.
I haven't any got time to spake to them nine.
So haven't you got to go and play golf with them later today?
Yeah? Well, you know.
The seasons of the block started off with this teas that there's going to be queen bees and the status of Queen Bee will change all the time. When you read stuff like that in the media, what do you make of it? You did you think while you were filming that there was a queen bee status and did it change?
Yeah?
No, honestly, I was when you film it, you're only living in your own context and you're experience. So as the show was approaching to be on air, you know, you do read all this media, and oh, I was freaking out. I had no idea of how things were going to transpire because you're not really thinking about it when you're filming, because it's just living in it and you don't know what context they're going to, what they're going.
To portray, and we go so much to the camera, And when I start that, I would just say ourselves, there was no moment's where we were.
We never feel what you mean when you give so much up though you are being yourself, like you know, you're being vulnerable. And I think that that's what the both of you did, which is probably why you've you know, it feels like you've left yourself so open and exposed because both of you were extremely vulnerable. I mean, I just was watching an episode last night Ashen and you were very emotional that that's coming up in the next week, and I I had, honestly, I had tears in my
eyes watching it. And that's really a motive television. And that's a real gift that you both have to be so raw and so honest. I think that's something to be celebrated.
Thank you, you know what you like?
Well, watching the other night and Leah was crying and she was crying herself, crying because.
We lived it and we remember that feeling but it is in life.
But I cry for.
Anyone that's crying on a show. I cry about the news. Honestly, I'm very unmost of the traffic jam Okay, have noticed I'm bloody emotional.
Yeah but yeah, look when you just said that episodes coming up, I'll probably cry on that because but.
Let me just tell you Australia is going to cry with that one. Well. You have to talk about though, that very early on the relationship that you both had with Christy and Brett. You know, it looked like you both were having a lot of fun and I really enjoyed watching what you would say to each other and what you would say about other people. But they got a lot of negative feedback. What did you think about the reaction that was quite negative to that early friendship that you both had.
I don't think there's anyone here that works in an office or any workplace that you sort of have a little work bestie and there are little moments where you might want to vent about a colleague or something like that. It's so natural, especially for women, it is really natural. And to be honest, you never want to be nasty, because that's why you're saying it to your bestie because you just want to quickly have a quick vent, get your emotions out and your thoughts and feelings, and then move on.
So I just I still I think our friendship.
I thought it resonated with a lot of people, but you know, the negativity I suppose they had to pick.
Up on it.
It's also really dirty watching secret conversations play out, even if they are good or bad. This is a reality show, especially in a documentary style. It's really weird being a fly on the wall for conversation. I suppose the negative filter on it, but.
I think that's why.
It's because we say it's playing a great season, and I think.
It has in terms of views.
People are like that and they watch other people like that and then get invested in it and then want to know what happens.
Well, they said that, but that's actually really what I do. But I'm going to go online and be like, what a bitch. You know.
What I'll say about that is what we see in other people that we don't like is usually something that we see in ourselves. Those people that are saying that, you know, they're probably the most savage people with their friends, and we know that they are because they're willing to say that to the world, like they're willing to make those comments publicly, so we can only imagine what that personality archetype would do behind closed doors with their best friend.
And you read all those tiktoks where it's like, you know, it's like a face of someone being like a savage and they're like, this is me with my best friend, you know what I mean. Like that stuff is celebrated almost on social media.
But christ and I've got a lot of heat for it, and everything in the block is so heightened, so your thoughts and what you say, I don't know, I think it can come out. Really it's so not what Christian and I would be like in our real world because you're not in a competition in the real world, you don't have to and I don't even wan in an office space, so I actually don't have colleagues.
That annoy me.
But I do think it's very real.
If you take the concept of it. I think it's relatable. People are just probably failing to see that or wanting to admit it.
But you know, the tension between Eliza and Christy at that point was, you know, the straw that broke the camel's back for the two of you. Well, I guess, in hindsight, do you think that the discussion with House three was fair when your friendship exploded for the viewers and for yourselves.
I guess I was only hearing about these things about House five, like from Christy. She was very, very passionate about them getting extra help and being the whole Channel nine plants and all of that, and I was like, I sort of would listen to it and I'd be like, yeah, I can't see it, but I can probably appreciate you
having that opinion. When it went to that green room, it was so explosive and it was a real crack, and it was very early on in the season, and I'm thinking, oh my god, this is going to ruin the rest of the season. I think the whole group wouldn't even be able to be in the same room with each other. It felt very felt, really serious, and I couldn't understand why Christy and Brett were so angry about it.
They stood their ground so hard, but they did, and.
Then Eliza was really upset, and I think in the time, I just felt really uncomfortable. I didn't want things to get that serious. I thought things were just being like a bit of a joke event, and then when it got to that point, it felt uncomfortable for me. In hindsight, I can one hundred percent appreciate why they did have such strong opinions about it. But you don't get to see the hindsight. You don't get to live with.
A crystal ball.
You don't see things the camera sees so much more than what we see with our eyes.
It was Eliza, though, that told you that you needed to change your relationship with House three. Was there a conversation where she pointed out to you that maybe the relationship you're having with Christy was going to affect you long term. Was there ever a conversation like that.
The conversation that Eliza had with us was on the one on camera where she was starting to say things like, crew don't want to be in their house with the whole trades. You know, they're upsetting trades, and we didn't know any of this, and I'm starting to think, my gosh, there is possibly another side of Christy Brett that I'm not seeing, and I feel really stuck in the middle
of night. We had to just go with what was right, And at that time I didn't want any conflict with the group, so I just thought, Okay, Chrissy, we have to just got to settle this down because it's becoming a bit too much. But no, there was no warning from Eliza about our future, you know.
And then a lot of.
The Christian I break down had a lot to do with that night at the Domain Challenge and me being in the girl's house and she was very very angry about that, and I was like, nah, Cudding, this is too far. This is going to ruin the rest of our experience. And it probably did either way.
I mean, for Ash though, what did you think, I mean, christ and Brett did they overreact? Like, as in, how did you feel did you think from that moment that these two maybe took it a little bit too far?
Yeah?
Look, I think what got lost in that discussion in the kitchen was because they went forward saying that we are just shifting all the blame onto that one hundred percent wasn't there, and it didn't and we didn't even stay that a cat across on camel like that.
So what we're doing.
Was we were saying, hey, collectively, we don't feel good about what's happened. So moving forward, we're just saying that we're coming out and going it wasn't it wasn't great discussion something that stuff we're talking about, we admit fault.
Do you guys want to as well?
Yeah, so you're kind saying them, let's put a pin in this, like, you know, maybe we should press plaus on some of this behavior, But that doesn't mean we need to throw the baby out of the bath water. We could still be mates.
If you want to keep going, you're on your own. But we suggest let's all try and enjoy the last because it was like five weeks. Point of course, it five or four.
Felt still felt like early days. But do you think if you had known that that conversation would have blown up the way that it did, do you think that you could have maybe handled the discussion differently?
Oh, start or I.
Felt like I was in a spinning vortec. I was viraling at this point. I had elias of telling us things that we didn't know.
I had my own interaction.
With Christy at the Domain night where she was really angry with me and then had no remorse the next day.
So I felt incredibly hurt. It was hard for me.
I was in a really confused state, and I think I even said one of the producers as in an interview, it's just going to be bad no matter what.
There was chat that why do we do it on camera and things like that, but you've been on you've been on shot. Yeah, okay, scenario didn't happen on camera. The next day, everything's different. Hey, what's happened with you guys? It's going to come out anyway. So we were sort of.
Like, well, I don't think Christy and Brett realized how much we were taking looking to in our interviews the days leading up to that discussion.
Yeah, of course.
And you know, I think if they realized that, then they would have understood, Oh, producers were following this story. They were they weren't letting us out of their site.
It was Yeah, I think it's fair to say that they were cooking that story as well. Do you know what I mean? Like, if you're a good producer and you can hear that there is some authentic conflict that's about to happen, you're setting up cameras and you're making sure you capture the whole thing.
Oh yeah, Like it was just we never ever went through A producer was like, we're about to do this.
I was just followed.
They could hear my microphone when I was in the toilet talking or when I was on the phone talking, so they were following me no matter what those days leading up, I wasn't out of their site.
And that's not.
A choice of mine. I signed a contract to be on a reality show. I couldn't then say hey, can you give me space?
Do you know what's funny? I will jump in there, Leair and say to you. I think it kind of looks that way because there's plenty of times where you do have conflict with people and just before it starts, you do kind of like look around at the cameras.
So I think that's why people felt like maybe you were bringing the cameras over to it where it's interesting with other contestants when conflict was about to happen, you didn't see that, But I don't know, did you notice that that Sometimes when there's conflict about to happen, you see you kind of walk over and you go, oh, yeah, Leo.
At one point I went to chat to Leslie about something and Leslie was like, it's probably we obviously able to say anymore. But Lea was, Hey, I want to have a chat to you, and Leslie was like, there's four cameras on us.
And Leo was like, yeah, I know always there.
Yeah, you're on reality television.
And she was like, oh, well, it was probably me looking around. I mean, I think there is a lot going on. It's like there's there's two hundred people going around as deliveries.
I don't know if I I absolutely never consciously looked at camerat.
I do look around my.
Eyes always, even now I'm like looking outside.
I don't know, and they've probably just captured all those little facial expressions as they do.
I just think that when it gets made into a movie, Ashaketty needs to play. That's all I'm going to say. I love that some moments in the show where I'm like, oh my god, that's an Ashaketty moment. Yeah, Anina proud moment from Offspring. I was going to say, though, the length that Christy goes to, though, is very unapologetically savage throughout the series, and it kind of is so weird because you guys aren't going back together to try and sort it out. You both just keep building your houses.
How did you feel about now watching it back and seeing some of the sabotages that's been put in place.
I mean, nothing has shocked us through it.
Some people are saying that that was all fake and we just played that well our argument and like the fighting that we did, Like there's people on last night.
I sat fact that this is not that up, like dude, that was did you see man CHRISTI fire?
No, nothing has shocked me with like watching it back. I don't know why.
I think because I saw a lot of her savageness, like in my own conflicts with her, so I knew that we were.
Both just incredibly upset.
I think I showed a more vulnerable side of our conflict. I think deep down she was also equally upset, but she just had the thrill strong mask on and yeah, just went to the revenge style.
I think, you know, as that cold shoulder that you know you both got was you know, you know, when someone makes you feel invisible, sometimes that can be harder, that harder to deal with than words than someone coming for you. Like, how did you feel when House three started to block you guys out hittering that it had been such a dramatic fall from grace from where the friendship was, where you're both sleeping in the same room together.
Like I said, you can see from that argument we had, right, I was like, you look, you know, I was saying, he looks for alsoight glass. And then when I hung back and had a discussion with him after, like Brett stood beside because Brett's like, I on him to work it out, and you know, I was like, I don't. This is my last this is my last little rope
that I'm crying out. And I'm not saying that I'm in charge of anything, but I'm just saying, if you want to try and finish the rest of this and have some kind of like hey, just amicable a little bit. I'm not saying, oh, you come and hang out and let's leave him the same house together and eat dinner together. And I'm just saying because I'm okay, I can not like you as well, but I don't.
It's not me yeah, not like that.
I'm like, hey, mate, haymate to everyone, Like I literally spoke to every single person on that whole work site trading. So one point we a geting that is that was me saying, let's go forward and be friends and chat, not friends, like just be amicable.
Like yeah.
And the thing that annoyed me the most is they were so incredibly angry with House five, with the girls, and yet they made up and moved on and were all happy together. And I was like, why why can't we do the same, Like, why can't we.
Just that kitchen conversation?
It was very difficult, very very difficult, like we were. It shouldn't have been the one and only conversation that we had. I would have hoped that we would have come together that you know, that afternoon and and sort of worked on it a little bit more, and she just never allowed that to happen.
And it was very difficult.
She obviously was very hurt, and then to get you to lead to understand the level of hurt that I think that she was feeling. I think she tried to get you to feel the burn, which I think happens in the real world. Like I think that's what happens to all of us. Sometimes we would love to say to ourselves, let's just grow up a bit, But I think I think it has a lot to do with fear and being uncomfortable. Then we we do that.
And also a very stressful situation.
And I feel like if we were not in the block, just none of the well, obviously none of it would have happened, but I think how we would have dealt with this agreement would be incredibly different to how we dealt with it on the block.
But Lee, I want you to unpack something with me, because what I thought was really interesting was the comments online saying that with you, that your change of heart wasn't real. They doubted your change of heart, and they questioned whether or not your change of heart was to win people over in the other houses. You know that maybe if you call these people out, then your friendship with them would strengthen. Did you think that would be
the case once that confrontation had happened. Did it make it easier for you to have friendships with House one and House Vibe and House four?
Yeah, that's an interesting comment because the viewers only see what you know, what have shown. We had a really great relationship with the girls from day one, and that never was shown. And that's why the green room was hard for me because I was like, I'm friends with House three, but we're also really friends with House five, like we would chat with our kids, FaceTime them, go to them most nights, and visit. So being friends with the others was never a goal of mine.
It just wasn't.
It came down to what was right and what was wrong. We were all for having fun. Once that fun turned really yucky and murky and dirty, almost we're not having fun anymore.
And that's when we had to just ash and I.
Were like, oh God, this is so not a representation of how we would be in the normal world going to when I say it's going to that level of Channel nine plants.
You know, the anger in it was just it was uncomfortable for us.
For me, I know, people who are a bit shit stirrs, like a bit of that sort of sense of humor, so I think that there was a bit of their usual banter. But when it's put on television like that, or when the stakes are as high as that, maybe it's not appropriate, do you know what I mean?
Yeah, the master interviews, the private seats, Yeah yeah.
And because we were like so close, behave, so were the other three houses.
I just want to cause that for a second, because it annoyed me so much that everyone was like, oh, they've got a little click, they've got to click. Hey, new flash go to you.
Guys in any other season or in the editing suite. What happens in shows sometimes is they play those sorts of friendships as the cool group, and you know, with the magic of the editing of that, they could have made that look more sinister than it is.
You know, Yeah, the other contestants would not be able to handle the hate that has been thrown our way.
How would they cope? How do you think the girls would cope if they were experiencing the amount of backlash that you guys have had.
You know, they just and I'm being so honest here, and they would not cope. And I don't think the others realize how easy this could be them. And I don't think the others realize what yeah, House turn House, what we have had to go through.
And there's been no there's just.
Been yeah I will I will add and not that it's the bad thing, but I mean when the cameras were off, it was, yeah, we'd get to a challenge and try we'd sort of chat to them before the challenges on and yeah, I don't know, it's just same like and it's just say like when there was no camera there was They didn't really. It was just different man, Like you come and shout ass off camera and be like this, and then the camera beyond and it'd be exactly the side.
But we didn't. That was off man, understand.
I mean, I can see that. I can see that, you know what I mean? Like, I mean, I'm I've got a podcast about television. I talk about it all day every day. And if we went on a podcast right now, to be in a dark room talking to myself and so I can read through, I can see, you know, read through the lines. Is that what it is? You can see whatever that's saying is whateveryone is between
the lines. I can read the lines, and you can see a with some of the contestants on this show, and then you can see when it is incredibly raw when it has been. And I think that you too, are probably the most authentic on this show. I mean, I think there are contestants as well to come close to that, but I can definitely see that this is just genuinely who you both are.
Yeah, And it's nice you can recognize that as well, because it is hard being vulnerable. We never closed doors and whispered I mean, I've seen so many little snippets of that with the others and I was like, I damn, I wish, I wish we didn't realize that we were the only people.
Not doing that, and that's why there was four cameras in our house all the time. It's got to happen.
It makes good television, you know. Before we move off, Eliza A. Liberty, I just want to say, some of their opinions that have been said, you know, on radio shows and in the media have been quite interesting at times. Do you think that they have been a little bit too savage or maybe a little bit unaware of what everyone else is going through.
Absolutely, I don't know.
They feel like they're really different at the moment a post show in the media and in their interviews, I was like, that's not who you guys were back in the camera, Like, you guys really loved Christie and Brett at the end, you know, after that little conflict, they sort of moved on and we're accepting of each other. And now it's like the tables have really turned and it's almost like they're living through the edit and.
That's what happens. LEA like it's a very clever thing that you've worked out there, and that is, this happens to a lot of people, and I've seen it many times over the years. You lean into the narrative that the public has, and that is because you, especially if you're getting the fan favorite edit, you can't let that go, do you know what I mean? Like you need to become that version of what's being created for you online because it's an addiction. Do you know what I mean?
Like you're addicted to being the fan favorite kind of thing, do you know what I mean?
It's upsetting that they're not remembering their own experience with us and or with you know, with everyone, and it's almost like they sometimes I've seen them word for word quote a comment. It's like a hater's comment, and they've made it into their own opinion. It is very hurtful, and I don't think other people can realize that there's a whole another experience that we have to now go through.
Some people don't ever come back from it. I've known I'm not going to say this person's name because it's not fair, but I know someone who was on a reality series maybe fifteen years ago, and I knew them before and I watched them on the show, and then they became a version for the rest of their life
of what the general public thought of them. And that is a really hard thing to do to yourself, because if you are becoming a version of what you think other people see you as, you're not being true to yourself, and that must be an incredibly claustrophobic thing to do to yourself.
Maybe in hindsight, some of the others might think, oh, if I could have my chance again, maybe I'd be more more vulnerable, more open, unpack all those thoughts, because we knew that going on this show, we're going to show that our raw experience, whether that be good or it's very difficult, but we can stand here today and say, no, we were ourselves, and that means going on a path that we're not proud of. And then it's going on a path that we can quickly, you know, rectify and
come back to ourselves. And then there's also so much growth, and we didn't have growth now afterwards, we did it on the show.
If you think about our lives, if you think about who we are as people, our mistakes are most of the time the things that shape us and not that we want to make mistakes, but if we can own them and we can learn from them, they are the things that made us a better person. So definitely there is something in that, you know. And I think that if you've seen things on this show that you both haven't liked, you can change them if you want to.
Maybe you like it, you know what I mean? Like, who is anyone to tell you how to be?
Yeah?
Exactly, And no one is perfect. And I think that's such an important reminder for everybody. We've all had flaws, we've all got good bits and bad bits, and there is also so much more to the ten of us as contestants than what you're seeing on the show.
And I also I love flawed people, flowed people, my favorite people. Like, I'm done with hanging out with perfect people. They make me feel sad.
You've got so many problems.
Yeah, I'm drawn to the people that have got the problems. Why are you hanging out with that person? I'm like, No, they're fascinating. They're an interesting person. I love that.
Yeah.
I have to quickly move on to Steph and just say, you know, it was interesting with her at the start. She was really hard to read. I found as a viewer, she was hard to read and there was a bit of a different way that we saw her for the first two weeks. But do you think that she changed tactics throughout the series or do you think she just relaxed into who she was and how the show was working.
Because she's no longer getting, you know, the hate that she was getting at the start, she's almost very much celebrated. Do you think that was because she eased into the experience or what do you think happened there?
Yeah, I do think that she eased into it.
And the thing that is important to note the first couple of episodes.
She was getting a lot of heat in the media.
I'm sure the same DeBras and Brendas that were commenting hateful things about step and our commenting hateful things about us. And my experience with Steph is it took me a really, it took me a lot longer to see the side that everyone else is sort of seeing because we didn't get to see the breakdown in their first few episodes. We just saw that I'm fine, I'm fine. No, it's not.
Everything is absolutely chaos at your house. But she really put up a bit of a front, and that was hard for me to crack because if I can't feel like I can get into an authentic relationship, it's hard for me.
And I put a wall up straight away, and.
I think that how conversation couldn't go from how are you?
I'm fine, but you're not to know actually I'm not, and then that can be like a sit down and you get the nice time of it better and.
That sort of thing, and yeah, that's what we're sort of about.
Look, so we never got to see that side. It took me, you know a long time to get to that point with Steph. And I'm so glad I got there because I actually really we both really respectful repector talent.
Steph came in and thought that she had a lot of pressure and a lot to prove kind of thing.
Well, I mean, the people online are saying that she's being set up as next year's architect. You know that there's a bigger picture that's being drawn here. You know, some of those pressures as well. Must be really hard for her.
I understand, but like the style, I think she had that pressure. But I've got respect for Steph. I'll like, we should do a theories next year, you'd be the architect. I'm bit build up.
I think everyone wants their own spin off of the block. I think you know every contestant in the history of time. But there's an anniversary season coming up next year, and maybe they'll have to just bring you all back. Imagine that, put them all together, bring every up. Because Steph started this, I heard that this is a rumor that Steph might
have started. But was there any truth or did it hurt your feelings that there was a lot of discussion about you were building a house for an airbnb style investment and not a home.
Yeah, so this.
Isn't a thing with step She's fiercely competitive, right, and sometimes she can say things she probably means well, but they can come off really condescending if you don't know her. And that's the position I was in. I didn't know her very well. I didn't know her like the viewers did. Is there any little remark they this were coming off too condescending for me, and I took them as big insults. But our house were we just came back. We lived in there for the last five days and it's a home.
It is definitely a home. So yeah, some of the things and be hurtful.
Isn't a bad thing if that's an airbnbound booking it, Like, I don't think it's a bad people exactly. You know, I just was curious as to whether or not some of those things.
Maybe possibly it was a calculating common in a competition.
It's do you know what I mean?
Like it really could have been well thought out, that comment, because yeah, viewers have really grabbed onto it.
They really have. Well, we have to finish with the biggest storyline at the moment, and I've saved this till now. But Leslie and Kyle, the whole friendship's gone pair shape with you both wanting to audit their backyard. Did the producers somehow suggest or make it seem like a good idea? Like how did that come about? That you had seen all those people there and you took it upon yourselves to go and ask for an audit or ask for an explanation.
Everyone was talking about it. We were definitely not the only ones asking questions.
I know that, you know, they can only show so much. Everyone was talking behind kylel Leslie's backs.
We sort of, you know, I asked you a little bit in a cafe I know everyone else was asking, Leslie was not giving any clear answers, so it was creating more confusion. I actually did go to the producers and I did say, is there everything fare there? Because how do we go about this? It's not nice at the end of the competition, you know, take it for Steph and Gianno have won over one hundred thousand dollars, they can legitimately present a very impressive backyard.
It's not now fair.
For someone who hasn't won more than one room to now present a backyard that might not be so legitimate. Dy just said to me, we don't know the answers. They're there to really document the whole process, and it's encouraged that contestants sort of work out the answers on their own. And so that's what we had to do. We had to go and ask them. And it wasn't an attack on House one personally.
It really was. I said it so many times, holand I think you were so smart to get a quote.
I think Troy is taking the block advertising for a ride. And do you know what that does next year for contestants, go find the richest trade who can carry that kind of money?
Do you know what I mean.
I mean, the assumption would be I mean I would have been curious too. I would have been curious because I saw all those people there, and I would have been thinking, this is an unfair disadvantage. I think it's again human nature to want to go over and ask something. But like it was clear that you weren't being given
an answer. So to me, the obvious, you know, the obvious thing that was going on here that you were calling out is, hey, guys, I think Troy is dumping a whole lot of money into this place, and has there been an outcome with that? Has Troy maybe even suggested that he might have put some of his own money into the house.
Yeah, we were based. I don't want to say too much, but basically said, you guys were you guys were on the right path there.
And okay, yeah, I mean but again, fair play to Troy as well, Like you know, maybe people are going to watch the show and get him, get him to do their work, you know what I mean, Like it is a promotion for him. Do you think there's a stipulation that needs to be put in place to stop tradesmen coming onto shows like this and dumping their own money into it. Do you think that unfair disadvantage needs to be called out?
Look good, Telly, I can't understand.
It's like he knew it.
If like watching that wake now, mate, I reckon there'd probably be fifty percent of people sitting at home going.
Man, that is way too many people. Because we broke down and it was at a understand and then when we went to.
Troy and his face was kind of didn't really have an answer for anything. Who was playing the Tilers, mate, Cursey. Our brothers are expensive Tilers. They are that would have been five to seven down dollars worthy anyway, So they're faced and out, I think, and I think another reason.
Why we called it was it felt like coming to the end of the competition. We had an ime, they had an ime, so it was going to be between one of us and them, and possibly someone else coming in had more money, which we thought Stephan gentleman.
But also the other thing is we we came on the block because it's a competition and we love competition as long as it's fair.
It had to be fair all the time. That's why the body corporate.
Was Steph Hey, that was that was not an attack there was no consequences for that. It was just like, guys, is everyone aware of the rules because I'm not interested said in a dirty competition, I'm not into it.
I think there's a lot of people that watched the show though that, and I was watching this the other night and then reading about it online. I really appreciated you saying it's very Australian to say make a deal and have a handshake and have that be in like that's a very ausy thing. You know, if you've made a deal, shake your hand. You can't back back down on that. Where I don't know if they see it that way. Maybe in wa a handshake doesn't mean as much, you know board.
Well you know what people sound, They're like, I didn't actually see them shake hands.
No, it's a metaphor, like you don't need no, when a deal is done done, a deal is done, it doesn't need to be a physical handshake your word. I think that's what the saying is.
That it's actually crazy because I've you're very nagged on a contract.
The concept. It's like, I get it. It was furniture.
My emotions were way too much at that point for furniture, but it was it was the moral of it like that for that for us.
Well, it's icky, it's dirty, it doesn't sit right with us. And I felt betrayed. I felt shocked.
I didn't even think that people existed but do that sort of stuff.
I just for the record, we didn't get our freedom back.
Yeah, I know that them holding them holding back those freedom vouchers really fucking irked me. But you know, look at that point, I think they were pretty pissed off. Lea though, do you know what I will say to you? And I think you're going to see this more over the next week. I find it quite comical with your apologies because you do go and apologize to people a few times in this show, and when you're apologizing, you actually go back and list all the list all the
things basically that you've still got a problem with. So like, if you're going to go and apologize to someone, you could say I'm sorry and you own it and then walk away, but you're kind of like I I find it's so funny and be like, I'm really sorry, Leslie. You know I really shouldn't have done that. But why have you got all those tradings there? Like you know what I mean? If you're either going to apologize and say that you're sorry and put it all behind you,
instead you're bringing up all the things. Do you re ignite in the argument?
You know, I don't even get apologies in his house.
I think it was more.
Because I think she's still quite confused as to why we were questioning in it, questioning it, and I was like, look, I am really sorry that you took it personally. I was sorry that she took it personally.
But should have.
Really Ash is the right person to answer this stuff because he's probably had this before in his life. You know, really sorry, I shouldn't have done that. But here's a dorseer as to why I did it. You know, I did it.
But you kissed me off? No will that.
I think it's because I was in two that there was two roads for that one. Sorry that you took it personally wasn't my intention, But I don't regret. We really don't regret regret bringing it up, and that's probably what I'm not sorry for. So that was I had to sorry because I felt like she took it personally and that makes me feel bad.
And I think it was sorry that it's seem like it was getting targeted at you, but it wasn't.
Yeah, it wasn't like it was right.
So I'm going to have so many people well and really confused about that.
I just love it. I love it. And the rumors are that you know that, Leah, that you do have a very compelling end of this series. I mean that's what a lot of people are saying. Is there a way in which you want audiences to feel about you when this show finishes with all of this, We've just talked about all of the other houses, We've talked a lot about raw emotion, But how do you want Australian audiences to finish their relationship with you?
Well, I just want them to know that there's they've seen a really condensed version of me. And I own that I am very strong, very opinionated, I'm outspoken, loud, all of that, but there are so many other bits of me and I think people have seen parts of it, and I want people to know that that's really who I am. I am so much more open minded and accepting and although I don't live my life in a competition, and it's a shame that I would have loved for people to see more of really who I rather than
that the we call people out one hundred percent. We're not with shy washy. Like I said the other night, we're not with shy washy. If we think something, we're going to say it. We don't throw people under the bars or anything like that. And there's the viewers have really seen a huge journey for us, and maybe they're people who are a bit more closed minded won't be able to accept it.
But the people who are open minded.
May appreciate that journey because it's it's a pretty big one.
It's okay to be and this is one thing we all forget. It's okay to be a good person and a bad person at the same time. We can't expect ourselves to be this version that's palatable and celebrated by everybody. All the time. We make mistakes and we do silly things, and that's human. I don't think you should apologize for it. Does anyone really know who they are?
Like?
Does anyone really know like this profile of who they're supposed to be. I think we're all confused a lot of the time. We're all going through this life trying to do the best job that we can. And I think you should be fair. I think you should be kind to yourself on that.
One of the questions, right, and then the exit thing was do you regret anything?
And I was like, no, he doesn't, no honestly, and I think I don't know if it comes out. My biggest regret was that I didn't get to know step quick enough, because that was my biggest that was everything. I don't I'm happy with that journey, but I think, yes, Steph and I got off on a really really wrong foot both ways, by the way, so that was one
of my biggest regrets. But the other, you know, the block is the very first time we've ever experienced the block, and sometimes when you're experiencing things for the very first time, it's hard to find your feet.
I just have to say to people when they come off reality shows, if you right it all the wrongs that you made throughout the show, and you could go back in time man alive, that would have been in a boring show.
Exactly.
Yeah, you behaved awesomely the whole way through. Buying Australia will turn that shit off faster than you can believe. I can't believe I've run out of time. Honestly, the two of you have been so fantastic and so honest, and I knew you would be. But just very quickly, can you give me the order of the houses. This is gonna be really hard, so don't think about it. The order of the houses are going to make the most amount of money.
Okay, we're gonna make the most amount of money.
That's the vision board. Okay, that's the vision board.
Great. Yeah, you know what, I don't think the two big ones going to make the most amount of money because I think the reserves are.
Going to be it's gonna go, it's gonna go. I'm going to be really controversial.
Three most most amount of money goodness.
Five for one.
Oh okay, So that's all I needed. That's all I needed. But I do it, Ash. I appreciate that before you go. Something that I ask everyone who joins the podcast, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we as an audience would not see, kind of like a behind the scenes secret of your time on the show. Maybe something silly that happened along the way that we've missed because we all know on reality TV when we watch it back, we think, oh, wait for this, this is
about to happen. And then it doesn't happen, and you go, why didn't they show that?
I would love to say that there would be a few, but I feel like we were on the show.
A lot like what I wore the same pair of shorts five.
Days in it, right, I mean, we love the break down.
Suff guys, please do me a favor and just enjoy this series. You both are so fantastic on this show. It would not have been the same series without you. Forget the haters and make a shitload of money out of this finale that's about to come up, and just enjoy it for what it is. Celebrate it for what it is.
Well, if you ever in Risbon drops the line I would love.
To but you can get me out of the house and Lea and I would need to talk.
Stick you know, let's go get a break mate.
Love chatting to you
Love chatting to you both look after yourselves.