Mitch and Mark - Location, Location, Location - Reality TV Personalities

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

Past deep the line.

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 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

We have been very fortunate and lucky. People are so nice when they come up and want to chat. We will always make the time to say hello because people are always so lovely.

Well, you're both no stranger to the property market. When I heard that Location Location was coming back, I've missed a location there, but I think it's a perfect choice and how exciting it is to be working on this show.

It is pretty cool and it is location, Location Location.

We're not going to miss a location. Yeah. First up, thank you so much that you see us as a fit. We were real and I mean I was in shock when we were asked one to be considered and it wasn't. In shock he wasn't And then when you know, we were invited to be the host. So one, it's a huge onre because this is a format that has so much credibility about it and so much history about it, So.

What could go wrong?

Yeah, I think a lot of people have seen us do what we do on the block, maybe didn't fully know because we never really talked about it that we had done a lot of property flipping, so we had done a lot of buying and selling the properties. And we looked always at the houses that we did on the block as real estate as who would buy it in the market, how would somebody live in this house? So I love the fact that we can come to location, location,

And also to understand that location and home requirement very very from suburb to suburb, even block to block, street to street, and when people are looking at a home in an area and let's say where you run into that pub if you look get a home and Darlinghurst and they draw a circle around that and say, look, I'll go from Darlinghurst to Surrey Hills to Haymarket to

Which is that is a real journey that people the audience watching this show I think will be able to relate to as well, because, of course, at the moment is a hot topic. It's always been a hot topic, and sometimes you do need to make those compromises.

You know. What's interesting about what you were saying just a bit before was about how when you're looking at a house and you're thinking about the type of person that you want to have in that house. I follow everything you do on social media, and I saw that you went to one of the houses that you built for the block. Was that person that you met? Was that similar to who you had in your mind when you were building that place?

A great question.

A working professional couple with children, and that's exactly who we thought would be in that house.

Like it wasn't she? Because that lady, she was so wonderful. She pulled up and didn't expect to have us there, saying could ask a favor, would you mind if we just set a look inside.

Sie my head in the front door. Once the head was in.

And was all and she kind of went, yeah, come in and it's the same as we left it, and we actually asked, do you enjoy living here? What's at like? She said, absolutely, love it perfect, And we asked her.

How they have they lived there as a family, and that was exactly what we pictured that the family would need. So the house worked for them the way we planned it to work, which was kind of excited because we we've tried to do that with every place with either renovated, no matter how big or how small. We've tried to envisit firstly, who would want to live there? Generally works.

What I like about getting that feedback from the resident, Well, first off, she said the steam that steamshower room that we put in. Said, before I came into this house, I didn't think I wanted that in my house. She said, Now I love it, you know, I live about it. Yeah, I can't live without it. But it gave me personally some satisfaction because of course I had some feedback that was like, oh, this is not real estate goal. You know, this is not going to work in the real estate market.

Also trying to help people have fun on the journey, because if they can relax and start to have a bit of fun, they'll be able to think more clearly. If they're tense, which I think people of them can get tense they're looking at properties, it's all about a decision.

Not the people who are watching the show are going to see that complete journey and the tears and the shock. You know, we've had people when we put the phone down and can say the properties yours. They've accepted the offer, people who have been trying for so long, just in shock. And one of your couple, it was amazing. I was behind the scenes watching this. I was in tears because you can see that them, the relief and to be able to be part of that is an amazing, pretty special.

Just even talking to the both of you today, there's something incredibly aspirational about the two of you, Like you both look like you're from another world. You know, you're almost like the genie from the lamp. You know, someone someone's rubbed a lamp and you've turned up and you've changed their lives in such an extraordinary way. But It's the ability to be able to read people and give them what they want that I think has been kind of the magic of the two of you. In a way.

It's so funny been hearing you say things about the lamp and rubbing it and see what happened. I was thinking to myself, There's so much I could do with a look, but I'm just staying well because that's a mature person that I am.

It felt to me like for the last twelve months that you were kind of auditioning for a show like this, was that a particular ploy for endemol Shrine to see what you were doing.

Our whole life has led to that moment. Then we planned that we watched kirstin Field when they started twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, we thought it, we're going to get that show, and we're going to plan our social media for twenty years to get there.

We are not that clever.

I was wondering whether or not you'd pitch the idea to them, or or how it had come about. So you guys were just doing your thing and they've called you and said, come an audition, so you've auditioned and then obviously they're auditioning other people and you've beaten those people for this role. I mean, it's it's an impressive trajectory for anyone who's been on reality TV to then get their own show.

Yeah, I think that's true. We had I kind of remember. I think we received maybe an email would we like to have conversation, but you know, we're realisting that these things don't come along, and I don't know we went through the pros. When we finally had the contact saying we would like you to host it, I was in shock because, you know, really seriously. And I think then because it's the first I think, from what I can it's the first time that a same sex couple has

Well, it says a lot about society though too men not only the same sex couple, but also a couple over sixty to start out with a new show. It just shows that we have as society in Australia grown so much that we think, you know what, you can be old, you can be gay and it's okay, it's a new tagline.

We've come further in lots of ways that I don't think we've even realized. But it is not just gay people that love gay people. It's you know, it's a wider audience than that.

Absolutely.

Yeah, So I love that diversity is being embraced that way.

Yeah. Absolutely. What's different about this series in twenty twenty three because we have seen an incarnation of this show on our Telly before you know what tweaks. Do you know that they've done from what we saw last time it was on Australian screens to what it is now.

I think in a nutshell. Last time they did a version of kristin Phil. It was young, a younger version of Christian Phil, kind of very different, but it was a version of that show. This time I think that actually decided to do the same the same pretense of show, but work with a different different, a different couple Christian Phil two people that work well together, beautifully together, and Mark and I one were a couple, so it makes it probably a little more intimate. All so, they've just

It is real life, but I don't know if that's necessarily true, because the best reality TV contestants are the ones that who are genuinely that you know. The magic moments that you get are the moments where you're being yourself and it's captured. And as I've said, i've met you guys in person, who I see on television in reality and who you are in this new show. All of these things, they're all very real. They're very authentic. You're being very truthful about who you are, and people love that.

I guess it's interesting to talk about that because for me, I almost a bit like you can't be anything. My brain just doesn't compute with how can you be anything other than you? And maybe that the journey as gay men. Maybe it's from the era that I went through. You know, Mitch had his journey. We were in an era where in the sixties. I mean I was born in ninety sixty one, so I remember the teenage years and the seventies. In the eighties, you know, you were not cool, you

It's also you guys, that's on brand for you. I love a home truth, home truth.

So sometimes I've tried I thought to myself. I actually can't say this. I can't say this to this couple, but the people in posts said, oh, you didn't open your mouth, but actually fell out of your eyes.

But it's a good way to be. I think just being naturally yourself. I think being authentic is you know the way to go. Even when you have something that's truth, it's hard for people to understand. As long as it's there's no malice in it, As long as you're just being genuine, I feel like people can take it on board.

Yeah, it's a difference maybe that we see No, it's not a difference, but how we approach it is the process of coaching.

Did you guys watch it so just before? Yeah, I've got so many things to ask you, But did you watch? Because I started watching it today I started like they're up to series thirty nine in the UK. You know, once you said yes to doing this, did you go and watch a lot of the UK version? And did you borrow anything that you saw from that series?

We had seen the show before we were asked because we're in the property and we really really enjoyed that show in particular, But after we started filming, we then watched a few more episodes after we were filming, and then it was like, oh wow, that's what we're doing there. So we watched it through different eyes after we'd started.

So I gave us more admiration for kirstin film, Yeah, even more. You know, we liked it. But then we watched it and when you guys you know your stuff.

Yeah we did, and we thought, oh wow, they did that so well. I think I fucked up last week.

I'm assuming Mitch as well, that you've designed a lot of your own fashion as usual. How many outfits did you need to make or sauce for a season of this show.

I had quite a big colletion. I sourced a few more pieces Mark Mark needed more because.

He's My style is a little more calm than.

Easier to find most of mindless stuff that I designed before, and I've just been on a big design spree before we started filming, so I had a whole lot of spare stuff in the trunk.

So people watching the episodes, each episod so they're going to see mitche well, both of us, but multiple there's always a reason for it else.

Color for you today.

I love it the colors. I still always will think of this one iconic moment of television, and that is Scotti cam. I think he said something along the lines I've never looked more vanilla, or it's iconic for you

I think it's with fashion you get to I've got your stage in life where I decided to please meet and if people like it, that's so lovely, and if they don't like it, there has to be okay. If I get negative press on my fashion, it's like, it's okay because I'm not doing it for not doing it for everybody and doing for me out of people like it, that's a that's a lovely compliment. And if they like it enough, they can buy it at our store, and that's a better compliment.

That's better, But then what you're touching on there. I remember talking to somebody in our shop six or eight months ago and we were talking about brand. She was from marketing. She said, oh, you know your brand, you gus. I said, well, I think we're about color. You know in the store we're not beige, and she was great. She just looked at me and she said, no, you guys aren't about color. What do you mean? She said, You're actually about confidence?

And what do you mean?

She said, true, you're about letting somebody come in here and feel confident, to give it a go, to try something. Said, we give them permission. We give them permission to have that confidence. And that's I suddenly went, which is nice, that's true?

And it is true because I think you know what it is confidence? Because if I wore some of your clothes it would look like Walt Disney threw up on me. However, because you can wear it with that confidence, it gives it something else. Do you know what I mean? Like you do have to have that confidence to be able to wear it.

I've been practicing false confidence my whole life. Been It comes easy.

From being a Reality TV contestant and all the trials and tribulations that go with that to then being the host of the show. What's the differences between being a contestant and you know, the host of the show.

The big difference is it took us a while working with our great team. We've got a great really one. We're in a very caring team. We're part of the team of producing it. As far as we're not we're not in the dark ever, And they've said to us on several occasions, you don't need to worry. We are going to we're here to make you look like you but we're here to we want you to look good. We're not set You're not being set up for anything.

Well, you know that. The difference and the similarity, you know a difference for me. You say on the Block, you have a challenge every Thursday you go off, so you don't know where you're going, Oh what's going to happen where?

You know?

For location and location, what we're going into in showing people houses, there are no tricks around it. It's not like you're looking for a house to get a reaction. These homes, these apartments and houses are real properties on the market right now that fit within our buyers specifications, and sometimes there's a reality about that, which might be your budget is not going to get you four bedrooms, or your budgets are going to get you the renovator's delight.

Well, there could almost be aroundity if we take them to a place where everything about them and everything about what they told us said this was right. But when we get them in there, we get a reaction of this is not me, this is wrong. It's like, oh, okay, that's the reality, and it's not get out of here.

And it's not something we that's been set up for that to happen, because it's just that's just, oh, we thought this would be fine, it's not. I think we also, on both the block and location vocation, we worked really well with the crew and we respected and particularly the second time we did the block too, and the crew on location location location is amazing. So that's so with.

The crew and time.

Remember hearing though that, I remember, guys, I heard that so often. You know, I did a set tour of the block when you guys were on it the last time that you're on it, not the first time. And I knew a lot of people working on the show, and everyone raved about working with you, just the work ethic, the ability to get the job done, being good talent, you know, and being gracious. There was all of that being said, not so much about everyone else. But you know, I think that was the contrast.

They're walking through a building site carrying a camera and sound equipment. That's tough work. So we always tried, We hope that we respected that. The difference from a host perspective now is it's not all about us. Our job is to learn about our buyers and to share their story and to encourage and support them to tell their story about their property journey. And that's different. You know, when you're on the block, you're the talents, so you're telling your story.

It's interesting because I think when you're on any reality TV, whether it's The Bloc or whether it's Big Brother or any of those other shows, as a contestant on a reality TV show, you don't know enough to realize that it's not all about you. You kind of be led

Living.

But I think having a bit of age on our side help us realize doing that that it wasn't all about at us, that we were making a TV show, and that the crew who were working on that show, like now, the crew on that show, we're we're doing their day job and at the end of each week they got their their regular day job pay. We were lucky enough to be looking at potentially winning nothing or a lot of money, So that gave an appreciation for crew.

Of, and they care about sharing the stories of these buyers that will help an audience who can relate to the same journey.

I think it's collaboration, though, I think you both understand a collab you know what I mean, Like, I think that you offer the respect to the people you're working with. You want to get the job done, you want to have a bit of fun while you're doing it, and that's collaborating. And when you can collaborate with people really well, it makes good content.

Yeah, exactly. Look, we've also had times where we've looked at we've got to chown a couple of property and then we thought, oh wow, this first property was so far off what they actually from what they told us to where they're at, this is a mile were miles apart. So we've had we've sort of had a team that have said, We've said, we've got to find a whole set of different properties to show them because this is

And there's a different house and you walk in and go, this is a new one, just on the market. None. It's just seen it. To be able to say to somebody who has been jaded by their experience and fearful about buying property because of their experience, be able to say to them, you're the first ones to walk into this property is incredible. So we're very privileged.

So Ben and I'm hearing in ourselves now that we're obsessed. Oh my god, we've got to calm down.

No, No, of course you should be, And of course you would be. I think that if you were there and you were jaded and you were like, oh, you know this is all about me and blah blah blah, it wouldn't work. After the last time you're on the block, I was like, these guys are going to get asked to do every single celebrity show in Australia, so many of them. And I thought you, I thought maybe you'd be the first two one dancing with the stars that you know, wouldn't even need a partner because you just

I'm a celebrity getting out of here. I'm out of it.

Never go near that Thing'll never going near home a celebrity. No, no, no, Well, now that you're hosting shows that I think it's I don't think you need to go down to that level.

No, it's just that that that show is like buried with shit. I don't want to be there.

No, that's PTSD that you don't need. Guys, you don't want to carry that onto season two of Location, Location Location, you know, just before you go. As much fun as I've had, And as I said to you at the start, I honestly I could talk to the two of you all day. But what's something of like a behind the scenes secret, Like what's maybe something of an anecdote that happened, you know whilst you made season one of Location, Location Location.

I can share one thing that I think will be okay to share. There will be two people on the show that buyers that it's filming. That was supposed to be over one day, but it got late, so we had to film the second part of that day the next day and the second part of the day. They're very tanned.

Competitive first day, watch for it.

They were bringing along a home kit of tanning machines.

Yeah, just watch for it. If we can't stand anymore than they just watched for it's in very tanned.

The next day and I've thought this is continuation of the same day and you're very tanned.

What well, guys, I just want to say, thank you so much for your time and your generosity with talking to me today. I can't wait to see the show. Have you actually have you both seen episodes yet?

I would see it are parts of one.

We've seen parts of okay one, and I think people I'm hoping, but I think they will love it because I watched and I lived it and watched it and at the end of our I was in tears. So because you are so happy for what people do. People love seeing us on the block and what we did. They are going to love location, location, location. They can get the benefit of both. Come and watch us on Friday nights, Channel ten at seven point thirty to learn about property.

We'll all be there, so that's right. The show is out right over thirtieth of June, channel ten, and it will then be available on Tenplay for people who are listening. But boys, thank you so much, enjoy the ride, and let's meet up again for series two.