SHELLEY CRAFT DOING HER BLOCK ON THE BLOCK

Welcome back to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast, I'll be going behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. As we approach fifty episodes of the podcast, I want to say thanks for subscribing. We have so many great shows to choose from, and I hope to getting around to chatting with all the networks as we enter the new quarter of ratings. I think the Olympics has proven that people are still watching

We've never experienced anything like this, the biggest TV scandal.

I think people who audition for reality shows are really really brave. The sack on the Block this year's poll made Shelley Kraft. I don't think we're going to see the market slow anytime soon. Huge things goes to all the people who voted the Blockheads and the Blocaholic. I did think when the produces said, we're doing a cul de sac that we had bought Ramsey Street. Oh yeah, gee, that's a beauty. The block really does help people find out who they really are.

Hey, Shelly, how are you?

I am so good, Ben. It is lovely to be here, albeit virtually with you. This is very exciting for me.

I've got all sorts of buttons here that I'm not allowed to touch, so I'll just sit with my hands folded.

Do you think that the block is just what Australia needs right now with lockdowns and COVID restrictions keeping people at home? Is this the comfort television that we need?

Oh my goodness, look at without being able to go outside and create your own drama. Yes, we are going to bring plenty of drama straight into your launder room starting this Sunday.

Which I don't think was the intention of series seventeen.

But I might be completely misguided in that idea.

Surely not.

It was going to be a.

Fun series, I thought, which it is, But there's a rollercoaster ride coming our way.

It's beat three newbie couples here to make their mark versus favorites.

Well, COVID has affected every Australian and the production of the Block was no exception. What sort of restrictions impacted the filming of this series.

Look, I think last series taught us so much and as we saw for the Block twenty twenty, we went into that completely eyes wide open.

And here we were for another series.

And as we saw on that first episode, the countdown started to lockdown, which was of course Australia's first. We've all been through many since then, whether it's with friends and family, interstate, whether it's ourselves in lockdown for a

Was it a shorter series like I think I was talking to one of the crew who was saying that it was almost like not rushed, but they just got it done faster. Is that right?

It felt very quick compared to last year, There's no doubt about that. Having that eight weeks off in the middle last year was in one way a bit of a breather, but it did make the show drag right out and we were pushing right to the end to get it all done before the auctions, which are of course always live. So this one, yeah, it did seem pretty quick, and we had some amazing contestants, so that always makes it sort of a power along as well.

Yeah, I can imagine. Well, look, the block location is a cul de sac in Bronte Court, Hampton, just around the corner from where I am. This is a first What makes this location stand out from some of the other seasons.

Oh look, it's just so quintessentially Ossie, isn't it to be in a could a sack? I did think when the producers said we're doing a sack that we had bought Ramsey Street. I thought we were going to make over Ramsey Street. But no, it's our own little cul de sac. Some of the neighbors chose to stay and didn't move out during the process, and obviously didn't sell.

See.

Hopefully for the neighbors, they had a good time. Hopefully for neighbors, they're safe in Ramsey Street and everyone's aaka. And for us, we got an awesome location in a great suburb and hopefully come auction day, everyone is rewarded for that.

Imagine the Channel nine Channel ten crossover that no one saw coming.

No, I don't know why I did, but anyway.

Well, look I love it. And another first is contestants won't have house plans, which is a first. How is that going to impact the contestants for better and for worse?

Well, yes, no global pandemic, but no plans either. So Scotty's crazy idea to just let these.

Guys free ball itt so to speak.

You know, Off they go into their houses and some of them will grab that with both hands and charge, you know, and that's probably where our faves come into play. A little bit having been through the experience so many times before. For our newbies, you know, maybe their eyes are bigger than their tummies. Maybe they're just going to go all out early and it's going to blow up in their face. That idea of creating something from scratch with no guidelines is a little bit of a contentious

Yes? It will.

Well, you know, these all stars are revealed in the very first episode. For people who probably don't read the papers and are watching it fresh, you know, Mitch and Mark are back, Ronnie and Georgia are back. What makes those two teams worth bringing back to the competition?

Yeah, I asked, whose favorites are they? Anyway? Yours? They make excellent television?

Yes, if you haven't watched the series before featuring Mitch and Mark, they were on our Oslo series.

They had a really tough run. Again.

They were so ambitious with their own plans for their townhouse. They got in sticky situations with their neighbors, which perhaps marred their experience on the show. Auction day didn't quite go to plan for them, But as I said, they're great characters and they do make awesome homes and awesome TV. So they're back for another shot at it.

We are so.

Honored and privileged to be back on this show. Of course, we want to win the.

Block out right.

We're competitive people.

We've come back with a lot more experience, a lot more insight, so we will play the block game with passion.

Ronnie and Georgia from our elston Wick series, which was the first time we'd done homes in a long time. And again the game really didn't play out for them the way they wanted it to. They are an excellent couple, they're wonderful renovators.

They're from wa They got.

A lot of heart, and I think their hearts perhaps got in the way a little bit the first time around, and they didn't enjoy it as much as they could have.

And it wasn't until after the auction and perhaps you know, months or weeks.

Later, that they realized they'd really missed half the essence of the show about enjoying the ride and having a wonderful experience. So I know that they're back to redeem themselves and to have fun this time round. Coming into the season as an All Star, the pressure is on your back to do well.

We're here to wins.

We're going to produce amazing rooms. We're going to be efficient, We're going to try and be on budget, so you know, game players. Yeah, cool, we'll both.

Then, do you think that there's an unfair advantage to those two teams returning to the show.

On day one? Probably?

Ben, yes, on day twenty six, forty two, and seventy nine.

No, no advantage at all.

Look, they do know in some regard what's coming, what they don't or all those twists and turns that are build can bring, and that's different every single time you renovate, whether you've done it once or a thousand times. What they will bring is serious competitive energy and edge, and that certainly I believe makes our new teams have to

Well, this is a good question for you. I mean you've been on the show for so long now, who's been your favorite couple ever? I mean, you've seen some real characters joining the show in I think it was twenty eleven when you joined. Do you have a favorite thing?

Oh, no, you can't have a favorite. How do you choose between your children?

That's just good.

It's a tough question.

I've got my phase that I love to watch, and I've got people who've created amazing homes and my favorite renovators. I've got the people that I'm excited to see when I turn up to work, you know, every week. Yeah, so it's all very, very different. But we are as cliched as it sounds. You know, one big block family, and you're always a part of that, whether you want

Imagine that. Imagine if you had like a big reunion with all of these people over so many seasons altogether. Now that would be chaos.

Oh it would wouldn't it be amazing? We need one gigantic apartment block and they all get all get an apartment each, all fifty of them all back at once. You know what is lovely though, is a lot of the teams are great friends. A lot of our Melbourne teams have gone into business with each other, the Interstate teams, the Queenslanders catch up a lot and work together a lot. There's so many crossover shows now which feature past Block contestants that are now hosting their own forms of Reno shows,

And the show has twins Josh and Luke, you know, who are not unfamiliar with television, coming from Channel nine's second series of Love Island Australia. We were on Love Island.

I clocked pretty quickly. I was like, I know these two Love Island.

You too, I knew it.

I was like, I've seen these blossore, I've seen a thought. You know.

She was a big fan of the show and she knew who we were the winners. Anna and Josh quick question, did you watch Love Island? Did you already know the boys?

No? I didn't look.

I'm a bit out of the demographics, so that's probably not so bad to say. But Channel and I love the idea, loved the show, just can't start that late.

I didn't know them.

At all, and I think that was probably a good thing, because not in Scottie.

I don't think he's a love viewer.

But the boys really wanted to prove themselves is more than just some you.

Know, hunks of reality. Yeah, you know, and they're really out to do that from the word go.

You know the promos, Yes, they did have to do the traditional Trady thing shirts off, but from this point on, yeah, they are contestants like the rest, and we show them.

A lot of respect.

Then well, the boys coming out of the water in episode one, I have actually seen the first five episodes, so I'm just going to say episode one worth the price of admission, evenough it's frank because iss on freeware television. But the boys coming out of the water is pretty It's something to watch. I'll tell you something.

Out of a James Bond film and dress there or something.

I'm here for it. I'm here for it. You know what shows your guilty pleasures? Then on the box? I mean I'm imagining. Yes, you and Scottie Cam didn't get together and watch Love Island, but there's got to be something that's a bit of a guilty pleasure for you to watch. That's not the block.

Oh look, Scotty and I have a very different viewing schedule. I would imagine can you imagine.

What he watches?

Can you imagine?

No, I can't even imagine what he watches. I did watch him on Who Do You Think You Are? Though, and I had tears in my eyes the whole way through that.

There was a lot about Scotty I didn't know, and that he didn't know about himself.

So that was a good one. Who Do You Think You Are? Look, I'm a bit of a binger, I must say. When I'm sitting in the sauna or have five minutes in the kid.

Pickup line, you know I'll bang out some stand a bit of the bowl type.

That's my guilty pleasure as far as you know. Obviously we've been watching the Olympics. The last couple of weeks, So it'll be great to see some reality back on.

Sunday one hundred percent. You know, look, in episode one, we have our first block argument for twenty twenty one, being Josh and Luke and Christi. The confrontations on the show haven't ever sort of reached that conflict that we're probably used to seeing on you know, Maths and other reality shows. Do you think that this season of the block will reach Maths level of drama?

Oh not.

I don't think anything is quite like Maths's and Guilty Pleasure. Let me tell you, it's very different. It's a very different type of drama. There's so much that goes on on a building site day to day, and so many pressures. Not saying that doesn't happen in personal relationships, but we've got personal relationships plus a construction site, plus a TV show, plus Keith and Dan storming around all day telling you

You work fully?

What about to go down human beings?

Or are we animals?

Rude?

Rich slot flow like the trash?

They don't fight these things because you get dirty and they love it.

But you were the cause of this.

I want to speak to the producers. You don't call the shots break. We call the shots.

The biggest TV scandal.

How dare you say that this is the biggest cheating scandal in TV history?

But yes, drama nonetheless.

Will you find yourself in the crossfire?

You know?

Is this a turning point for the show? You know, having a little bit more conflict And were you shocked to be in the line of fire when that happened?

Oh?

Am I just getting old and grumpy? Am I finally speaking my truth?

Ben? This is all?

I loved it. I was like ghost Shelley, I was. I kind of felt like you were speaking what I was thinking.

I hope so, And look, I hope I do that every week, but I'm usually coming from a little bit more of a kind of position. I suppose this one just caught me so off guard and caught everyone off guard. We have never experienced anything like this in seventeen series of the Block.

It is just plain out of control.

And so I thought, if I'm ever going to speak up about something, this is this is it.

This is just well it was a.

Yeah, as you say, a turning point for me as far as what I'm prepared to show myself on air. Yeah, I was just dumbfounded by the whole thing. Speechless, I'd have to say for a while there as we're Scotty and the whole production team, which I still had to stop for a moment and catch our breath at our thoughts and how do we all move forward from this? But you'll see all that play out on National Telling.

Well, there's an explosive teaser to the rest of the season that happens mid first episode, which you know sort of sets a lot of it up. Was there a moment when you were filming and you were thinking, Oh, I can't wait for this to be executed on television. I can't wait to see how this plays back.

Because I float in and out, I sort of rock up on a Wednesday afternoon and I fly home usually on a Friday afternoon, a lot of the drama that happens at the beginning of the week has played out and is sort of put to bed by the time I turn up.

So often when I say, oh, how have you been going this week?

So much has happened and there's water under the bridge that I don't really get filled in until I watch it on air and go, oh my god, if someone had told me that went down this one I was there for and it was. It's changed the game. There's no doubt this time around, and I hope that the contestants can watch with their families and be able to justify their actions. Some will, some won't.

The thing that I think is really interesting about reality television is we often don't know how other people see us in real life, and so when we are on reality television, we do get an insight into how others see us, which can be quite uncomfortable. And I can

Oh well, can I just start by saying I thought you were absolutely bloody fabulous and I loved you on Big Brother, which was a guilty pleasure, and.

It's really nice of yourself.

For myself, I've been on air for twenty five odd years now, but always in that sort of nice girl role. I guess not to say that as I've aged, I haven't been more comfortable putting my opinion forward and that's what I'm there for.

But I do choose to see the glass half full.

I do choose to see the happy side of life in most things, and not everyone's like that. I think people who audition for reality shows are really really brave and maybe, yes, maybe they don't know how they're going to be perceived, or maybe they don't know what they're really going to be like under that sort of pressure, but they're brave enough to do it, and I commend them all for that because I would.

Never audition for a reality TV show.

There is no way that I could actually put myself out there like that. So thank goodness there are Aussies that are happy to be as raw as possible on TV, or the world would be very boring.

Shana Blaze on Celebrity Apprentice this year.

I am terrified to put myself on the line for this because you always know that the project manager has their head on the chopping block no matter.

What, and they're making another series of Celebrity Apprentice already. Have they asked you to take place on Celebrity Apprentice?

Nope, Nope, they haven't.

I am such an extraordinary business mind, Ben that I would just put everyone to shame and there'd be, you know, one episode in and they'd realize that there was just no competition here to be had.

But Shelley, you know, I mean, I've watched so much of your television, all the way back to Disney everything I've grown up really and loved watching on television. Surely with all of these celebrity reality shows, you've been asked to do at least one of them. I've never asked you.

The Singing Bee Back in the day, was there there might have been a dancing show. No, I don't think I've even been asked to dance. I'm so busy, you know, my schedules full What can I say?

How do you think you'd go though?

Terribly full stop? Yes?

No, there is no way ever. Please never ask, because I will never say yes.

I'll always say no. For producers that are out there listening to this right now, Shelley's a no go for that.

Absolutely, I've put a target on it back now over the Wow.

Well, look, you're one of the celebrities that's moved to Byron Bay and I'm living for all of these new South Wales coastal town bang the new Hollywood. But I want to know, have you seen any of these A listers walking around town? Oh?

Look, i'd have to say, you know the hem's words obviously, the ones that you're talking about. And they've been here for years now, and they are so wonderfully integrated into Byron life. You know, you see them out and about and they're at soccer, and they're at Circus and.

They're Pony Club.

They're just a great family who have really embraced the freedoms that Byron has been able to offer them. I can't even imagine what their life in LA might have been like, or for any of those true A listers, what life must be like under the spotlight. So they do get a lot of freedoms here that I'm sure they wouldn't get elsewhere.

And they're awesome. You know, I can't say that we hang out and party with them.

You haven't seen me on their instagram sadly, but they really great people and yeah, we're lucky to have them here.

It's the people that you.

Don't know that have moved to Byron. There's a lot of wonderful, philanthropic folk here that are trying to do great things. Our little industrial estate here is a bit like a Silicon Valley. There's so much happening in Byron other than just celebs being here in town. I think we have the best lifestyle of anywhere in Australia and that's you know, that's a big competition really because there's some awesome.

Places and some great cities.

But to be able to find that fabulous balance between work life and lifestyle, I think we've got it here in town.

Is there any truth to the rumors that are out this week that the Block could be moving to Byron?

Oh?

Look, God, I would love to see it. That means I wouldn't have to fly to Melbourne every single week. Of course, Byron is a real estate hotspot, so for a real estate show it would make sense. But no, we're looking everywhere for season eighteen, all over the country

If we get an eighteenth series, that would be gold.

I think it's going to happen, because I just can't get over the first five episodes that I saw. It is in my mind, it is so engaging, and I don't know whether it was just that I was ready for a season of the Block, but I think the season's really heating up more than me.

Oh hello, first episode.

We always watch episode one with the contestants just before they leave the block, just to give them a little taste of what they've been working for, because again, ultimately they sign up for a reality show and then they're thrown onto a construction site and television does very much play a backseat to just the day to day goings on of a building site that cameras happened to follow them around. So I think a couple of weeks in they even forget what an earth they're doing this for.

Are you've allowed to have like a tipping competition like a footy competition and pick who you think is going to win or who's going to get the most amount of money when it go action? Can you pick them every year and be like, I think this one's gonna this house is going to go on?

No, look to bet on that, you'd have to be a crazy person, I think. And with the way real estate is around the country at the moment and how changeable that is coming up to auctions, which will be I guess October November by the time we get there. Who knows what the market might be doing. I'd love to say it's still going from strength to strength, and

Oh. Absolutely. You know, being a presenter and being in the public life for so long, you know you often get asked about your health and fitness. Do you get nervous about sharing diets and fitness routines being a person of influence.

Yeah, I don't share much. Ben, As you'll see, I'm pretty slack on any socials and that's because not because I don't feel like I have information and knowledge, just that it's not my position to throw that in people's faces. Really, there's plenty of other experts out there doing that, and people who are perhaps not so expert also doing that.

But yeah, it's just never been.

My voice to tell people what to do other than paint colors and throw cushions.

How's the hobby going? Is he going?

Well, he's awesome. Thanks.

Has it been beneficial marrying someone who's had television experience? So no, Christian has had plenty of experience behind the camera. Do you think that helps him understand your routine and what you have to go through as a presenter.

Oh, yes, I do. I think he understands a lot better than I do. There's no doubt he certainly understands the comings and goings in the hours and the fact that we do live here in Byron, and he is, you know, a working dad when I'm away. But also that incredible balance that we have that when I'm not on set, I'm very much a full time mum here at home and can do the pickups and drop offs.

I just thought it was great though, because so many people who work in the entertainment industry they can sometimes struggle with you know, their partner's not understanding that's sort of a very it's a rollercoaster. You're going up and down all the time, and it's not like a nine to five job, so it's good to be able to

Oh, we have built a few homes together, renovated a few homes together.

How that guy actually not so bad? Not so bad?

We try to stay in our own lane. Which lane that is, I'm not quite sure. He's now in real estate, so he has a very, very keen eye and probably a lot more attention to detail than I do, if I'm really honest.

Before I let you go, one of my questions that I always ask my guests before they leave is what's an amazing story from behind the scenes. That's something that maybe the audiences didn't get a chance to see while making this season.

Of the Block tricky question.

I think the thing that people probably don't realize about The Block is just how much goes into the show. You know, some of the contestants when they first arrive, they still say, oh, so when you know, when do we go to the hotel or when do we leave? And say, no, no, this is it now you are here on site, you will find somewhere to sleep, rain, hail or shine for the next ten weeks, you know,

And I'm not beating that up, you know.

I love the fact that you watch these humans transform over the period of the show. They really challenge themselves in ways that other shows don't ever push their contestants to do that sleep deprivation that you know, just desperately wanting to do well. It's human spirit and as wanky as that might say, you know, the block really does help people find out who they really are, and as I said, to see contestants then go on to create whole new careers for themselves is what I love the

And I don't think you know that's the story.

I suppose for me is just how much effort and passion and love goes into the show from everyone who works on it, and sometimes that's not realized by the contestants until after they've left, or until after auction day.

And they watch it go to wear.

And that's why it's fabulous to see as we've got this time round. You know, your faes coming back that I think really wanted to come back for their own personal redemption, but to also enjoy the experience more second time round. And you know, I'm experiencing it fourteenth time round this season and still love every single minute of it.

I can't believe it's fourteen seasons. That crazy, so many houses being built. I mean, I will say I'm glad there's no smell of vision for television because watching episode one and hearing about the snoring and farting when they made them all sleep in that basement, I was like, yeah, that's something is of you. I'm glad that we don't get to experience.

Yes, well there's a lesson you make your bed you line, it didn't you.

I like that one of the twins was like it was really nice and warm where he was sleeping, and he was definitely the one doing the farting so.

Well, that's taken the edge of Love Island boys, hasn't it.

You still think hunts not just.

Yes, super stinky Hope.

I love it well. Congratulations on turning up for another series. We absolutely love seeing you on the show. I think it's going to be an absolute cracker. And thanks for being on TV REALO today.

Oh this has been awesome, Ben, and you are as much as I know Andrew you're still around, but look out, Ben is coming your way.

Give him enough rope and you never know what mister Norris might just do. It's so good to chat the Green