No place like home ... Scott Cam and Shelley Craft host
the grand finale of The
Block.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports
For the final contestants, the hard work is over.
But there will be little rest for one presenter.
They've
fought tooth and nail - well, OK, maybe just nail - to win The Block this
year and tonight there will be plenty of nerves during the grand finale.
All
four houses will go up for public auction, with this year's contestants -
Sophie and Dale, Dan and Dani, Brad and Lara and brothers Andrew and Mike -
competing to win the $100,000 grand prize.
Each
team gets to keep any profit they make over their reserve price, but the pair
with the highest margin wins.
Despite
the pressure of auction day, the contestants seem relieved to be one step
closer to a well-earned break after working so hard on their renovations.
''It's
a very unusual experience to go onto The Block and have television
cameras and audio guys around you 24/7,'' Mike says. ''While I've absolutely
enjoyed it, it's abnormal to say the least.
''It
will be fantastic to finish work at normal hours and spend some time with my
lovely girlfriend.''
For
host Shelley Craft, the show's continued success has been remarkable, despite
initial worries it might not reach the same number of viewers as previous
seasons.
''I
think we were all a bit taken by surprise at the popularity of last year's
show, so we were hoping the growth would be there and the appreciation of the
show would be there, and it has been. I think the timing was right, where
people were still excited about it coming back,'' she says.
''The
contestants we've had this year, they're phenomenal.
''They
all bring something different to the show and I don't even think during the
casting we knew quite what they were going to deliver.''
On
social media, at least one media commentator jokingly labelled The Block
as ''white people renovating'' and there is no denying the line-up is
homogenous.
But
Craft maintains Nine is always keen to involve a diverse range of contestants.
''It
depends on who auditions. There has been criticism about age group, that most
of them are under 30, but maybe most people over 30 are smart enough not to put
their relationship under the spotlight or mad enough to go on a show as a crazy
as The Block,'' she says, laughing.
''In
regards to nationalities, auditions are open to everyone, it's just who gets in
there.''
Craft
has worked on her own special project throughout the show - her pregnancy and
the birth of her second child.
The
presenter has been keeping news of the birth and details about her newborn
under wraps but confirms she is now a proud mother of two - a toddler and a
newborn. She has managed to find a balance between working and motherhood.
''I'm
so proud to be a mum. I've now got two beautiful, beautiful babies. It's the
greatest miracle of my life, it makes me happy.''
Craft
will be front and centre on tonight's grand final auction show, with host Scott
Cam, to see who triumphs this year.
''Come
the auctions, there will be a few tears of sadness but hopefully a few tears of
joy as well,'' Craft says.
The Block's
two-hour grand finale screens tonight from 6.30pm on Nine.
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