In one of the first headline-making moments of The Block 2024, contestants Jesse and Paige exited the show in the early stages of the competition – leaving House No. 1 a half-completed shell of a holiday home.
Fortunately, the renovations on the Phillip Island property were saved by the introduction of Sydney sisters Maddy and Charlotte who quickly took up the mantle of the home makeover and despite having only completed a handful of rooms, the duo have frequently found themselves at the top of the leaderboard.
Despite their high-scoring handiwork, Maddy and Charlotte’s short time on the show has not come without its fair share of signature Block drama, and now, the sisters are opening up about their “hostile” experience on the show.
After their successful run of form in both their master bedroom and kitchen flips, Maddy and Charlotte were the catalysts for yet another drama on The Block after their fellow contestants discovered that they had previous experience flipping houses.
“They flat-out lied. They told us they were accountants – they didn’t mention they’d flipped houses. They asked for advice on how to do things within a build, yet they obviously knew it all,” contestant Haydn told TV Week, with his teammate Ricky going on to proclaim that Maddy and Charlotte possessed an unfair advantage.
As the competition progressed, the sisters cemented their position as one of this year’s front runners and after securing yet another challenge win, the drama reignited when their fellow contestants Kylie and Brad refused to congratulate the duo on their efforts – stating that their win was “rigged” and calling them “the most hated people on The Block.”
Reflecting on the couple’s behaviour, Maddy told Yahoo! Lifestyle, “These people are being cruel to us and I don’t really understand why. We strive to be kind to people in every circumstance, and then to have someone who’s just blatantly choosing to be unsupportive and unkind, it’s just not a nice feeling at all.”
“We were nothing but supportive when [Kylie and Brad] won the week before… and so to not get that in return is disappointing, considering they’re way older than us and have four children. You just kind of expect more from any human, really,” she continued.
Entering the competition nearly halfway through the build, the sisters also opened up on the reception from their fellow contestants, with Maddy reflecting on their surprise at the “hostile” behaviour from the other four teams.
“It just made us really upset because we were new. It’s like when you’re the new kid at school, you expect someone to go, ‘Hey, let me show you the ropes. Let me take you under our wing’… I think to not get that at all and then to get people that were genuinely unsupportive… They’re going out of their way to stir the pot and be rude. It’s gang mentality. It’s bullying and it’s not kind.”
With Kylie’s attitude towards the pair taking centre stage over the most recent episodes, Charlotte shared that she felt “no matter who we were or what we had done, Kylie was never going to like us.”
“Before we’d even met Kylie she had made up her mind that she wasn’t going to like the new contestants, and then even after we met her, she made no effort. She glared at us up and down as soon as she saw us.”
Despite bearing the brunt of the latest Block drama, Maddy and Charlotte shared that 2023 contestants Eliza and Liberty offered some much-needed support and perspective.
“We were so lonely and so isolated and we felt so out of our depth and unsupported by the other contestants, so to have Eliza and Liberty, who are just such a breath of fresh air and so kind and so funny and just so beautiful, it was exactly what we needed at the right time,” Maddy shared, adding, “They continued to support us throughout the whole season. We’re just so grateful.”
While the sisters shared their thanks for The Block alumni’s advice, fans also took to social media to respond to Maddy and Charlotte’s treatment on the show – thanking Eliza and Liberty for their support.
“So pleased they caught up with you both as I’ve been really feeling bad for them with how the other contestants have treated them. Very disappointing behaviour,” wrote one fan.
“I just don’t understand why the other contestants are being so unkind, the girls only came in because others chose to leave and the producers chose the replacement team, that’s not the girls’ fault! Very disappointed with the clear display of bullying for two very young people who simply don’t deserve it. I hope they win,” added another.
Despite the support from fans and former Blockheads – the sisters’ journey on The Block has still proven to be difficult, with tensions reaching boiling point as the pair found out what other contestants had been saying about them in a screening.
“It’s not pleasant but I understand we are on a reality show,” Maddy said through tears. “This is what we signed up for but you just don’t ever expect that you would be the reason that a group of eight adults get together and tear you apart.”
A dinner hosted by the sisters did little to put the drama aside, with Kylie storming out after the pair doubled down on their choice not to reveal their home reno experience.
“I don’t need to deal with f***ing liars, my God!” Kylie added as she left the room. “It was a conversation that I did not want to be part of anymore so I took the mature stance and left.”
Outside of The Block, the sisters have both recently graduated from their respective degrees, with Maddy studying accounting and Charlotte completing her Bachelor of Business.
Prior to joining the show, the sisters had shared their house-flipping journey to social media – purchasing their first property in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 2020.
After completing their first renovation, their Newcastle property was later subdivided and sold and as of September 2024, Maddy and Charlotte are currently working on three further builds with even more in the pipeline.
