Hard done on The Block & Reno Rumble but couple “Would 100% do it again”
$10k in winnings on The Block, first couple out of Reno Rumble but Michael & Carlene say there are other benefits in being on TV.
- Published by David Knox
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On The Block: Glasshouse they walked away with just $10,000, then they were the first couple out on Reno Rumble -but Michael and Carlene would do it all over again.
Despite walking away with a fraction of monetary gains compared to couples on The Block: Triple Threat, the Queenslanders say there is definitely an upside.
“It is a big commitment when you have stuff going on at home and two kids, but it’s an experience that not a lot of people get. We would 100% do it again. It’s like an addiction,” said Michael Duffy (pictured top, right).
“It would have been nice to have a monetary reward at the end of the day but we have gotten stuff from it such as ambassadorships for products and a lot of business for our own business, just from being on The Block.”
Both have set up renovation and design business cedarandsuede.com, built on their skills and exposure on the Nine shows.
The Block provides a basic per diems while Reno Rumble is understood to include a fee because only one couple will split the $100,000 prize with a charity.
But Duffy admits watching Triple Threat Auctions, where winners pocketed over $900,000 was not easy. The couple watched the finale with fellow contestants.
“When the result came up, everybody was looking at us and not the contestants!,” he recalls.
“But they’re a really good crew and it’s a lot of fun.”
The grand final of Reno Rumble airs over two nights, with either Ayden & Jess (Redbacks) or Carly & Leighton (Blue Tongues) set to take out the prize.
After being the first couple eliminated, Michael and Carlene will walk away ’empty-handed.’ At least this time the commitment was limited to a single week.
“I don’t know what happened, we thought we were a little bit hard done by,” he suggests.
“I’m saying I would do it all again. I’ve got no idea about Carlene!”
Reno Rumble grand final airs 7pm Sunday and 7:30pm Monday on Nine.
Photos: Les O’Rourke
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- Tagged with Reno Rumble, The Block
9 Responses
Oh how surprising, a Block team v a House Rules team in the finale. How very fortunate for the producers.
This show got the beating it deserved.
No surprise. It was always a red v blue format. But will they let a House Rules team win?
Im pretty sure they mixed-up brands across red and blue teams to even out numbers.
So could very easily have been Block v Block or HR v HR at the end.
But that not they way the rumble crumbles.
I am told one team changed in one week.
I am sorry but I don’t get why any one would do a Reno show or a cooking show. It just seams very stressful and it isn’t super adventurous or amazing (like a TAR or Survivor).
If these press releases from 9 get any puffier and lighter they’re going to blow away in the breeze…
Nope. I first met him during The Block Glasshouse and he was loving it. So I was curious about how he felt after two shows where the prize was slim and spoke with him on Monday.
Sorry about that. One of the nice things about this site is you’re pretty open and usually highlight your own exclusives, interviews, or chats – so I just assume things that don’t mention it come from the PR factories 😉
Am I right in noticing that you’re posting more exclusives? Is that the result of doing more hard work to chase them down, or taking it easier & having spare time to do them?
No worries. I don’t put “Exclusive” on every interview I do, nor do I put “he told TV Tonight” into every interview. It just depends. Usually where it comes from a Release you will see italics of some sort (but again not always). In this case I thought it would be good to hear someone’s views after entering a reality show enthusiastically, then coming out the other side. Seems there are still benefits, as explained. To your second question, I don’t believe there is a big change in either exclusives nor content. Certainly not taking it easier! While I did that set visit on Monday, the site was still publishing posts (24 in total on Monday). There’s an art to multi-tasking, hell as it is….