First-time renovators Hannah and Clint were always going to find The Block extra-tough.
But Hannah has opened up to TV WEEK about how much she really struggled with competing on the hit reality series.
“We knew that having never renovated, the show wasn’t going to be an easy ride for us,” former flight attendant Hannah, 31, says.
“But the fatigue levels exceeded our expectations. I didn’t think we would literally go days without sleeping, so that caught us off-guard.
“I had more sleep with two children under three than I’ve had on The Block!”
Aside from a lack of reno skills and shut-eye, Hannah says being so far away from her children Finn, seven, and Poppy, five, has been the most difficult aspect.
It’s even made her question her choice to be on the show.
“Not seeing the kids is a huge sacrifice,” Hannah admits. “The mum guilt completely consumes you.
“When you get so many setbacks [on the show], you start to wonder, ‘Was this the right decision?’
Renovation rookies Clint and Hannah had no idea it would be this hard.
“We’ve never been away from them for such a long time and I don’t think we ever will again. But I was prepared to make that sacrifice, because I’m pretty confident it will pay off.”
Hannah, who’s been married to former NRL star Clint for six years, says she can see how the gruelling show tests some couples’ relationships.
“It’s easy to lose your patience,” she says. “A simple remark from your partner can be misconstrued and that can lead to arguments.
“I’ll be the first to say Clint and I definitely have our moments and some heated discussions. But the thing is how you resolve it.”
The Townsville couple hope the time away from their children is worthwhile.
The couple met 11 years ago after being introduced by a mutual friend.
They started off as friends, but romance soon blossomed. Hannah thinks teaming up on The Block has brought them even closer together.
“That’s one thing I can commend us on – how well we work as a team,” she smiles.
“Clint is such a supportive person. There are times when I can completely see we’re going to fail, but he tries to find the positives. He’s a silver lining, glass-so-full-it’s-overflowing kind of guy.”
But that doesn’t mean Clint, 33, hasn’t struggled with his emotions on the show.
“Honestly, Clint is sensitive, but I had never seen him cry before The Block,” Hannah laughs.
“Even after the birth of our kids, we couldn’t get a tear out of him.
“It just goes to show how emotionally hard this show is. In terms of the tears, that was a first.”
