For Jolene, auction day on The Block should be a celebration of everything she and husband Adam have worked towards. But, with her beloved mum, Janelle, battling lung cancer, the milestone comes with heartbreak.
“She’s had some complications with some of her treatments and she’s now not able to attend the auctions,” Jolene, 42, tells TV WEEK. “It is really sad. She’s really enjoyed the process and watching the show. She was my call every day, my sounding board and my biggest supporter.
“The fact that she’s been able to come down here already and see some of those main areas meant the world to her. I’m sure on auction day she’ll be the first person that I call when things happen,” she adds through tears.
With the competition coming to an end, Jolene admits her mum’s illness put the experience into perspective.
“There’s a lot riding on these auctions. We’re away from our family and, especially with mum’s medical situation, I’ve given up such precious time and I just want to do the best.”
While she’s proud of what they’ve achieved, there’s one thing Jolene wishes she’d done differently.
“I do wish that I’d let my guard down with some of the other contestants a little bit more, and we’d got to have that family environment that was probably intended with our share house, rather than some of the hostility that was there.
“It was a pressure cooker, but I wish I had had a bit more fun.”
The Block auction airs Sunday at 7pm no 9Now and the Nine Network.
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