Reality TV

EXCLUSIVE: How Sharon’s role Neighbours could give her and Ankur a secret edge on The Block

''Hard work isn't something Ankur and I are scared of.''
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As the couple with the least building experience, Ankur and Sharon knew they’d have to work hard just to keep up on The Block.

But two weeks in, they’re feeling the pressure after finding they just don’t know some of the processes the other teams take for granted.

Plus, with 20 per cent of their budget already gone, they’ll need to win some challenges if they want keep spending big.

Ankur and Sharon knew they’d have to work hard just to keep up on The Block.

(Image: Nine)

“Hard work isn’t something Ankur and I are scared of,” Sharon, 35, tells TV WEEK. “The difficulty for us is that we didn’t know what we didn’t know.

“Every single thing was: ‘How do we do this? How do we navigate that? What is the process and the procedure?'”

She says simple slip-ups can cost time – always in short supply on The Block.

“This is a competition and it really matters how well you’re doing these things,” Sharon says. “You don’t have time to make mistakes at all.”

“The difficulty for us is that we didn’t know what we didn’t know,” Sharon says.

(Image: Nine)

However, not every challenge on The Block is about building, with this week’s Nosy Neighbour challenge playing to one of the team’s strengths: being friendly.

Heading out to meet the owners of nearby properties, the teams are tasked with learning as much as they can about each location they visit.

With no nail guns or drop saws to navigate, it’s time for House Three to shine.

“We rate ourselves on relationships, so this was an enjoyable day, for sure,” Sharon says.

This week’s Nosy Neighbour challenge plays to one of the team’s strengths: being friendly.

(Image: Nine)

It’s a challenge that fits in with the former lawyer’s legal past – where Sharon had to pay close attention to detail – but also her years in Neighbours, where she played Dipi Rebecchi, one of Erinsborough’s best-informed residents.

“It would be embarrassing if we didn’t win the Nosy Neighbour challenge,” she says.

“Especially as my character was always listening to everyone’s conversations in Harold’s Cafe!”

A win here could boost Ankur and Sharon’s budget, but is she listening closely enough?

Sharon as Dipi on Neighbours, alongside fellow reality TV-slash-Neighbours star Tim Robards.

(Image: Ten)

Sharon’s character Dipi was married to Shane Rebecchi (Nicholas Coghlan) and they had three kids: Yashvi (Olivia Junkeer), Kirsha (Vani Dhir) and Jay (Dhruv Malge).

As the owner of Harold’s Cafe, Dipi developed strong friendships with the locals and became known as one of the town’s many gossips.

After four years as Dipi, Sharon left the role to direct and write scripts for the series.

While The Block is out of her comfort zone, her experience as the nosy Dipi will definitely come in handy for this week’s challenge.

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