couples

Chris from The Block: "Everyone is going to run out of money... something's going to happen".

Chris and Jenna from The Block talk money, strategy and who they get along with the most.

Chris and Jenna started their time on The Block Glasshouse as the happy, fun-loving, generous, relaxed married couple. In just a matter of weeks they have been turned into tired, stressed, worried, broke contestants.

Welcome to The Block.

They were already huge fans of the series when they decided to apply. They’d watched for years as teams struggled to renovate challenging properties, so they had a bit of an idea of what they were in for. They even knew they might be edited in a particular way in order to increase the drama.

So how do they feel about how they’ve been represented in the past couple of weeks?

Chris and Jenna say 'fighting like friends' has helped them get through.

"There were just a few things we weren’t happy with," Jenna says. "Also we knew what we were in for with the editing and we made a decision not to get upset about it."

“Also like in real life we aren’t that kind of people to talk behind people’s backs and always the cameras in the back of your mind," Chris adds.

The Block is filmed months before it airs, with the only 'live' element happening on auction weekend in October. So Chris and Jenna are watching it as it airs and are seeing things they've never seen before, including some of the other team's less than flattering comments.

So far, Chris and Jenna aren't surprised by any of it.

"We got to know them and what you see is what you’re getting. I think some of the comments are a bit harsh. Majority of the people it was absolutely a pleasure," Jenna says.

In fact, they so love one particular team that a 'bromance' has been formed. Chris reveals that he and Karsten talk on the phone every day. "Karsten loves to chat," he says. "He’ll call me every day. It's so good we get along and we’re definitely close."

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris and Jenna have been married for five years and are coping with the stress of the show well, considering. So what's their secret? "I suppose it shows when we fight we fight as friends," Chris says. Jenna says it's all about valuing each other.  "We can have a disagreement but know we still have his [each other's] back."

In fact, harder than navigating their time on The Block was returning to their small, unrenovated home afterwards. Chris and Jenna say they'd loved to spruce it up a bit but just haven't had a chance yet.

“Since we got home we were just like get out a pen and paper and lets do these things," Jenna says. "But we haven't had time," Chris says. "We’ve been at home for two weeks and for those two weeks we’ve sleeping."

Plus they'd need money, a lot of money.

Chris and Jenna are now firm friends with Max and Karsten.

One of the biggest struggles on every series of The Block is budgeting and this seasons couples were expected to renovate an entire apartment for $100,000, plus any additional money they managed to win from room reveals and challenges.

"Budget is a massive thing too," Jenna says. "Know what you want to spend."

And speaking of budgets, we ask how do you renovate an entire, enormous, high-end apartment for just $100,000?

"No, you can't," Chris says bluntly. "As soon as we got that budget we were putting it in perspective. We were going to put a granny flat in the backyard," Jenna jokes.

"Everyone is going to run out of money," Chris then adds. "Something's going to happen."

ADVERTISEMENT

Well, maybe if they hadn't spent so much money on that copper wall in the master bedroom that the judges hated...

"You either love it or you hate it," Chris says. "I’m telling people now if you hate it, take it down and sell the copper and change it. You’ll still have money left over."

"The amount of people who walk through here, I'm yet to find someone who's not a fan of it," Jenna adds.

Despite the challenges, the couple are confident of their chances at auction. "We're really confident," Chris says. "We had a few people come through and getting a lot of good feedback."

So what advice do they have for anyone thinking of renovating? "I think you just need to have a clear plan. If you’re doing it with your partner have that clear plan and be on the same page. Most of the fighting comes from 'I want to do this I want to do that'. It makes it a lot easier.

And what's Scotty Cam really like? "He's alright," Jenna says.  

"Top bloke," Chris adds, loyally. “Beer in one hand tongs, in the other. During the show we didn’t actually hang out with him as much. He pops in and then he pops out."

Who is your favourite couple on The Block Glasshouse? Who is your least favourite? Do you think Chris and Jenna have a chance at winning?

Like this? Try these:

The Block Glasshouses's Max and Karsten share surprising wedding plans.

Fighting in a relationship...is it better to be right or happy?

Follow iVillage on Facebook

When you become a parent, you don't leave your brain in the delivery suite. That's why mothers with kids of all ages come to themotherish.com; because they're still interested in news about entertainment, health, current affairs and food along with an inspiring and useful stream of parenting advice and support.

Most importantly, they come because they want to hear personal stories of parenting directly from other mothers, without fear of judgement.