Vote change sees Jolly good win
Melbourne-based Blockheads Darren and Deanne Jolly are laughing all the way to the bank after the latest room reveals on The Block: Glasshouse.
Earning top scores from the judges and their fellow contestants, the former footballer and stay-at- home mum pocketed a combined $15,000 for their chic bedroom and study design.
In a bid to shake up the voting process, host Scott Cam for the first time forced the contestants to score their competitors' rooms before hearing the judges' comments, and Deanne is adamant she and Darren never would have won both prizes otherwise.
"There's way too much strategy involved and people don't really want to award one couple $15,000 because it's too much of a head start for the next week," she told AAA.
"We came really close last week and probably would have done really well in week one had we managed to get the door on, so I'm thrilled to have two wins in a week - it's great."
It's taken a few weeks of trial and error but the married Melburnians have finally found their feet on The Block.
"We're starting to get some momentum happening - we're finding our rhythm with being on The Block in terms of always having the cameras in our faces and living in this dirty, filthy environment and being away from our kids," Deanne, a former fashion designer, explained.
"We're getting used to it a bit, which is probably why we had a win this week. We're finally getting it together. We're communicating well and not arguing about little things."
A veteran footballer with 12 years experience playing at a professional level, Darren never anticipated that three months on The Block would prove harder than life as a professional athlete.
"Early on, I said being a footy player was harder but I was very quick to change my attitude on that because nothing can compare to the lack of sleep and the intense work hours that we are doing," he revealed.
"We are really knackered. With footy you flog your body for a couple of hours on a weekend but you get to have plenty of rest. Unfortunately there's no time to rest on The Block."
