Shelley Craft: ‘The building was super creepy’
THE Block’s Shelley Craft on whether she’ll get a “real job” one day, why Byron Bay is the best place in the world to live, and what it’s like to renovate a haunted house.
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THE Block’s Shelley Craft on whether she’ll get a “real job” one day, why Byron Bay is the best place in the world to live, and what it’s like to renovate a haunted house.
You’re undergoing renovations on your house. Do you have your fellow The Block co-host Scott Cam there yelling “tools down” every day?
Look, I wish I did because then I think we would get the job done faster [laughs]. There is no way in the world I would ever attempt any renovation in just a 12-week period [as The Block does] and I definitely wouldn’t let cameras film it. I call this renovation my “Mini Block” but I take all of the hard stuff out of it by not having a time limit... and definitely not having Scotty standing by.
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This season, The Block contestants are renovating the famous Gatwick Hotel in Melbourne, a 1930s building with a storied past. Legend has it that there are a few ghosts in there. Did you see any?
I’m sure there were more than ghosts in that building. It was super creepy. I didn’t see it until after we had started some of our own demolition, and even at that point it was one of those buildings that if the walls could talk... I can’t say I saw any ghosts but I certainly felt that this building had some history. When they started bringing up the carpets, it was something out of a horror movie. But that’s the thing when you’re renovating an old place, it’s always when the carpet comes up that the truth comes out.
The Block is filmed in Melbourne but you live in Byron Bay in New South Wales. How does that work?
I am very lucky to be able to live here with my family [husband Christian Sergiacomi, and daughters Milla and Eadie]. During the series, I fly down on a Wednesday and fly home on a Friday. It’s only for the eight weeks of the actual renovation. For a working mum it is a brilliant position to be in.
Byron Bay seems like the place to be. You, Chris Hemsworth, maybe Matt Damon one day... What is it about the Bay that everyone seems to love?
There is something magic in the water, that’s probably the easiest way to describe it. It really is a step back in time to old-school values and ease of living. And nobody here could care less about celebrities. Chris and Elsa [Pataky] cruise around very happily in the streets without being under the scrutiny of cameras and the public eye.
You’re obviously providing a great childhood for your girls. Did you grow up in a similar environment?
Pretty much. I grew up in Brisbane, which here in Australia is considered a big country town, even though it’s now a bustling city. I had lots of pets, I grew up on acreage with horses and dogs and cats. I’ve got two brothers and a sister so it was very much just hanging at home with them and our menagerie of animals.
You’ve been in the entertainment and media industry for a long time. Now aged 42, have you seen any change, particularly for women, over the years?
I probably have if I thought hard enough about it. I’ve been lucky; I’ve never had to question whether I belonged in this industry or whether women have a role in this industry. I’ve been lucky enough to work through both my pregnancies, on air. There was never a question of, “Well you shouldn’t be here right now.” I’ve never felt in any way disregarded because I was female.
You met your husband when he was a cameraman for the Nine Network. Who made the first move — you or him?
I asked him out first!
Did you always know television was your calling?
No, it wasn’t on my radar. There was drama at school but I always changed the script at the last minute, which was fine for me, but it would throw all the other actors off [laughs]. After high school, I started working on the Gold Coast at Movie World in my holidays between high school and university. I was ready to go to uni and do hospitality management but after six weeks at Movie World, I was offered a full-time job. I thought I would spend my gap year acting, with costumes and characters, before getting a “real job”. Well here I am 25 years later, still thinking what I would do if I had to get a real job. Hopefully I can retire before I really have to think about it.
The Block Season 14 will premiere Sunday August 5 at 7pm on the Nine Network.
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Originally published as Shelley Craft: ‘The building was super creepy’
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