“I definitely think it’s a close-knit group…”

the block courtney grant speak out bullying maddy charlotteNine


The Block 2024‘s Courtney and Grant Freeman have spoken out about cast friendships after fans accused the contestants of “bullying” newcomers Maddy and Charlotte Harry.

During the September 16 episode, fans noticed that the sister duo, who replaced Paige Beechey and Jesse Maguire, were being excluded and mistreated by their co-stars, especially when most of the cast failed to acknowledge Maddy’s birthday.

“I definitely think it’s a close-knit group, and there’s a part of me that sometimes feels like we’re not part of that,” Maddy told the cameras.

courtney grant
maddy and charlotte the block bullying
The Block 2024′s Courtney and Grant Freeman have spoken out about cast friendships after fans accused the contestants of “bullying” newcomers Maddy and Charlotte Harry. Source: Nine
Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle, Courtney insisted that things weren’t as they seemed, and everyone got along during filming, especially the ladies.

“I get along with a lot of people… so I [knew] I was going to make friends. But we did go into the competition saying we wouldn’t try to make friends. If it happens, it happens,” she recalled.

“It was a surprise, and I think it helps you keep going. It’s such a good support system to have. Kylie [Baker], Mimi [Belperio], the [sisters], Paige – we were very lucky to all get along.”

The Block’s Grant spills on his unseen friendship with one of his co-stars

During the chat, Grant also spilled on his friendship with Kristian Belperio, which hasn’t received much airtime.

“Without giving away too much, one thing that definitely comes out is a close friendship between Kristian and I,” he told the outlet.

“We were definitely the most similar. We got along from day one, and I don’t know why it wasn’t caught on camera earlier.”

Grant Freeman
the block kristianKristian Belperio
Grant spilled on his “close” friendship with Kristian Belperio. Source: Nine
The 30-year-old added that he doesn’t have “many mates outside of work”, so he didn’t expect to make a lifelong friend on The Block.

“I became really, really close mates with Kristian. He’ll be a friend that I’ve got for life. He’s as close as my brothers after 13 weeks, to be honest,” he added.