Lorien here from Pole Divas HQ. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Emma from The Block—someone whose infectious energy and megawatt smile light up every room she enters, whether it’s a dance studio or the set of national television. Anyone lucky enough to have taken one of Emma’s classes knows she’s pure sunshine, and it’s clear her authentic spirit is shining just as brightly on our screens.
Emma’s Edit: Keeping It Real on Reality TV
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Emma laughs when I ask her how it feels watching herself back on national TV. “I was never too stressed about it. Ben and I were pretty genuine the whole 13 weeks we were filming… but it is strange to re-watch yourself.”
Emma and her partner Ben are two weeks into their season of The Block, and like the rest of us, they see each edited episode for the first time right alongside Australia. “It’s a little nerve-wracking,” she admits. “You’re thinking, ‘Oh god, what happened that day?’ and trying to remember what you were doing three months ago. But we’re happy with our edit. I think it’s us.”
She and Ben are seeing each episode for the first time right alongside the rest of Australia. “We don’t get a sneak peek. It’s a little nerve-wracking because you’re like, ‘Oh God, what happened that day?’ and you’re trying to cast your memory back three months. But they film so much content, and then it’s all cut down into one 50-minute episode, so you can’t stress too much.”
Behind the Scenes: First Room Reveal
Viewers got their first look at Emma and Ben’s work on Sunday 3rd Aug with the bathroom reveal. “It’s definitely our least favourite room in the house,” Emma says honestly. “Week one, we just played it safe. We didn’t go too bold, we just wanted to get it done. The room was nice, but nothing to sing home about… There were aspects I loved, and it flows with the rest of the house, but if I could redo one room, it would be that one.”
Week one was also a steep learning curve. “We didn’t fully understand how everything worked. The budget, the Block Box, how to work with the trades we got. And the timeframes! We only had seven days… and that week [week 1] had a public holiday, so we lost a day.”
By week three, though, they found their rhythm. “We worked out the flow of Block world,” she says. “And from then on, things really started to click.”
When the bathroom reveal aired, Emma says re-watching it was just as eye-opening as the build itself. “On the Sunday room reveal night, Scotty Cam would just read us a couple of sentences of what the judges said. But actually watching them walk into your room and seeing their reaction… that was really interesting.”
So what is Emma’s favourite room in their house? “Either the master bedroom with the ensuite, or the rumpus room,” she smiles. “Those are the ones I’m most proud of.”
The Reality of Managing Trades and Timelines
The moment they found out they were cast, Emma and Ben had just three weeks to lock in all their tradies. “They basically said, ‘Start finding your trades the second you get off this phone call,’” Emma recalls. “We didn’t get much guidance — just, go find them. So I’m there thinking, okay, do we need an electrician? A plumber? A tiler? Where do we start?”
Her first call was to a local Daylesford landscaper, and from there it snowballed through word of mouth. “They passed me on to a tiler, who passed me on to a chippy… it’s such a small town, so that network was a lifesaver.”
Not every call was a win, though. “I’d ring up saying, ‘Hi, I’m on The Block,’ and half the people would just hang up. The other half were super keen but then I’d have to say, ‘We don’t know how much we can pay you.’ That made for some funny conversations.”
Emma and Ben pulled together a shortlist, met the trades in person, and explained the situation. “We told them, we’ll pay whatever we can, plus there’s the TV exposure. They were all legends flexible, fair, and helpful. And in the end, I’m pretty sure we paid every single one exactly what they quoted.”
It was also a crash course in project management. “We thought we’d be on the tools more,” Emma says, “but when you’re building a $3–4 million house, you want the professionals putting up the walls. Our time was better spent coordinating, shopping, styling, cleaning, making sure everything ran smoothly.”
That’s not to say they didn’t get their hands dirty. “Every week we would do all the insulating, we do all the sanding of the plaster, the painting. We’d help with putting the flooring down. We helped with all the landscaping, putting all the plants in. So we were on the tools, but not as much as what our chippies were.”
And the speed? “In the real world, a house like ours would take at least 18 months to build. We did it in 12 weeks. It’s wild.”
Pole Diva Power: Embracing Her Unique Background
Few reality contestants bring such a “wow” factor as Emma’s background as a pole dancing instructor for Pole Divas. When applying, she was upfront with The Block producers, letting them decide how much to lean into it. “I was really interested to see how they’d take it,” she says. “I thought I’d just say I’m a teacher, and they could choose if they wanted it to be ‘school teacher’ or ‘pole dance teacher’ — but they absolutely embraced the pole side, arms wide open. They were so excited about it, and I’m really grateful for that.”
From episode one, the show treated her profession with respect. “They haven’t gone over the top with it, it’s just like another job. You’re this, you’re that.” They’ve treated it like she was a Pilates instructor “which I really appreciate.”
And while pole dancing might seem worlds away from building a multi-million-dollar home, Emma found her skills surprisingly transferable. “Teaching pole is all at night, so I’m used to having high energy in the evenings. On The Block, that helped when the house vibes were dropping. I could be a bit of a vibe check. We even had a few dancing challenges where it definitely came in handy!”
Then there’s the physical strength. “Carrying timber, moving couches, pole dancing has made me strong. That strength was a huge help on site.”
Emma’s love for pole started with a simple invitation. “A friend had a bring-a-friend-for-free class, I think it was a birthday offer and I went along,” she recalls. “I was so sore for three days afterwards, but I just thought, I need this in my life every day.” From there, she signed up for one class a week back when it was just cash at the door, not memberships, and quickly ramped things up. “I added spin and static classes, and pretty much just never left. I’ve always been at the Mornington studio.”
After four years of training, Emma took the leap into teaching. “That was about ten years ago. I honestly didn’t think I’d get the job I felt so young at the time but I decided to give it a crack. I’m forever grateful to Dee for giving me that opportunity.”
Her favourite class to run? Pole Moves! An energetic, all-levels session focused on movement and cardio rather than tricks. Known for their fresh tunes and fun atmosphere, Emma’s classes at Divas are legendary for building both skill and community spirit.
Love and Teamwork Under Pressure
Renovating under normal circumstances is stressful enough. Add cameras and time pressure, and it’s a recipe for relationship tests. But Emma and Ben came in prepared, having already done two renovations and a new build together. “I’m really grateful that Ben and I have such a strong relationship,” Emma says. “Honestly, it was a breeze. We’d see other couples down the road blowing up at each other, and we’d be like, yikes. For us, the tough times were more about the environment, the pressure, not being angry at each other.”
They became experts at reading the other’s mood. “If Ben was having a down day, I’d try to pick him up. If I was low, he’d do the same. I don’t think there was ever a time when we were both really flat at the same time.” When I asked for her best relationship tip, Emma shared a perspective that’s stuck with her for years. “I heard once that a relationship is never 50/50. Some days one of you is at 20% and the other is at 80%, and that’s okay. It really hit home for me because everyone takes on the world differently. Sometimes we’ll just ask each other, ‘What’s your percentage today?’ If we’re both low, we know to take it easy and not push. You don’t have to explain everything, just be honest about where you’re at.”
Watching their partnership play out is such a highlight of the show. Emma and Ben are supportive, playful, and seem to genuinely enjoy the ride. Reality TV couples take note: this is #relationshipgoals.
What’s Next for Emma and Ben?
With experts valuing their home around $3.3 million, Emma and Ben are hopeful for auction day, but win or lose, she’s already eyeing her next project “I loved life before The Block, so I’m kind of ready to jump into another house flip already.” And how does she do it all? Emma juggles roles as school teacher, pole instructor, business owner at Ambr Designs, and weekend renovator… just writing it is exhausting! Her drive and positivity are truly inspirational.
Emma’s story is a reminder that being authentically yourself is always your winning move, whether you’re flipping houses, teaching dance, or just living life out loud.
Don’t Miss Out!
If you aren’t already following Emma and Ben’s journey, now’s the time! The Block airs Monday–Wednesday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 7pm on Channel 9. And if you want to experience Emma’s unfiltered energy firsthand, book yourself into a class at Pole & Aerial Divas Mornington or jump onto Divas On Demand and dance with Emma from the comfort of you own home and get a $10 discount off DOD’s monthly membership with Emma’s Membership Special.