‘Our reality TV romance is FOR REAL!’
The Block’s Bianca Chatfield opens up about her love for MAFS groom Mark Scrivens
They may have met bonding over their experiences on reality TV but The Block’s Bianca Chatfield and former Married At First Sight groom Mark Scrivens say their day-to-day reality is anything but drama-filled!
“It’s the easiest relationship I’ve ever been in,” says Bianca.
“We just have so much fun together... and we just get along so well.”
Romance blossomed between the pair, who met on Instagram in March 2019, when they started exchanging messages about their rollercoaster experiences on television.
“My show had already been on air and Mark’s was currently playing out, so we were comparing our experiences – and what a shock to the system it is,” says Bianca, who wasn’t a fan of Married At First Sight. g
“We kept [our relationship] ti hi ] under wraps for a while before we were comfortable with it all,” adds Mark, 43, who runs St Kilda’s Freelancer cafe.
The couple have put their relationship to the test in the past seven months, moving in together to a one-bedroom apartment in Melbourne’s Prahran. While they love their new life under the same roof, Bianca, 38, admits it has been an “eye-opening” experience.
“I’ve learned a lot about Mark while living together, what fights to have, what fights not to have,” says the former netball champ, confessing Mark is the tidier of the pair.
After her renovation success on the 2018 season of The Block, the brunette beauty is keen to get back on the tools, this time with Mark in tow, as they hunt for their forever home together. Eager to put what she has learned l df from the h reality li show h to the test, Bianca says it’s not all painting, project managing and pillow fluffing – she now knows the importance of a good budget, too.
“For me, my physical and mental wellbeing has always been a priority, but maybe not so much my financial wellbeing,” says Bianca, who has been using ANZ’S Financial Wellbeing plan to make her dreams a reality. “I was able to start a little savings account for a rainy day – or reno day. It’s about the bigger picture for Mark and me.”
With their hearts set on a fixer-upper they can add their own stamp to, Bianca says she’s excited to have a new project as a couple.
“When we first met, Mark knew I’d done The Block but I don’t think he realised my love of property has been with me since I was a kid – this is what keeps me happy,” she says with a laugh. “When I started taking Mark househunting with me, he wasn’t sure what I was after. Now he’s an expert and he’s setting up all the house hunting we do on Saturdays.”
‘It’s about the bigger picture for Mark and me’