Sharon and Ankur were questioned for their choices on The Block. This is what they want to say.

After a non-stop three months of intense renovations on the biggest home ever seen on The Block, Sharon Johal and Ankur Dogra are feeling lighter. Hopeful. And ready for what's to come. 

The couple and four other pairs have just wrapped up filming what Sharon told Mamamia will go down in history as the "most brutal, most hardest, most challenging Block ever".

Now they're on the other side of the gruelling challenge, Sharon is proud to have made it this far.

"We finished it. We stuck through with it and we've got this incredible house to show for all our hard work," she said.

By the way, if you want to have a little snoop into Ankur and Sharon's home, watch the clip here. Post continues after video. 

Ankur and Sharon's Block journey has been unique to the rest of the other contestants this year. While they started as rookies – with Ankur being an accountant and Sharon being an actor and lawyer – they've left the show wiser and with a lot of new lessons under their belts. 

House Three may have been the biggest and the most difficult block of land to pick but it's not a decision the pair regret at all – especially Ankur, who specifically chose the build. 

"I would ask the trades and be trying to pick their brain and every single one of them said that from a real estate point of view, [House Three] is the best house," Ankur recalled to Mamamia. "But no one said that it is the most work."

For Sharon, they didn't understand just how large their property was. 

"We had no idea what [having the largest house] meant," she explained. "For me, it wasn't even the largest house – it was the BEST view on The Block."

And in many ways, she's right. The 10-acre parcel of land arguably has the best views due to their house being elevated above the others – and when you're comparing homes on such a microscopic level (as they do on The Block), an advantage like their outlook could be the tipping point that sees them win.

Ankur and Sharon's home in the Macedon Ranges. Image: Supplied.

"I was like, 'Of course I'd pick this... Why wouldn't everybody pick it?'" Sharon recalled. "We worked out later that they didn't pick it because it is the hardest build. And we didn't know because we're not builders. We're not renovators."

If given the opportunity to renovate a house on a competitive reality show, the pair probably wouldn't go with a house as large as theirs again. 

"I'd like to say I would but if you want to do a competition where it is a room a week, you wouldn't pick this house because it is just too much," she said. "We pulled 72-hour weeks, every single week."

Ankur and Sharon. Image: Supplied.

"Regardless of whether you see it or you don't, we'll say that about us because... We just had to [work that much]."

Their challenge in building a home from the foundation up was almost enough to make them walk away numerous times. But their overall goal to represent other people of colour outweighed their self-doubt and exhaustion.

"We wanted representation in Australia. It's something I've worked towards my whole career as the first Punjabi Sikh on Neighbours," Sharon said."I think [producers] saw that and said, 'You know what? They're willing to give it a crack.' They want to live the Australian dream and try something different."

While Sharon didn't necessarily intend to, she became "ratings gold". 

"I'm open with my emotions and I'm very honest and raw. It's ratings gold, or so I've been told," she explained to Mamamia.

Ankur and Sharon's home in the Macedon Ranges. Image: Supplied.

By the end of filming The Block season, the pair were feeling deflated and self-conscious about their build. But weeks on, Ankur and Sharon have a renewed faith in their home and are letting go of the criticisms they were met with from the judges and other contestants on The Block.

"[Our rooms] never really hit the right note with the judges," Sharon told Mamamia. "And I got to a point where I was like, 'You know what? We're not doing this competition to satisfy three people who are interior designers because they're not going to buy the home."

The pair have the title for 'Biggest House' on The Block, but Ankur and Sharon believe they should 'Best House' too.

Ankur and Sharon's home in the Macedon Ranges. Image: Supplied.

"We tried to create a property that evokes emotion and that's probably what's going to get our buyer to buy this home as well," she said. "These are brand new homes but we wanted to create one that was full of character," she said. "It's not cookie cutter and it evokes strong emotion."

Ankur said that people's responses have been "visceral" when they see their house.

"They've obviously got expectations of what they've seen on the show, but it completely changes when they come in person," he explained. 

Sharon thinks that no matter how discouraging the criticism might have been on The Block, reactions she's received from the public have left her feeling "really proud".

"The reaction we get from people now that the show is finished – on the street, in the supermarket, from artists –  thousands of people have reached out to us," she explained. 

"They're hating what the judges are saying, they feel sorry for us [because of our] portrayal on the show but they always say like, 'Oh my god, your house is so stylish'."

Ankur and Sharon's home in the Macedon Ranges. Image: Supplied.

She added: "And you know what? After 12 weeks of hearing [negative stuff] from the judges and that it is not what they wanted, your confidence is shot and you feel very defeated. And we kind of ended the show feeling crap about ourselves. But now that we're on the other side, I honestly can tell you that we feel really proud of what we've achieved."

Their advice to those thinking of signing up for The Block would be to not go on the show if they do a build this big again. Luckily, Sharon doesn't believe they ever will.

"This build was like a unicorn. I don't think they will ever do a build like this again – because it was too mammoth for everybody," she told Mamamia. "And if they were [to do it again], I would actually tell [people with no trade experience like us], 'Don't go on this show'... Because I really do think it was a massive disadvantage."

Ankur and Sharon's home in the Macedon Ranges. Image: Supplied.

"We did it even though it was tough," Sharon stated before offering some advice for those who still want to apply for The Block. "Give it a crack and live your dream. Because if we can do it, anyone can do it. That's how I truly feel."

Ahead of the auctions on Sunday evening, Ankur and Sharon are keeping their fingers crossed for the best results. 

"We don't have a lot of family wealth... It would really help us in our careers and going forward in our family planning," she said. "I'd personally love for all the houses to sell but our home [especially], because I do think it's the best on The Block."

She added: "At this point, anything that happens we're ready for. Onwards and upwards."

Sharon says she sees a future in interior design for herself. Image: Supplied.

As for what the future looks like for the pair?

Sharon is set to appear in the new Apple TV+ series adaption Shantaram, alongside Charlie Hunnam. 

"I'm playing a brothel owner in that one... And that's acting," she explained. "I am still very much dedicated and passionate about acting so you know... the typical actor's life is auditioning and doing a million auditions and then landing one. So I'm still auditioning!"

While Ankur was teased by Foremen Dan and Keith for not staying on top of their finances as he is an accountant in his 'normal career', (an accusation he's since denied, claiming there were some costs the contestants were not privy to), he's shaken that criticism off. And has since earned a promotion in his accounting firm. Twice. 

The pair have also explained that following the response from professionals in the interior design industry, their future in that space is looking to be bright.

"I actually could see myself doing something in this space. Whether's it got to do with style design, interior design [or] flipping houses," she said. 

"We're very open to whatever comes our way. So watch this space because I don't think this is the last you're going to see of Ankur and Sharon."

The Block Auctions air Sunday November 6, 2022 at 7pm. 

Feature Image: Supplied.