The Block is about to return for another season – and so is judge Shaynna Blaze, who has been with the hugely popular show since 2012!
The Australian interior designer, writer, singer and TV personality has a massive fan base dating from her time as co-host of Selling Houses Australia – the Foxtel show that ran from 2008 to 2020.
The 61-year-old, real name Sharon Ainsley, has had a fascinating life, including a 10-year stint as a jazz singer, two marriages, two children, a successful interior design business and TV fame.
She won Celebrity Apprentice Australia in 2021, beating out the likes of fitness guru Michelle Bridges, radio star Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, and model and Survivor star David Genat.
In 2023, she appeared on The Masked Singer, and this year she released her first solo single, a track called Warrior.
Here’s all you need to know about this multi-faceted Aussie celebrity – and why these days she likes to keep her personal life under wraps.
Is Shaynna Blaze married?
Shaynna Blaze is not currently married, however, she has previously been married twice.
She divorced her second husband, personal trainer Steve Vaughan, in 2023. They separated in August 2018 after 18 years of marriage.
Blaze penned a brief statement at the time saying their paths had “changed directions”.
“Sometimes in life, our paths change directions and now is one of those times for me, with Steve and I separating,” she wrote.
“I will not be making any further statements about this and whilst I appreciate your support, I ask that you respect our right to privacy.”
The pair first met at a Melbourne bar and were engaged 11 months later, Now To Love reported.
Is Shaynna Blaze in a relationship?
Since her split from Vaughan, Blaze has been linked with a few eligible bachelors, but has chosen to keep her private life just that – private!
In 2021, rumours emerged that Blaze was seeing a new man, but the TV personality was keeping quiet on the subject.
She told TV Week the media and fan scrutiny over her separation from Vaughan had made her wary of being too open about her personal life.
“My life has been splashed out there more than I ever wanted. All I can say is I’m very happy.”
Does Shaynna Blaze have children?
Yes, Shaynna Blaze has two children: son Jess Kenneally and daughter Carly Anne Kenneally, from her first marriage.
Little is known about Blaze’s first husband, whom she married when she was a commercial interior designer in Melbourne. After their divorce, Blaze said she found it hard to run her own business with two small children, so she sang in a jazz band for 10 years, playing in clubs while her parents babysat.
She returned to interior design after marrying her second husband.
Is Shaynna Blaze a singer?
Yes! In the earlier part of her career, Blaze sang in a jazz band. On May 3, 2024, Blaze released her debut single Warrior.
“I’ve been holding onto (the song) for a long time,” she told 9Entertainment just ahead of the song’s release.
“You know what it’s like with everything, it’s got to be about the timing and the timing’s right. So yeah, it’s exciting.”
Blaze said the song was about a difficult time she was going through during the height of the COVID pandemic, sharing, “I wrote it about some things I was going through where I actually felt quite helpless, but it was about the only thing I had – my voice, and being able to use it in a positive way for strength.”
Why did Shaynna Blaze leave Selling Houses Australia?
Selling Houses Australia was the show that made Blaze a household name, but in 2021 she announced she was leaving the popular Foxtel show after 13 seasons.
Taking to Instagram, she explained that she just had too much on her plate, writing, “I hoped I’d be able to balance working on Selling Houses, honouring my business commitments to my clients, and pursuing some other exciting upcoming projects, but once SHA’s production [for 2021] was confirmed, it quickly became obvious that juggling everything was going to be too much of a stretch.”
“My very first gig on TV was Selling Houses which has brought me to where I am today and I owe the show, and Foxtel, a huge debt of gratitude for that.”
