Having come second in the first season of Lego Masters NZ back in 2022, Christchurch mums Emily Fryer and Sarah Mosley may be reality TV veterans, but stepping into the Lego Masters Australia: Grand Masters Of The Galaxy competition brought some exciting firsts – such as meeting hosts Hamish Blake and Ryan “Brickman” McNaught.
“It was surreal,” remembers Sarah, 43, who’s proud to be representing New Zealand in the global block-building challenge, which sees 10 teams from around the world battling it out for a $100,000 grand prize.
“You see these people on TV and then they’re in front of you, giving you advice. They say, ‘Never meet your heroes,’ but in this case, it was the other way around – they were amazing!”
Canterbury Museum conservator Emily – who’s a mum to Olivia, 14, Imogen, 12, and Stuart, 10 – adds that being among the few women in the traditionally male-dominated Lego community makes their partnership extra-special. She and Sarah love to inspire young builders.
Emily, 44, grins, “Every time girls come up to us at brick shows, we say to them, ‘You can do this – you just need to use your imagination.’ That’s always been our big thing.”
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Sarah – who has two kids, Benji, 14, and Bethany, nine, and works for House of Bricks – continues, “We’re both very ardent feminists. We can do it just as well as the blokes.”
The pair met when their eldest kids were in primary school together and are brimming with confidence, although the new competition wasn’t without its challenges.
“We’re a duo and that’s how we roll,” Sarah says.
“So when we were told we would sometimes have to work with another team, we thought, ‘How’s that going to work?!’”
Lego Masters Australia: Grand Masters Of The Galaxy premieres 7.30pm Monday on Three and ThreeNow.
The competition
Owen & Gabby
Australia
Both previous Lego Masters finalists, they’re teaming up for the first time, fusing artistic talent and engineering precision to create playful, fearless, story-driven builds.
Paul & Nealita
USA
These brother-sister sensations from the fourth US series bring architectural smarts and sibling rivalry to the table. Their bond is strong and their builds are as loud as their banter!
Vidar & Albin
Sweden
Seen as “Lego royalty” in their native Sweden, Vidar is the cool creative, while Albin is the detailed technician – and they’re teaming up for the first time. Will their bromance conquer Oz?
Henry & Cade
Australia
The winners of the very first season of Lego Masters Australia – both ambitious, creative dads – hope to reclaim the title after seven years
of record-breaking builds.
David & G
Australia
Runners-up on season one of the Aussie series, these longtime friends and passionate mechanics share a personal collection of more than
1.5 million Lego bricks.
Oakari & Aura
Finland
Champions of the second season of Lego Masters Finland, these quirky besties mix architectural structure with whimsical flair and storytelling to reflect their belief Lego should be fun!
Nick & Stacey
Canada
Winners of the third US season, the bow-tied engineer and creative queen will be mixing technical finesse with arty vision for their signature intricate, complex and epic builds.
Alex & Trent
Australia
Teaming up for the first time, accountant Trent and makeup artist Alex bonded over their love of bright colours and all things Star Wars – they both have impressive toy collections.
Dai & Jiayuan
China
Runners up on Lego Masters China season two, the pair combine artistry and cultural heritage. Dai is famed for his celebrity portraits, while Jiayuan specialises in animals and spaceships.
