Exclusive: How Team parents Mark and Leanne won the hearts of the group and made it to the final challenge on Parental Guidance 2023

When Parental Guidance's Team mum Leanne squashed her own fear of snakes so her young daughter could experience what it was like to hold the slithering reptile, she won the hearts of everyone watching.

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The moment also saw host Ally Langdon choke up. "You made me cry!" she said, tears welling in her eyes.

It wasn't just Leanne putting her kids first that was genuinely touching – it was also the way the family rallied together, and husband Mark both gently encouraged and supported his wife.

"One in, all in," is the Team family motto – and it showed throughout every challenge the group tackled.

"We have to back each other," Mark told 9Entertainment in an exclusive chat.

"[Most of the time], it's just us and the children, so we have to be a tight knit team, working together to make sure we get the outcomes for our children as best possible.

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"If we're not on the same page, all hell breaks loose – I'll be honest!" he laughed.

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Leanne shared the couple had a natural connection, right from the start.

"We were just drawn towards each other," she said. "We combined so well. It's a beautiful love/hate relationship!"

Of course, she was joking (as usual). As many of the other families observed, the family was always bursting with a whole lot of love (and laughs, too).

But there's also a healthy dollop of structure, discipline and boundaries.

"We teach our kids to be resilient and competitive by nature," explains Mark, the son of Rugby League immortal, Arthur Beetson.

"We want them to take on any challenges because you never know what life's going to throw at them. We want to educate them on anything and everything."

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That was clear when the family took to the show, tackling the challenges with gusto – and occasionally mixed results. While they're proud of the way they handled most of the challenges, Mark admitted he was taken aback by the feedback he got following a challenge about sibling rivalry.

His young children had a huge tantrum, and the way Mark handled their crying saw other families question his approach. Eventually, parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson pulled the two aside for a one–on–one session to offer some advice.

"In my mind, I thought I had handled it pretty well," Mark confessed.

"But perception is the thing, right?" Mark continued, adding that Justin made him consider the way he had empathised with his young daughter. "I realised I probably got it wrong a little."

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The pair took his advice on board and tried it out later that evening. They were amazed when Justin's advice produced great results. "We saw Dr Justin the next day and gave him a big cuddle!" Leanne said.

"I am always learning," he said. "I go in with an attitude every day that if I can't learn something new, what's the point? I learn off different people all the time – from kids, adults. I was trained to think like that from a young age, probably by my Dad."

Even if the moment wasn't flawless, failure always offers a learning opportunity for the Team parents. "You don't know what success if until you have failure," Mark explained.

"You have to embrace both sides. So we encourage our kids if they fail at something, or they lose, they do it with grace and style."

He added that owning your mistakes or awkward moments ultimately means you are taking control of the situation. "People can't then give you their negativity, or attack you," he said.

Mark and Leanne demonstrated their typical forthright style when they were asked about the other families on the show. "First impressions, I was not into the Influencers or the Gentle parents," Leanne admitted. "The Gentle parents were driving me crazy! But you get to know people and now they're our favourites, we absolutely adore them."

She reveals the parents have a 'group chat' together now, where everyone gets along. "I love that," Leanne added.

"Regardless of all our different parenting styles, we are all unique, someone can take something away from everybody on the show," Mark said. "And all the kids are turning out to be pretty well-rounded human beings."

The busy family is always on the go, but Leanne admitted she would have had even more children if she'd had her way. She joked about the way she faltered when describing the female anatomy in a body awareness challenge, and Mark sheepishly revealed he actually studied anatomy at University.

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But despite the awkward moment on air, the pair laughed it off – as always. "When I can see the kids are embarrassed, I like to turn things into a joke to relax them," Leanne shared. "I find that easy, and it brings them around.

"A laugh always makes things easier."

Parental Guidance Grand Finale Week begins Sunday at 7pm and continues Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm Channel 9 and 9Now.

Stream the latest episodes of Parental Guidance for free on 9Now.