Speaking with Andrew Denton in the famed journalist’s anticipated return to TV, the idolised pair spoke about their experience competing against each other at the 21st Commonwealth Games.

Video emerged of the older sister looking glum after watching her former relay team win gold, prompting rumours a rift was beginning to open between the sisters.

When asked if there was any animosity between them behind the blocks, the sisters admitted they were “invisible” to each other before the race.

“Behind the blocks, it’s like, “She ... I don’t know her. Why would I help her?’” Cate said, laughing.

“That sounds pretty selfish but, at the end of the day, it’s your race. You just gotta do your own thing,” Bronte replied.

The bubbly duo, who snagged four medals apiece at Carrara, had already captured Australian hearts after winning gold in the women’s freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Elder sibling Cate, 25, played the mentor role as the Aussie team broke the all-time World Record with a time of 3:30.65.

But as it often goes with sibling rivalries, sometimes you’ve got to sit in the shadows as the younger child basks in the glory.

Cate suffered a massive blow on the Gold Coast last week after being left out of the women’s relay team. The bombshell announcement was made just hours before the start siren — following Cate’s loss to 23-year-old Bronte in the individual 100m event.

Denton probed the pair, asking if any pre-event sledging went on before the bell.

“No, we can’t do that. That’s pointless. I mean, at the end of the day, when we’re up there

and especially when we’re racing against the rest of the world,” Bronte said.

As the interview went on, it became clear the Campbell sisters didn’t feel any animosity over each other’s success in the pool.

“If you can’t do well, you want your sister to do well, you want Australia to do well, you want your family to do well, you want someone you love to do well and so why would you jeopardise that?” Bronte said.

As the final stretch dawned, Bronte, who won gold by a hair, admitted she couldn’t remember the majority of the race.

“I was breathing in Cate’s direction coming into the last 25, and so I could see her. I could see she was ahead of me and then that was the last time I looked at her. It was pretty overwhelming. You could feel ... you could hear the crowd, so I knew something was happening. I don’t remember it, to be honest. I remember bits of it but I don’t have a very clear memory of it at all.”

Cate: “I could see that Bronte was right next to me but, like, you’re breathing so quickly and you’re so low in the water and there’s water going everywhere that I didn’t exactly know.

You know, it’s why people watch sport and, honestly, people are like, oh, you know, ‘Aren’t you annoyed at her or angry at her?’ I’m like, no. Yes, everyone loves to win. I’m not going to deny that. But I’m so proud of Bronte and what she’s done.

“You know what? Coming second isn’t that much of a big deal. Like, everyone wants number one.”

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