The Block on Channel 9 – Five days to Kitchen and Laundry Room Reveals and we are living for the drama this week always delivers.
Everyone reminds us yet again why kitchens are important – or as Eliza says, “Moral of the story is, don’t botch the kitchen.”
Roger that.
House 5’s builder woes have hit their peak. Even Kristy in House 3 is aware of (and totally unrelated to) the drama, and she’s ready to weigh in.
“You need to get a new builder,” she tells the girls supportively. Privately, she reveals she was simply sick of hearing about “the poor girls”.
“I’m done with it. I’m over it,” she says.
Unlike the girls, Kristy and hubby Brett are actually in good shape this week. That’s despite having a huge four rooms to reveal due to their floor plan tweaks – a kitchen, laundry, dining room and butler’s pantry.
Round the corner at House 1, Kyle and Leslie are determined to bounce back from their harsh feedback on Sunday. Noting their kitchen has very limited natural light, they want to install some skylights. The foremen agree it’s a stellar idea but they need to sweet talk the site plumbers, builders and architects first.
It’s worth the effort. So, after some kerfuffle, Dan arrives to tell them they’ve been given the OK to go ahead with two skylights and the pair are delighted. Is it the good news we have been hoping for for House 1? Not quite, but we shall take it for now.
The teams are working on a charity challenge this week at BayCISS. The centre is available for anyone who needs emergency assistance and the reality of just how important the space is is making itself known regularly to the contestants.
During the renovation, the centre has been temporarily closed, but as Leah explains, “We have already witnessed people needing this centre.”
Liberty and Gian both separately add they were on-site when people turned up looking for assistance.
“It hit home for me today,” Leah agrees, explaining that those in need are getting electronic food vouchers while the centre is on its pause. “We can’t delay their [re]opening,” she vows. Ash agrees seeing people turn up gives him motivation to knuckle down and get stuck into the task.
The inside and exterior teams have been hard at work finishing the spaces before the looming deadline. Eliza and Liberty are wowed by the work ethic of Houses 2 and 3. “They are bosses,” Eliza notes. “They just get stuff done!”
Speaking of getting stuff done, Kyle and Gian are thriving as a team, working on the outdoor space. “Definitely much quieter when the girls aren’t here,” Gian admits, while Steph and Leslie head off to the shops. “Much more productive!”
That productivity is put to the test when Steph calls for a very specific measurement. Gian does his best to provide her with the details via phone and a hilarious communication breakdown ensues.
Fractured communication is on the minds of Eliza and Liberty too. They have acknowledged that they are at a standstill with their build team and know that something’s gotta give. When Scott Cam sends them the details of a brother/brother build team that can potentially take over, it seems like the perfect match for our sister/sister rookies.
But the whole process is weighing on the pair.
“I hate it so much,” admits Liberty, as she and Eliza skulk off to discuss firing their current builders.
Eliza admits that in the real world, they would never hesitate to work with their existing team but the pace and style of The Block just isn’t a great fit for them. “It’s not reality,” she admits. “We need a bit of nurturing and just a bit of guidance.”
They vow to let their current builders go, and return to site to be met with confusing news.
Foreman Keith greets them with a merry update. “Your building crew has just been unbelievable,” he enthuses.
That sort of lovely praise just isn’t helpful right now.
And the positivity-drenched love fest isn’t easing up. “We’ve had a massive day,” Mark, the girls’ builder, tells them proudly. “I’m excited!”
He shows them the progress and organisation the team has delivered, while the girls were off plotting how to fire them.
“He was delivering us on a platter everything we’d always hoped of him,” notes Eliza. The two sisters wither inside and wonder if this is a bizarre coincidence, or if Mark and the team have cottoned onto their impending demise.
“My feeling is that they’ve caught wind of something,” Eliza whispers to Liberty. She adds that if not, it feels like a “sick series of coincidences.”
“This is what we’ve been wanting all along and it’s conveniently happened on the day we’ve made a decision,” she ponders.
They’re not the only contestants second guessing themselves. Leah is stressing out about the choices she’s made for her room this week. “I had a really tough time designing this kitchen,” she admits.
When she sees her plans start to take shape, she’s rattled. “Hate it with a passion,” she says bluntly. “Cannot proceed.”
She bites the bullet and concedes she needs to reduce the size of the all-important kitchen island.
“This is critical to the sale,” Dan concurs, but Leah does not need any extra pressure. She’s extremely overwhelmed and all the tension has made her think of home. Missing her kids, Leah eventually breaks down in tears.
Ash gives her a consoling hug, as Leah sobs.
“We’re doing this for them,” she admits, as Ash too, becomes a touch misty-eyed. “But you can lose focus of that pretty quickly if you lose some confidence in your week.”
“This kitchen has knocked me,” she reveals. “I really could completely stuff it.”
As Leah fights back tears, Eliza and Liberty fight a serious case of the guilts. They’re now not comfortable letting their builder go when he’s got them to the best position they’ve ever been in. “The reality of the situation really scared us,” Eliza admits.
Regardless, they slip out to meet the potential new building team of brothers. “We feel like we’re cheating on someone,” says Eliza. “It feels gross.”
The sisters explain to the brothers they are complete rookies and while they respect their current team, the fit with the Block side isn’t quite seamless enough.
“The experience should be fun,” the building brothers say, explaining they have a large team backing them. It’s all the girls need to know to finalise the inevitable.
But before a fresh start happens, they still need to officially let their existing team go… and things are only getting more awkward as that looming conversation gets nearer.
Just as Block life starts turning a corner for the girls, things crash and burn for Leah and Ash.
Resolved to her fate of having a smaller island, Leah learns the stone she wants for her bench is not available. She’s instantly crushed.
“That was just brain frazzling,” Leah says, struggling to design a new island on the spot.
She has a few misfires, but Leah will not be broken by this island and before too long, she’s conceptualised a stunning new design…
…Or maybe not. Because a sneak peek of judge feedback on Sunday reveals Darren Palmer questioning the island bench in its entirety.
Welp.
We called it from the get-go – this is a stressful week. Unless you’re Kyle and Leslie, who manage to still find the fun with a spontaneous game of hide-and-seek in the Freedom cushion cage. They do manage to scare Kristy too, and she’s unimpressed. “When did you get a personality?” she quizzes Kyle.
That comment aside, this is just the sort of wholesome breath of fresh air we needed, before we head on to the next drama.
That takes place over at the charity challenge, where hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft have arrived to get some insights into the Blockheads’ plans.
Shelley gently advises the interior team to carefully consider their colour choices for the paint they’re using. She less-gently advises them to get a desk that’s suitable for an actual adult, when she discovers the tiny option they have planned.
“We’re not questioning you,” Scotty says. “It’s just these challenges are so important to get right.” Let’s interpret this as: Make some changes, please and thank you – and immediately.
The outdoor team also cop some blunt feedback. Scott and Shelley query whether the pizza oven they have planned is the best option. They point out the people arriving at the centre don’t have pizza parties at the front of their minds. But the exterior team defend their choice and explain they spoke to other local businesses about assisting the centre to learn to make pizzas and potentially hold community events.
“You won us over,” Scott grins.
But while Steph is busy selling her pizza idea, Leah is busy nabbing the shared transit van that Steph had booked for pick ups.
As Leah zips off in the van, Steph ponders why following the process to book the van hasn’t worked out for her. “What’s the actual point of doing the right thing?” Steph wonders.
Leah’s aware Steph’s angry… and she’s seemingly OK with that. “You’ve got ten big personalities on The Block,” she notes. “We don’t all need to be ‘kumbaya’ best friends.
“I actually just don’t have time for that.”
Put your marshmallows, guitars and sleeping bags away everyone – there will be no friendly slumber parties and singalongs happening anytime soon.
The Block on Nine and 9Now airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm. Catch up on all the latest episodes on 9Now.
This recap has been used with permission from Channel 9
Special thanks to Lulu Wilkinson at Nine.
Link to 9Now HERE
Link to Lulu’s full recap including with extra video content and info HERE
The Block on Channel 9
About The Block
Get ready, Australia. The Block, the number one renovation reality program, returns for an incredible 19th season on Sunday, August 6, at 7.00pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Set in the family-friendly Melbourne suburb of Hampton East, the new series features five houses designed and built in the 1950s and located on the aptly named Charming Street. These grand old dames are now aged in their 70s and way overdue for a contemporary update.
For the first time in Block history, host Scott Cam will be providing contestants with the full renovation schedule ahead of time this season. So get your cameras out, Blockheads, it’s photo time.
Adding to the year of Block firsts and amping up the stakes at play during the 48-hour House Decider Challenge, contestants will be seeing all finished designs of the houses on Day 1. Who will prevail and get the house of their choice?
Not only will they get the schedule and designs up front, but in another first, they’ll receive their entire budgets as well.
However, the Blockheads will soon find out that it’s not all smooth sailing when renovating an original 1950s home – structural issues, extreme weather events, and a mountain of demolition will test our five keen couples every step of the way.
Plus, The Block’s state-versus-state rivalry will be amplified by the sheer closeness of the houses this year. Who knew being able to peak into your neighbours builds would cause such tension?
The couples in contention are: sisters Eliza and Liberty Paschke (personal assistant, 37, and integration producer, 34, VIC); parents Kyle and Leslie Cottone (firefighter, 36, and teaching aide, 34, WA); parents Leah and Ash Milton (first aid officer, 31, and builder, 36, QLD); married couple Kristy and Brett Beames (project manager, 34, and safety officer, 34, SA); and newlyweds Steph and Gian Ottavio (architect, 27, and start up worker, 27, NSW).
Real estate expert Marty Fox isn’t the only new addition to the lineup this season. The formidable foremen Keith Schleiger and Dan Reilly will be joined on site with the fan favourite from last year, Tom Calleja.
The nation fell in love with Tom and his wife Sarah-Jane because of their work ethic and relatable marital bickering, and he jumped at the chance to work with Scotty and come back as this year’s official Block plumber.
The designs of the amazing homes in this series again come from The Block’s resident architect, Julian Brenchley.
At stake is $100,000 for the overall winner of The Block, on top of any profit the five couples can all make on the critical auction day. Plus bragging rights for the winners’ state.
Since premiering on Channel 9 in 2003, Australia’s richest reality program has awarded a total of $32,592,807.65 in prizemoney.
The Block – on Channel 9 and 9Now
Media Release – Nine
TV Central Nine content HERE
