It’s the reality renovation juggernaut that has not been without controversy over its two-decade history.
And with one ‘cheating’ scandal already aired on The Block, Daily Mail can reveal another is about to rock the Daylesford site.
It seems that the current crop of Blockheads are veering toward all-out war with a second ‘copycat’ controversy due to air in the coming weeks.
And the reactions to the two controversies could not be more different.
The first scandal, which went to air last month, featured Queenslanders Alicia and Sonny going head-to-head with Perth-based hopefuls Han and Can.
The Queenslanders accused Han and Can of stealing the concept for their Hepburn Springs bathhouse.
It’s the reality renovation juggernaut that has not been without controversy over its two-decade history. And with one ‘cheating’ scandal already aired on The Block, Daily Mail can reveal another is about to rock the Daylesford site
Tensions were so heightened in the wake of the accusations that one Block insider confessed it was one of the season’s ‘most heated moments’.
‘Alicia went ballistic,’ a source told Daily Mail.
‘She may have toned it down for the cameras but off-screen she was still seething. Sonny made it clear the girls were dead to him.’
It might have been one of the season’s biggest blow-ups to date, but the drama certainly won’t stop there.
A second copycat scandal is about to rock the cast of The Block – this time involving Adelaide boys Matt and Robby and Victorian husband-and-wife duo Em and Ben.
Matt and Robby had been planning a show-stopping wine cellar and bunker design, only for Em and Ben to unveil an almost identical concept over at House One.
While Alicia and Sonny made no secret about their feelings, Matt and Robby take a different tack.
Rather than ‘going ballistic’, the boys quietly bite their tongues – even while privately arguing that it would be considered cheating if they pulled the same stunt.
A second copycat scandal is about to rock the cast of The Block – this time involving Adelaide boys Matt and Robby (pictured) and Victorian husband-and-wife duo Em and Ben
Matt and Robby had been planning a show-stopping wine cellar and bunker design, only for Em and Ben (pictured) to unveil an almost identical concept over at House One.
Unlike Alicia and Sonny, however, the boys take a very different tack. Rather than exploding, they quietly bite their tongues.
‘If we put a wine cellar in our backyard, it’d be considered cheating,’ Em herself previously remarked, only for House One to do just that in the weeks that follow.
One production insider told Daily Mail the contrasting reactions have been reality TV gold.
‘You’ve got Alicia and Sonny bringing fireworks, and Matt and Robby playing it cool,’ they said.
‘Two identical scandals, two totally different strategies. It’s perfect TV.’
Even Han and Can, who were left in tears after being accused of theft, confessed the allegations cut deep.
‘To be viewed as a person who would steal an idea absolutely disgusts me. I’m not that person. That hurts,’ Can said.
With the wine cellar bust-up still to air and auction day fast approaching, tensions across the site are far from settled.
Rather than ‘going ballistic’, the boys quietly bite their tongues – even while privately arguing that it would be considered cheating if they were to try the same stunt
The first scandal, which went to air last month, featured Queenslanders Alicia and Sonny (pictured) going head-to-head with Perth-based hopefuls Han and Can
Sonny and Alicia accused Han and Can (pictured) of stealing their idea after both teams included a heated seat in their Hepburn Spa bathrooms
Fans are preparing for fresh drama and wondering which Blockheads’ approach will pay off when the hammer finally falls.
Daily Mail has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.
In the first copycat fracas, Sonny and Alicia accused Han and Can of stealing their idea after both teams included a heated seat in their Hepburn Spa bathrooms.
‘Why would you do that? If you’ve heard another house is doing it, why are you copying? It makes no sense,’ Alicia could be heard saying in a rant.
‘These girls better have a good excuse for this,’ she added, dubbing the move ‘uncreative’ and ‘unoriginal’.
When the couple went to confront Han about the alleged cheating, she denied that she and Can were guilty of any wrongdoing, claiming the chippies had let them in on the idea.
Despite Han defending their decision to build a heated seat, Sonny and Alicia weren’t buying it.
‘When someone lies straight to your face, to me, that’s the worst. Just be honest,’ Alicia said in her piece to camera.
Tensions were so heightened in the wake of the accusations, that one Block insider confessed it was one of the season’s ‘most heated moments’
‘Alicia went ballistic,’ a source told Daily Mail. ‘She may have toned it down for the cameras but off-screen she was still seething. Sonny made it clear the girls were dead to him.’
‘I think it’s full of s***. I think she heard our idea. I think they put no time into it.’
Can later went to apologise to Sonny and Alicia, adding that the move wasn’t malicious but rather a misunderstanding.
However, the moment raised eyebrows both on-site and on screen.
‘So you’ve got one person saying they’re innocent and you’ve got one apologising. So if you’re apologising, what are you apologising for if you’re innocent?’ Sonny said to the camera.
