SCOTT: Previously on The Block Tree Change...
WOMAN: Oh, my God, our whole lives are about to change, Tom.
..five teams rocked up to our biggest Block ever
in the beautiful Macedon Ranges in Victoria.
You made it! We're here.
Whoo!
With 10 acres each
and some of the largest houses we've ever had...
That is massive. This is massive.
..the challenge proved too much for Joel and Elle.
..who flew the coop without so much as a goodbye.
They have left the show.
Seriously?
Oh, wow.
So, with only 48 hours notice,
Sydney parents Rachel and Ryan jumped at the chance
to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I can't believe we are about to meet Scotty Cam.
We got told no originally
so we've got a little bit to prove here.
And they are already looking like serious contenders.
Ryan's a plumber.
We have a renovations business
so we do have a fair idea of what's going on.
PRODUCER: Do you reckon now
the Blockheads should be a little worried?
They don't know yet that we're really good
and that's great.
Tonight, with bathroom reveal fast approaching,
while some plans are forced to change...
If someone came and told us, "Bathroom Week,
"this is what you've gotta do," that's what would have done.
That's what this show is about, right?
..others come completely undone.
I reckon they're gonna have to come up.
MAN: That was very disappointing.
We're so far behind, hey?
I swear.
And with a massive $250,000 kitchen prize up for grabs...
250K!
..the stakes in Week One have never been higher.
You win that, you're probably going to win Kitchen Week.
It's a huge deal.
It could mean the difference at auction day
and we are all here, really, for auction day.
(DRAMATIC BURST OF MUSIC)
(BIRDSONG)
(DOG BARKS)
(BIRDSONG, SHEEP BAA)
(GENTLE MUSIC)
(PERSON SNORES)
(GENTLE MUSIC)
(ROOSTER CROWS)
MAN: Did you have sweet dreams, Oz? OZ: Nah.
Nah? What's going on?
Omar? (MAN SNORES)
Omar, skip your skincare routine, man.
(LAUGHTER)
It's Waterproof Thursday.
(MAN SNORES) (LAUGHTER)
So, we didn't make Waterproof Wednesday.
Very disappointing.
Things happen, man. It's crazy.
# Say my name... #
You said it, Oz, The Block is crazy.
And with none of the teams making Waterproof Wednesday,
today is going to be a big one.
WOMAN: Last night, when I got back from the shops,
I thought I would get back and the waterproofing would be done
but the waterproofing wasn't done
so this morning I'm going to get my nail bag on
and help the boys out,
get it done.
MAN: You gotta get out of bed first.
Yeah, I know.
Comfy. It's too hot... cold out there.
I don't want to get out of bed. (CHUCKLES)
Jenny isn't the only one struggling to get going this morning.
Babe, get up, please. It's 8 o'clock.
I need help. It's not a holiday.
Please get up.
I know it's not a holiday.
Well, everyone else is up, babe, and everyone's helping.
8 o'clock. On The Block.
Still in bed, every day.
Every day. Every day.
(WHIMSICAL MUSIC)
While Sarah-Jane can't bring herself
to leave the warmth and safety of her caravan...
..the rest of The Block is a hive of activity.
# In this world it's just us... #
Hello.
"Do you want to work on The Block today?"
(LAUGHS)
No-one is busier than Ankur and Sharon in house three.
SHARON: (SQUEALS) Good morning!
KEITH: It's Thursday. Yep.
You guys are the only people with a floor down.
ANKUR: Thursday morning,
we are ready to actually get the tiler in
and do some waterproofing.
We need him to put a couple of coats down
and we need that to be done today
so it dries in time
for all the tiles to go down tomorrow.
MAN: We'll be waterproofing this arvo.
Yeah, I think you will be, too.
Ankur and Shaz have designed a moody bathroom,
with a walk-in shower and bath area
lined with dark tiles,
a nib wall to separate their wet area
and lux fixtures throughout.
And while these reno rookies have the least amount of experience,
they're currently ahead of the pack.
There is a reason why we are in front
and it is their Velux.
We chose not to have one.
While Velux skylights are a hot commodity on The Block,
the downside is that teams have to give up access to their bathroom
for several hours while they're installed.
If you knew it was going to cost you from actually finishing or not...
MAN: It's a short week.
We had bad weather to start the week.
It would have been too costly to try and put it in, so...
I think it's wise. I think it's wise.
Just because we can have it doesn't mean we should have it.
We'll still get enough light... Yeah.
..in there.
It's just that putting it in,
it's going to take literally eight hours of time
where no other trade can work
so, I mean, that's not going to happen.
Mm.
(TENSE MUSIC)
After a rough day yesterday,
Tom is stressing about the progress of his bathroom.
TOM: I've been asking since 8:00 for Keith.
This happened yesterday. It's 9:00.
I need Keith. I need to get the floor down.
Goodbye. I've got (BLEEP) to do.
Completing a bathroom in only a week
means all of our teams are under the pump
but parents Tom and Sarah-Jane
are dealing with the added stress of missing their baby daughter Cleo
on a very special day.
Yes, it's our daughter's first birthday today.
I can't even hear him talk about it. (CHUCKLES)
Are you having a cucumber?
Cleo's our daughter.
She's everything you could ask for.
# Ooh... #
I think you don't know love till you have a kid.
(DRAMATIC BURST OF MUSIC)
Like, it's just, it's a whole other level of love,
like, having your kid, I think.
It's so nice.
Oh, that's funny because I love you on the exact same level.
Broom, broom, broom.
Leaving Cleo for three months
is just going to be, like, the hardest thing.
I'm going to go in my corner and cry for a little bit now.
(CHUCKLES)
I would have liked to have, um, like, woken up with her,
and, like, put a little party hat on her
and blew, like, you know... (IMITATES PARTY HORN)
You know those things? (IMITATES PARTY HORN)
(PARTY HORN SOUND) Yeah, it sucks. Yeah.
(TEARY) Hey.
Oh, nothing.
(SOBS) I'm just upset about Cleo
'cause it's Cleo's birthday and I just feel sh...
I just feel (BLEEP).
People are gonna watch this show
and just be like, "HAll that girl does in House One
"is cry over her daughter."
Cry, swear, cry. (LAUGHS) I know.
(LAUGHS)
Yeah.
Whatever was happening today, I just wanted it to be done by 4:00
because we had a little...
We had, like, literally 4 to 6 to see her before she goes to bed.
And if they want any hope of making that deadline,
they need everything to run smoothly today.
Just waiting on this floor inspection needed today, so...
Keithy.
Tommy.
Hey, Keith.
Ready for your inspection? Yeah, hope so.
You're getting really stressed. I can see it...
Yeah, I am. ..which is fair enough.
I can tell.
Oh, just we've done so much hard work and it's like...
I know, I know.
..ten steps forward, 15 back.
Literally, any time Keith comes into our house,
like, as much as I like him, I just, like, die.
Like, my butthole is...
It's like you hear 'The Terminator' music.
Yeah. (HUMS 'THE TERMINATOR' MUSIC)
Like, the whole time I am just holding my breath.
Like, "Oh, my God, what are you gonna say,
"what are you gonna say?"
What we had to do was shoot these down.
Put these in. Yep.
You just never know what he's going to say
to ruin your whole day.
Every minute is crucial... Yeah.
..and he's hard enough to get
and if he's not happy with something
you just know he's gone in his buggy...
And he's gone. ..and then it's like...
You may not seem him for two hours. ..another hour.
You're about to smile. Trying to give you a tick.
Oh! Come here! Alright, buddy?
Thanks, Keith.
It's like when you're constipated for four days
and you just do that big poo, that's how I feel.
Yeah.
I'm like so constipated.
He walks out and I'm like, "Oh, thank God, I can do a poo."
Like, you know? (LAUGHS)
It's stressful.
Over in house two,
our newest team Rachel and Ryan are still settling into Block life.
Coffee!
It's hot.
That's yours.
How is everyone?
We haven't been able to plan anything yet.
You know, we were planning different things.
Like, this week, I was taking the kids to dancing
and, you know, swimming and things like that
and I need to plan a house.
That planning includes a contemporary look in their bathroom,
floor-to-ceiling tiles,
a large bath, double vanity and huge walk-in double shower.
But yesterday, they found out their plans did not meet regulations.
MAN: So, your shower row
is basically will be, roughly, what, say, here?
Yeah. Front of the shower rows.
Yep.
The rule is if you want to have a wet area with an open shower,
you have to have a 1500 mil radius inside your wet area.
We're way off. God. (LAUGHS)
(MANIACAL LAUGH)
A quick fix was should we just throw a door on it,
we close the wet area off
and we keep cracking on with the build.
I'll go tell Rach. I'll go ask Rach.
That wasn't ever an option for us.
To have a built-in shower screen
was going completely against the aesthetic of our design.
So, with Rachel not willing to compromise her design,
they instead decided to make some major alterations to the floor
so the water will flow back to the drain,
not outside onto the floor.
We basically had to restructure the floor joists
to allow for the correct floor fall.
And now Keith has come by to check out their progress.
Morning, Ryan. Hey, mate, how are you?
Good, how are you? Fantastic.
We've gotta play down the flooring,
so we're sticking with the fixed panels.
We're not going with the door. Yeah.
So, we obviously, we've gotta meet...
You're gonna alter your floor?
We're gonna alter the floor to meet that 1500 code.
Yep. So we'll make it work.
OK. Alright?
PRODUCER: Is Bathroom Week what you thought it would be?
Is it harder, easier?
It's the project management side is crucial.
If everything lines up
and you have everyone available when you need them
you can deliver.
While house two are back on track,
over at house four,
Dylan and Jenny's bathroom plans
are about to get tripped up by the same regulations.
JENNY: We wanted to have a big walk-in shower.
I think that looks really awesome.
DYLAN: Yeah. Aidan popped round and ran through the shower.
Screen's set up.
Aidan. Hey.
Dylan. How you going? Hey. I'm Jenny, nice to meet you.
We just set up with your shower and your shower screen.
We have a walk-in shower.
You can't have a walk-in shower
if you don't have the right floor in your bathroom to facilitate it.
Oh, what? What?
You've got a shower in the corner. Yeah.
I know what you're saying. Yeah. Right?
Yeah. With a showerhead.
At 1500...
There is that thorn.
You need to make sure you've got floor to your waste
or you put a shower screen in to block in.
Yeah. Gosh, it's (BLEEP).
So, if we wanted a walk-in shower,
the whole floor had to have fall in it
so it's not as just, it's not as simple as what we did.
You can do what you wanna do
but you've got to just design the room for it.
We would have if someone came and told us,
"Bathroom Week, this is what you've gotta do,"
that's what we would have done.
But that's part of it. We didn't know.
But that's part of what the show's about, right?
I know.
The show's about you guys project managing your build here.
We're putting (BLEEP) up anyways.
It's too hard to turn it into a walk-in shower now.
Now I know.
Put the effort you've gone into now
into making what you can do as good as you can.
Yeah. Right?
If we did that, we wouldn't be able to finish.
Yeah, it's a full-on change. Yeah.
So, for Jenny and Dylan's bathroom to meet code,
they'll now need to add a door to the shower,
enclosing the space.
They will also include a clawfoot bath,
with a double vanity
and a large window overlooking the beautiful view.
I'm just spewing that we can't have a walk-in shower now.
Yet all good. Play on. It will still look nice.
Yeah. We'll make it work.
Yeah. I just feel like this is such a lovely bathroom
and it needs a walk-in shower but what do you do?
It's a big design feature that we wanted to have.
Yeah. It's just when you have something in your head...
I just hate, like, things changing
but I feel like it's The Block
so I'm going to have to get used to that. (LAUGHS)
I wouldn't think we'd have to do a bloody open-door show on The Block
but here we are, so, yeah, love that.
Coming up...
ANKUR: There was a point that we were in a good spot.
Stuff was going well.
From that point on, everything just went downhill.
..reno rookies Ankur and Shaz suffer a massive setback.
Your waterproofer... Yeah?
..is priming the floor with mud.
That worries me a lot. We just need to finish the room.
Yeah. And pray that it gets done properly.
And later... Hi!
Hi, Shelley! Come here. Come here.
..a visit from Shelley and I shakes Rachel and Ryan's confidence.
Keep going with this because you can't change it now,
and it's fine and the judges may love it.
I don't think... I'm not feeling very confident now.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(RAIN PATTERS)
MAN: Ah, it's raining.
How convenient.
Another setback.
First week on The Block has been a challenging one
for most of our teams.
It's all good. I'm tired.
Are you tired?
And I don't blame them
because we've all kicked off our reno
with one of the hardest rooms in the house.
And while my bathroom is coming along great...
MAN: It's looking fantastic. Waterproof Wednesday, too easy.
We're well ahead of everybody else, that's the main thing.
MAN: We're leading. (LAUGHS)
..the Blockheads are struggling.
MAN: Bathroom Week is massive.
We've been thrown literally in the deep end.
We're trying to find our feet as we're going.
(BIRDSONG)
Omar and Oz have big plans for their bathroom.
# There's a boy... #
It will include a spacious shower and bath area
and an intricate herringbone tile pattern-lining the walls.
With so much still to do,
the last thing the boys can afford to hear is this.
I reckon they're gonna have to come up.
(DRAMATIC BURST OF MUSIC)
These sheets.
Keith came.
The floor's a little bit staggered next to the shower side
so he told us that we had to pull off some sheets
and redo that again as well.
See how you've got it here, right, that's flush.
But then as we go along this line, the gap increases.
That's got to be a dead straight line through there.
And I think it's physically impossible to do it
without lifting these sheets up and starting again.
Alright, done.
MAN: We'll give you a perfect line, Keith.
Thank you.
As long as you're happy, I'm happy.
I can't be happy, you be sad.
Done.
You're welcome, buddy.
Thanks for coming by.
That was very disappointing. That was very disappointing.
We're going to be waterproofing on Friday.
It is what it is.
It just has to be done, to be honest.
We're so far behind, hey?
I swear.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Along with the many challenges of building their bathrooms,
the Blockheads have also been up against some terrible weather
this week.
How good's the mud?
Oh, mate, it's like rock-hard now. It's like frozen.
This has got to be the muddiest Block we've ever had.
So, to keep everyone safe in these conditions,
I've called a very important meeting.
Morning, everyone. ALL: Morning.
We've just got a few things we want to talk about and reinforce.
Can you guys make sure you've got a shovel or a scraper
or something by your front door
and keep going over your steps?
It's to try and get the slop down.
And rubbish.
Our lovely Bingo recycling centre is down here.
We need to make sure
we're getting everything down to the recycling centre.
Alright, thanks, Aido.
I want to have a chat to you,
a quick chat about our site and safety.
On your phones,
you will find a handy tool called iAuditor from SafetyCulture
and if anybody on site
sees something that they feel is dangerous,
they can communicate that through this app
and send it to all.
It's really important
that you guys participate in the safety of this site.
With the tyranny of distance on this site -
we're across, you know, 60, 70-odd acres -
being able to communicate through an easy system like that
is going to be really important.
Righto, get back to work.
Hey, by the way, $260,000 up for grabs.
Yeah. Dress well.
# If you're looking for me Baby... #
Now that I've got site safety in order,
the Blockheads can get back into it
but it seems like these bathrooms are finally starting to take shape.
MAN: How are you travelling, Dyl? DYLAN: Yeah, good.
So, waterproofing tonight.
Tiling, first thing. Yep.
PRODUCER: Are you gonna make waterproof Thursday at this rate?
Yeah, we'll make waterproof Thur... We have to.
Yeah, well, if you don't make waterproof Thursday
you're not finishing the bathroom... Yeah.
..so push through, get it done.
It has to be done.
(SIGHS)
Getting there.
We're getting there.
MAN: Go ahead, guys. ANKUR AND SHARON: Thank you.
So you can now finish your whole bathroom off, basically.
SHARON: Yay! ANKUR: Thanks, mate. That's unreal.
Yes.
Even Omar and Oz in house five are making progress.
MAN: How close to waterproofing are you boys?
About four sheets. (CHUCKLES)
Very close to waterproof. About four sheets.
Four sheets away.
If we get that done and all approved
we'll be laying our tiles tomorrow morning.
And in house one,
Tom and Sarah-Jane have been going hammer and tongs all day
because they're hoping to take the afternoon off
to see their baby daughter Cleo for her birthday.
SARAH-JANE: It's a tough day.
We had, like, literally 4:00 till 6:00 to see her
so I was just like, yeah, doing anything that was required
to make sure we were out of here at 4:00.
Tom and Sarah-Jane are planning a contemporary country bathroom,
a large bath, a double vanity
and a big walk-in shower.
At least, that was the plan.
Last night we got told that you need a 1500 mil arc,
so the end of your shower screen
must be 1500 past the end of your shower head,
which means our shower screen didn't comply.
Pretty big stuff-up.
So the solution is to change to a shower screen with a door.
It seems straightforward enough, right?
The original team that we had booked to do our shower screen
could not accommodate us...
They couldn't. ..with a panel.
In 48 hours, they couldn't do it, which is fair enough.
I wouldn't be able to do it either.
We're after a shower screen yesterday.
Mate, we've rang a good 10 to 20 companies.
Told you're the man to ring for emergency shower screen.
We are in desperate, desperate need of a shower screen.
MAN ON PHONE: I don't know if I'll be able to do it, Tom.
Oh, really?
We are looking for a shower screen desperately.
(PHONE RINGS)
They pretty much said,
"If you'd got the order in midday yesterday,"
they could have helped us,
but, anyway, I'll just have to keep trying.
MAN ON PHONE: So, let's start with what's the height.
What's the height, Tom?
Um, the height will be around 2400.
Can't help ya.
What can you help us with? 2m.
And can you provide us with a door as well?
Yep.
I'll get everything you need, mate. Sit at 2m-high opening.
Within 48 hours,
we're getting a custom shower screen supplied and installed.
Have you got brushed brass?
I have brushed brass as well, mate. Oh, you legend.
The stars are aligning.
So, with that problem solved,
Sarah-Jane now needs to get her plaster inspected.
I'm going to go get Keith
because my daughter is going to be at the pub in 15 minutes
and I want to be there to meet her
but I need Keith to sign off this because he leaves at 6:00
and we're not gonna be back from the pub by 6:00,
so I need to go get him, sign off the plastering
and then we can leave and go see Cleo for her first birthday.
Can you tell Tom where I'm going?
I'm really looking forward to seeing her.
Sarah-Jane, she'll blow up in a ball of tears
and Gisborne will flood again.
But it will be really nice to see her.
I miss her a lot, so...
Hopefully she remembers us.
I've got the man.
The man, the myth, the legend that is Keith.
'Cause I only want to go in there to hear if there is an issue.
KEITH: Plaster is beautiful.
That's really good. That's nicely done.
Go ahead, guys. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
Come on!
I'm coming, baby. (LAUGHS)
Chow mein, guys!
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
(GENTLE MUSIC)
Hey, bubba.
Hey.
Cleo. Hi.
(CHUCKLES)
Hello. Hi, bubba.
Happy birthday.
Oh, it was so good to see Cleo. She literally...
She was, like, shocked. She was like this.
She was shocked and then it just turned into big smiles
and I picked her up and she had a grin ear to ear.
Yeah. It was a really nice feeling.
She just looked so big. It was nice to have, like...
..a moment away from... Yeah.
..Block reality.
It didn't feel like we were on The Block for those two hours.
It just felt like we were out for dinner as a family
and it was just like... Yeah, it was good.
It was so nice.
Oh, cuddle.
Mummy misses you so much.
We're doing this for her. Like, so...
We're doing it for us as a family. Yeah.
We miss you.
(CHUCKLES)
If it means that Tom doesn't have to work the weekends
because we have a little bit of extra money on our mortgage
then that's two extra days that he gets to spend with me and Cleo.
Yeah.
(ALL SING) # Happy birthday to you. #
Life goes too quick... Yeah.
..and this really gives you the opportunity
to have a life outside of The Block once it's over, I reckon.
She loves it.
(LAUGHS)
MAN: That's it, Cleo. (LAUGHTER)
(DOOR SHUTS)
(BIRDSONG, DOG BARKS)
(SERENE MUSIC)
(ROOSTER CROWS)
WOMAN: So much serenity.
Oh!
SCOTT: It's early Friday morning on The Block.
The good news is, after a long night,
all teams have now waterproofed their bathrooms.
Ugh.
It was a really, really long night for us
but we finally got there.
2:04 and we just finished the waterproof.
MAN: It was a great relief, honestly,
so we're back on top here.
We have the tiler for hopefully a day
and we'll be fitting off on Saturday.
While in house five, Omar and Oz have made up for lost time,
over in house three,
a few hiccups last night
have meant Ankur and Shaz are no longer ahead of the pack.
SHARON: But I'm not as happy as I was yesterday
because I was like, "Wa-hey, we're going to be OK,"
and now we're not OK.
ANKUR: It's really strange
because there was a point
we effectively thought that we were in a good spot.
Like, stuff was going well.
And from that point on, everything just went downhill.
Ankur! Hey, Keithy.
Your waterproofer... Yep.
..is priming the floor with mud.
OK.
That worries me a lot. Alright. I'll clean it up now.
So, Keith basically took me aside and said,
"Listen, mate, that's like very, very obvious stuff
"that needs to be done.
"I don't know why he's rushed that and just missed it."
And the situation went from bad to worse
when the same waterproofer left site later that night
without finishing the job.
This is not ideal.
He left us in the lurch.
He wanted to go home, he didn't want to be there,
so he left.
My builder wasn't here
and he said, "Can you show me the job?"
Video called him, showed him the job
and he's really upset with the work
and he said it's not to standard
and he's worried that we're not going to get ticked off.
I, in a massive distress, called his boss...
His boss, to come back. ..to bring the waterproofer back
and begged him
and, after a bit of an awkward confrontation,
he said that the same tiler
was going to come back at 1:30 in the morning
so you can imagine how awkward that was
because he never wanted to be there in the first place.
And we had to watch him with the eagle eyes
and make sure the waterproofing was done
to the standard that The Block requires.
But he did, and he nailed it, so all's well that ends well.
Whatever.
It's going to be a big day but, like, with waterproofing done,
we've just gotta get the final inspection over the line.
MAN: It's looking very good at first inspection.
Once that happens,
then it's going to be very, very busy
but it can be achieved.
It's good, guys. Happy with that.
Perfect, thanks, mate. Very good.
There's a lot to do, isn't there?
Yeah, absolutely. So, fingers crossed.
We just need to finish the room and pray that it gets done properly.
So the reno rookies have lost their lead...
..and it doesn't look like they'll be getting it back any time soon.
RACHEL: Have you guys got under-floor heating booked in?
Yeah. What time is yours booked in for?
Ours was supposed to be first
but some dickheads cut the line and now we're like second or third.
Dickheads, as in our friends in the show,
other contestants.
Absolutely! I don't how they do that.
I called every day,
making sure we're first, sure we're first,
and then all of a sudden, they're in someone else's house.
And that someone else's house is...
WOMAN: We were going like third in the ranking
and then the tiler was like,
"No, no, no, we need to get the tiling down."
Last night I called the under-floor heating guys
and just said, "What can I do for you,
"like, so you can come earlier?"
And he said, "You can buy me some Cruisers."
WOMAN: Jenny's good. She bribed them.
Yeah, she bribed them with a slab of Cruisers
to come first at 6:00.
Good on her. She is good. I know.
Oh, listen, I respect the hustle
and I was like, "Touche, bitch, touche,
"I'll be on the Cruisers next week."
I love everybody but, like...
..it was a processing order.
Thanks heaps, boys. MAN: No problem.
Enjoy the Cruisers. (LAUGHS)
# Take me down Into your paradise... #
PRODUCER: Where are you at the start of Friday?
MAN: So, Thursday night, we ducked off to dinner to see Cleo.
WOMAN: For Cleo's birthday.
Got the wall sign-off done.
Membrane went down.
We left our plasterers there
to finish sheeting the whole room
and get a phone call off Mick, our builder,
who has told us that our plasterers have quit.
Yeah.
They said The Block's not for them.
And they didn't put the cornices up and they won't be back tomorrow.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(ROOSTER CROWS)
We got onto the boys from Hipages,
who were unbelievable.
They came in at 7:00 in the morning and did all our cornice
and our ceiling rows.
It looks unbelievable.
It's all ready for paint
so thanks to Hipages, we're back on track.
It looks good, mate. Awesome.
Thanks, Alex.
My name's James. James.
Now everything can be tiled.
Yep.
So, the boys have been there all day.
All day. All night.
Tile, tile, tile.
SHARON: So, that's the feature wall. The white marble one.
In house three, Shaz is busy making plans with her tiler.
I think we pick the best ones and put them where it's visible.
And while, as an actor and lawyer, Shaz is used to relying on her voice,
it seems the stress of week one on The Block is taking its toll.
PRODUCER: Sharon, are you losing your voice?
Yes, and I think all my trades and everybody I know on The Block
is happy about it. (LAUGHS)
So let's see how long it takes Shaz to answer one simple question.
Getting a bit croaky there. Are you losing your voice?
Yeah, I am.
The guys, the guys will be happy to hear that I'm losing my voice
because that means I won't be talking as much on site.
I'll be out of their hair since, like...
If you were here you'd be so annoyed.
I feel guilty that I'm not hands on deck
and, like, cleaning and helping and being available.
I've got a few things for the house, but also a little heater.
Um, that's my plan.
But first week in, it's really hard to know where everything is,
and we're getting new information as we go,
so we have to adapt and roll with it.
But that long explanation then
is a good example of how you're losing your voice.
Yeah, I know.
Because this year
each house on The Block sits on a whopping 10 acres,
I'm doing things a little differently
and letting each house start working on their landscaping
from week one.
MAN: We want fountains.
We want stuff for kids, families.
We've got a swimming pool.
A nice front gate.
What else? Lots of oak trees. Japanese maples.
WOMAN: Landscaping ideas.
MAN: We're thinking wine vineyard.
Oh!
How quickly can we drink it?
(LAUGHTER)
And any big ideas are going to need big money
so they need to start saving now.
Yeah, so I had a phone call with Nick from Suncorp.
Really well.
I'm excited to get this sub-account set up
because I need to start putting money away for my landscaping.
MAN ON VIDEO PHONE: Have you got your phone with you,
with the Suncorp app on it?
I sure do.
So, my plan moving forward
is to just take a chunk out of our budget every week
and put some aside into the landscaping
so it's gone
and we can work with what we've got left in our main account.
You want to choose your sub-account from there.
No problem. So we can open it that way.
Yep.
It was done in two minutes
and now I've got a gorgeous little account that says 'Landscaping',
which we'll start filling up with some coin.
Great. That's it. Yeah.
That's so easy!
Landscaping, here we come.
So, as far as we are aware,
for budget for this week, it's $18,000,
so we're probably up to about 34.
(BOTH LAUGH)
So, actually... I bloody hope not, hon.
Coming up...
Keep going with this 'cause you can't change it now.
The judges may love it.
Well, we can't pull the tiles off now.
Are you thinking this tile here coming up all this wall...
That's what it is. ..all the way?
Yep, that's what it is.
Shelley and I throw a spanner in the works.
Do you think it's too dark?
I would say it would be too much.
The judges have referred to bathrooms in the past as prison cells.
OK. OK.
(DOOR CLOSES)
(THUNDER RUMBLES, DOG BARKS)
('TOM'S DINER' BY ANNEN MAY KANTEREIT AND GIANT ROOK)
SHARON: Hi! Are you from Reece? MAN: That, that I am.
100% delivering happiness.
Back on The Block,
bathroom deliveries are coming in thick and fast.
MAN: What have we got? MAN #2: Just for you, my friend.
Good stuff from Reece, mate. You're too awesome.
(SQUEALS) Those bad boys.
Yes!
It's so pretty.
This basin could win us a $260,000 kitchen
and I think the judges will be obsessed like I am.
One, two, three.
While everyone else is excited to see their brand-new items arriving,
over in house one, Sarah-Jane is in restoration mode.
SARAH-JANE: Wait until I clean this up.
Not one is broken so I'm kind of scared.
I'm really trying to keep the house original
and salvage what I can.
I am using a chandelier that I found,
which is original to the house.
So, it, like, sprays out.
It's like a water head, almost. Yeah, it's awesome.
It looks like a water head,
so it's got these, like, spouts, this, yeah...
Big brass head. Yeah, big brass wires.
That looks like a... (BLOWS AIR THROUGH TEETH)
Like, you know those ladies in the water fountain that go...
Like, yeah.
And then it's got all big long glass water drops.
Glass, which looks like water drops.
So I got two of them.
and I got two other light fixtures, too.
Really lovely ones.
I found them in a box
underneath all the panelling that was in all the rooms.
So, yeah, I'd be silly not to use them.
Yeah, so I feel like it was really fitting for the bathroom.
Really, really happy.
So I'm gonna scrub that up and get that brass shining.
Got my lemons and my bicarb soda.
It should hopefully get the rust off the brass.
That's the plan.
Make a little paste.
That's how we do it in Gisborne. (LAUGHS)
They can't say, "Oh, that doesn't suit the house,"
because, guess what, it came with the house, judges.
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC)
# Watcha know about Rolling down in the deep
# When your brain goes numb You can call that mental freeze
# When these people talking much... #
With the mammoth size of this year's Block,
getting around site is a little trickier than usual.
MAN: Yeah, it's level. Nice.
So earlier this week,
Forman Dan went to a lot of trouble to erect a very important landmark.
One of the most important holes
we're drilling right now on The Block
and it is for this pole
which is going to direct everyone to McCafe.
We're going to call it in McCafe pole
so people don't get lost in the morning
when they need their coffee.
Very important.
It needs some concrete.
Beautiful.
Thank you, Holcim.
(BIRDSONG)
And today he's adding the final touches to his masterpiece.
I think McCafe's 12 o'clock. Yours is sort of going to 1 o'clock.
A bit more that way? So come across.
Is that better?
So now seems like the perfect time
to bring in my mate and real estate agent Shelley Craft.
I knew it was going to happen... Hello, Shell.
..but you have officially lost your mind.
(LAUGHS) I know.
What are you doing?
We're just putting some signposts up so everyone knows where to go.
Oh, my God. Welcome to the...
Craziest idea you have ever had. ..biggest Block ever.
Yeah, the biggest Block ever.
I know we say it every year
but this literally is the biggest Block ever...
This is insane. ..by a mile.
And look at the piles of dirt we've got.
We've got recycling centres. We've got...
There's probably 150 blokes on site, Dan?
At least, I reckon. At least. Maybe 200.
And I tell you what, it's about 2km between houses from 5 to 1,
so I have got Kubota transport for us...
Alright, let's... ..to get us around.
Alright. Let's go.
Shelley. See you, Dan.
What am I in for, Dan? It's big.
What on earth is this joint?
Better put your seatbelt on, Shell. Alright.
(WHISTLES) Come on, Frankie!
Come on. Hup.
Hello, girl. Hello.
OK, let's go. Hey!
Off we go.
Look at this.
Oh, my gosh.
# You know I got it... #
I'm starting Shelley's tour with a sneak peak of my homestead,
including some of the rooms I've already done up.
Shell... Beautiful.
..1866 this house was built... Beautiful.
..and the lining boards on the walls are original.
Baltic pine floors.
I've got the McCafe which we put in.
Just for me?
We've been doing a fair bit of work on the front garden and the side.
Well, it is absolutely stunning.
This is what country Victorian living is all about, isn't it?
I think so, too. Yeah.
Let's go.
Next stop on the tour is Tom and Sarah-Jane in house one.
Alright, babe. We'll open the toilet.
No, open the basin, please.
I know what a toilet looks like. I've sat on many.
Hello.
G'day. Meet my friend, Shelley Craft. Hello.
Hi. Come here.
How are you going? I'm so excited.
Nice to meet you. Lovely to meet you.
Sarah-Jane. Hello.
Oh, my gosh.
We met Shelley.
The Shell. Yeah.
I'm been so excited to meet you.
Welcome to The Block. Thanking you.
This is my first house, my first walkaround for the year.
Oh, well, come in. This is so exciting.
# I got my head out the sunroof... #
Tom and Sarah-Jane's bathroom
will include Velux skylights
an enclosed shower with tile feature wall,
and styling pieces
like the chandelier that Sarah-Jane restored earlier today
to complement the original house's heritage.
Wow, OK.
Ooh, I do like the ceiling.
A little bit of a hint to the old house.
Yeah.
How far up are you going with the tiles?
The tiles is just one row above the...
Window. ..window there.
And just be shower,
so we're not going floor-to-ceiling.
That's not period correct, I don't think, floor-to-ceiling.
No, and there's just no need.
You don't have the time and you don't have the budget.
No. Very smart decision-making.
We're doing the VJ panelling, which was in this house originally.
We are doing that...
Up to this height, with a dado rail.
Yes. Yeah.
And then we're doing a dado rail picture frames...
Like I did in the challenge room. ..as features on the wall.
Is this week one week or is this week five for these guys?
Mirrors go within the picture frame.
Lovely. Yes.
This is your main bathroom in the house
and you are setting the scene for the rest of home here, too.
And I hear the prize this week is out of this world.
Huge. Huge! Crazy.
We want to win this week.
To win the $250,000 for the kitchen appliances.
I mean, it could mean the difference at auction day.
Yeah.
And we're all here, really, for auction day.
Yeah.
That's why we're building the house,
so that we can sell it and get the money.
Yeah.
This week is a big deal. Yeah.
Week one and there's more riding on this than I think we've ever had.
I know. It's a huge deal.
If you win that
you're probably gonna win Kitchen Week.
That's right. Yeah. 100%.
And it's been a short week because of the public holiday
and the rain
and this is the week where we're, yeah, we're playing for big stuff.
Shell, $22,000 budget from Suncorp... Yes.
..but Landscape Week has started this week
and it's going for 12 weeks
and it's up to them to save money out of their budget each week...
Alright. ..to put to outside.
So, how much have you put aside?
So, we're putting five aside. Yes.
This week? That's the plan.
I'm able to save on my plumbing labour.
I married wise. (LAUGHTER)
For 12 weeks of your life, you've done a very good job.
He's finally paying off after seven years.
Honestly. That's right.
That's the way. (LAUGHTER)
Love it.
The best house one we've ever had, in 2022.
100%. This is awesome.
Stop it, guys. (LAUGHTER)
But you're laughing.
Meeting Shelley was like the best thing that's ever happened to me.
Oh, I've got to stop fan-girling.
Like, I pretty want to call every person I know
and be like, "Oh, I've just met Shelley."
(DOOR SHUTS)
(BIRDSONG, THUNDER RUMBLES, DOG BARKS)
# And I feel like I just got home... #
With bathroom reveal fast approaching,
Shelley has dropped by The Block for her first visit.
House number two. House number two.
# Just got home... #
They're beautiful old houses, though.
Where did you find these? Oh, all over Australia.
I love it. Oh.
Look at this one.
Hello!
Shell, this is Joel and Elle's place.
Oh, gosh, I keep forgetting. No, it's Rachel and Ryan's.
I never got to meet them. No, you never got to meet them.
You're lucky. Hello.
Ooh.
Hello. Hi.
Meet my friend Shelley Craft.
Hi! How are you doing? Come here.
Come here. How are you?
How are ya? Lovely to meet you.
So nice to meet you. Lovely to meet you.
Fantastic.
Ryan has a little crush on Shelley.
No, I just thought, you know, you see her on TV
and, like, I feel like everyone's got their little person that they...
(LAUGHS) I don't have a crush on Shelley.
It's just like...
It's alright if you've got a crush on Shelley.
Shelley is beautiful. I wanted to meet her.
Yeah, she's beautiful.
He said, "I can't wait to meet you."
Not one mention of me, Shell. Oh, come on, no.
Not one mention. Out of the 200 people on site.
Alright, I am very touched. Thank you.
It's lovely to meet you, Shelley.
Who did you really want to meet coming onto The Block?
Scotty Cam. Well, there you go.
Have you got a crush on Scotty Cam?
A little bit. (LAUGHS)
I guess you kinda hit the ground running,
because this is what you do, isn't it?
Like, bathrooms are your domain. It is. It is.
So, it's yours to lose?
It is. No, that's right. (LAUGHS) It is.
House two's Rachel and Ryan are hoping to wow the judges
with their massive walk-in shower, two shower heads.
They're also include a big bath, Velux skylights
and double timber vanity.
The other contestants have already had some feedback from our judges,
very much sticking with that country contemporary vibe here.
This is looking a little... Very modern.
Yes, have you got a little bit of a nod to the old house,
because remembering we are in the old house
and this sort of stuff is going to be in the new extension
to the contemporary gear.
Yeah. So, we are going contemporary but we're going contemporary lodge
so when you see our soft furnishings,
I want it to feel very natural, very country.
From what they can see now, it does probably look modern
but they haven't seen our finished product
and I can guarantee you it's not modern.
Just keep going with this, because you can't change it now,
and it's fine, and the judges may love it.
Oh.
I'm not feeling very confident now.
No, no, no, Shell and I are very rarely right
about what the judges say.
(LAUGHS) That's very true.
Well, we can't pull the tiles off now.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
You know what's crazy
is the fact that, what, five days ago
you were sitting at home on the couch,
going, "Damn it, we missed out..." Yes.
..and now you're about to present a bathroom to the judges on The Block.
And let me tell you, we did audition,
we got really far
and we were so upset that we didn't get on
and so anything that happens for us,
like, we're just so happy to be here.
Yeah, we're grateful to be on.
You're going to see our best, for sure.
I can't wait. I can't wait. Good.
Yeah. See you later on.
Bye. See you, guys.
I'm freaking out about this bathroom now.
I know, so am I.
I feel like the feedback was a little bit negative.
Apparently the intel was
that we've have to go with a country style bathroom
so I feel like that was kinda like,
"Yours is modern, we wanted country."
If we get feedback that it's not country enough
I am not gonna kick us for it.
Like, we're doing the best we can on what we've been given, so...
# Do you come from a land down under
# Where women glow And men plunder... #
Righto, Shell.
I tell you what, it's my first walkaround
and I am so thankful for the Kubota.
Yes, the Kubota. (LAUGHS)
Now, Shell, house three, the biggest house on The Block.
It's a monster, isn't it? It's a monster.
There's a lot of work here. But also...
I know. ..it's the highest.
And you've got the view there, the view to the Ranges.
Yeah, yeah.
It's just a really good outlook. Yeah.
But I don't know why an accountant and an actress
who have never painted before chose the biggest house.
Let's go ask that question, shall we?
Yes, why not.
Hello? Hi.
How are you, Scotty?
I'm good. Sharon, meet my friend Shelley Craft.
Hi. Finally!
How are you? "Oh, finally." Thank you. How are you doing?
Good, it's nice to be here. Lovely to meet you, too.
Sorry, my beard was black and now it's gone grey in five days.
I've lost my voice and it's week one,
so the site guys are happy about that,
so it's alright.
This is a really ambitious home to choose...
Yes.
..and I heard you had the choice of a couple
and you went for house three, the biggest house on The Block.
Go hard or go home, I think. That's it.
# Can you kiss me more? #
Ankur and Shaz's bathroom will have a moody feel.
They're lining the floor and walls with a dark tile
while separating their wet area with a nib wall
and they are the only team not to put in skylights this week.
Now, now, in this room,
have you got a little bit of a nod to the old house somewhere?
Skirts or something?
100%.
I'm a serious over-thinker
so I've thought about everything to the hundredth degree,
like the tile that we chose has got little bits of stone,
so a big concept of ours is to bring the outside in wherever we can,
but lux mode,
hence the marble feature wall there.
It's a brand-new tile from Beaumont.
It's that hexagonal shape,
which is a nod to the era, which is the 1890s.
We are going to have a rose in the ceiling
in every room of this house. Right.
Like, I literally Googled, researched everything.
So, the roof is going to be painted white
to brighten it up.
You'll notice we don't have a Velux and that's on purpose...
No wonder she's lost her voice. I know.
(LAUGHTER) No, I still have more to tell you.
I'm actually asleep with my eyes open.
(LAUGHTER)
Scotty basically said that as Shazzy was speaking
at a million miles an hour,
that he fell asleep with his eyes open
but Shelley was actually interested still
so she helped out.
It is a small space... OK.
..so I would be advising save some budget
and don't tile all the way.
Are you thinking this title here coming up all this wall...
That's what it is. ..all the way?
Yeah, that's what it is currently as we stand.
Do you think it's too dark, though,
like, this wall, this wall, this wall?
I don't like to answer because... We're never right.
..we're never right with the judges.
But, to me, that seems quite dark and enclosing.
We're never right. I would say it would be too much.
Yeah. OK. Alright.
The judges have referred to bathrooms in the past as prison cells.
There you go. And crypts, I think.
OK. OK.
It's scary that one of the most expensive rooms in your home
is the first room that you are producing.
You don't want to be doing a bathroom as your re-do room.
Yeah. Yeah, no.
I would say jump on Domain
and check out what's on sale in the area,
have a look at what bathrooms they've produced
and what prices that they are going for
and do exactly that.
OK, cool. Thank you for your advice, we appreciate it.
Don't take my advice. (LAUGHS) Thank you so much.
And rest that voice, please. Yeah, I will.
It's one of those things that it could either pay off,
because, you know, the darker look is very lux and sexy
or it could, as we've known in Block seasons before,
look like a... Crypt, which is not ideal.
..coffin.
(DOOR SHUTS)
(THUNDER RUMBLES, DOG HOWLS)
Shelley and I are busy doing the rounds,
checking in on each house's progress
ahead of the very first room reveal this Sunday night.
Dylan and Jenny, meet my friend Shelley Craft.
Hi! Hi.
Dylan, how are you? Lovely to meet you.
Hi, mwah.
Lovely to meet you.
So, we're talking DJ from the GC. Yeah!
Is that right?
I didn't know you were from the Gold Coast.
They just told me.
I grew up in Brissy, lived on the Coast for many years,
now I'm in Byron.
A couple of Gold Coast chicks. Yeah!
(LAUGHTER)
Natural hair. Natural hair. (LAUGHS)
Welcome to The Block.
Yes. Thank you.
Now, Shell, builder, carpenter.
I'm an apprentice chippy. Yes.
(LAUGHS)
The ultimate married couple. I love it.
And you're working for? Dylan.
Oh, no. I work for Jen.
You work for Jen. (LAUGHS)
At least we've got this straight. Beautiful.
Dylan and Jenny are bringing contemporary country
to their bathroom,
with a clawfoot bath located in front of a big window,
an enclosed shower area, Velux skylights,
and gold fixtures throughout.
I love the size, for a start. Yep.
I think when we are talking main bathrooms,
you've gotta get that little bit of extra space
because, ultimately, you could have two or three kids in here at once...
Yeah, exactly. ..you know, doing their things.
Is that the height of your tiles? Yeah.
Yes, so, we're doing a dado rail all the way around
and then painting the rest.
See, the key to this is to have a modern bathroom
because we're in 2022... Yep.
..but you've gotta have a little nod to this house
and all it takes is a dado rail.
Yeah. Yeah.
Cornice is not over-the-top either. No, that's lovely.
It's just got a nice little nod as well,
and with your dado rail and a bit of painting,
it's going to be really...
This is really good, guys. Well done.
And I heard this was the house that everyone wanted.
Yes... Yes?
..this is the house that everyone wanted.
Yeah. Why do you love house four so much?
It's probably got the biggest balcony in it.
It wraps around the whole house.
Yeah, and the views. Yeah.
Like, once you look out there and you just see...
Beautiful morning views. It's so nice.
It really looks good and I love that cornice.
I love that arch. That's really gonna be a standout.
But the thing that sort of concerned me as I walked in
is that you've got a lot to do still.
You know, you've only got tomorrow. Yep.
And you're sweet? Yeah, no, we'll be right.
Yes, we will finish, Scotty.
Yep, don't you worry, we will not sleep,
we will get this done.
# So they say... #
Now, on days like this,
you wouldn't want to be anywhere else, would you?
Back into the buggy,
and Shelley and I have just got one more team to visit.
# You do before... #
This is a Queenslander. Yeah, it's beautiful.
# Move for me, move for me Ay, ay, ay
# And when you're done... #
Hi. Hello.
Omar and Oz, meet Shelley Craft. Hello.
How are you? How are you? Lovely to meet you.
Hi. How are you?
How are you? Good. How are you?
It's a nice little surprise. How's your camping trip going?
Yeah, it's... Yeah?
..rough, cold.
Shelley gave me the goosebumps.
Honestly, I couldn't talk.
I'm usually the one that talks a lot.
I couldn't talk at all.
He was blushing. I was blushing. I couldn't...
She's got beautiful blue eyes.
Amazing.
It feels good to work hard, doesn't it?
Yeah, it does. Does it?
Especially when... Hard yakka.
When you get a good result, it does, for sure.
Yes. Yeah.
# I'm still feeling... #
After receiving feedback from the judges
that their challenge room was too generic
Omar and Oz have cranked things up a notch
and are hoping the layout of their bathroom,
along with herringbone tile walls, VJ panelling
and patterned floor tiles,
will bring a little more personality to their room.
That's busy, hey? Mm.
It's a busy tile.
It's very busy and it's very there and it's happening
but, you know,
are we only coming to there, then half the room goes to that...
Yeah, we're doing that. ..and then down to there.
(TENSE MUSIC)
You've really chosen some tough tiles to lay, too, haven't you?
Yeah. Hey, where's...
Who's your tiler? What's his name? Ben.
Ben. Is Ben here? Ben, the tiler!
He's here. Oh, he is here.
Hey, come in, Ben. Hello, Ben. Scott.
This is Shelley. Shelley. Lovely to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
Now, mate, what did you think when the boys said,
"We're going to bring these tiles in here
and we're gonna herringbone them"?
I kinda had a mini heart attack.
Do you reckon you're gonna be able to get this finished by tonight
with the floor?
Yeah, definitely. We'll put in the OT for them.
You're gonna put some OT in, there's no doubt about that.
Alright, Ben, so you're confident, mate?
Yeah, we'll get it done.
Beautiful. We've got the earmuffs on, we've got the kneepads ready to go.
As soon as youse are out, we're back in.
Thank you very, very much for your time.
Well done. Thank you.
Good on you, mate. Good luck, boys. Come back in, Ben!
See you. Thank you.
PRODUCER: So they approved your choices, do you think?
Yeah, they did.
I think they did. I think they did, too.
They loved the tiles.
But they're excited to see what's going to happen.
Captioned by Ai-Media ai-media.tv
But they've done... They've cut it in half,
where half is tiled and half is VJ.
Yeah. I don't understand.
No. Nope.
I'm not looking forward to that feedback.
No.
Captioned by Ai-Media ai-media.tv
So this is gonna be the big question mark
hanging over this season of The Block.
What does 'country' mean?
VOICEOVER: Television's biggest
Sunday night reveals
are back.
Style of a whole new level.
Oh! Glamorous.
From country heart...
Yum... (ALL LAUGH)
How much does it hug you as soon as you walk in?
..to sprawling fields of paradise.
Ooh la la.
It's just breathtaking.
And an All Stars with bathroom brilliance.
This is extraordinary.
Who will win the $250,000 kitchen?
This is the biggest prize I've ever given away.
I just want to get my maths right.
The first spectacular reveals...