The Block insider makes wild claims about ‘buddy buyers’, ‘secret’ tradies and contestants ‘playing characters’
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An ‘on-set spy’ has made sensational claims about The Block.
The source, who worked on a previous season of the Channel Nine renovation show, says the drama is heavily produced, the contestants ‘are just characters’ and the auctions have predictable outcomes due to repeat buyers.
‘It’s all a production-run project,’ the insider told Woman’s Day on Monday.
An ‘on-set spy’ from The Block, who worked on a previous season of the Nine renovation show, says the drama is heavily produced, the contestants ‘are just characters’ and the auctions have predictable outcomes. (Pictured: The Block host Scott Cam with contestants Ryan and Rachel)
While the auctions aren’t scripted, producers have a good idea of what the outcome may be because they are ‘buddies’ with one of their regular buyers, the source said.
Danny Wallis has spent tens of millions of dollars on homes in recent years, despite claiming to not watch the show, making his involvement a guaranteed sale.
The businessman and philanthropist donates the homes to families in need.
While the auctions aren’t scripted, producers have a good idea of what the outcome may be because they’re ‘buddies’ with one of their regular buyers, Danny Wallis (right), the source said
As for the contestants, the source said that while the teams are all hard-working home renovators, they do ham it up for the cameras.
‘The contestants are just characters,’ they alleged.
The spy also said there is ‘little interaction’ between the tradesmen and the teams – a spurious claim given they are often seen together on screen – and the majority of construction is handled by ‘the production builders’.
They went on to say ‘there are way more “production” trades on site than there are “house” trades’ – implying that much of the building work happens off-camera.
The spy also said there is ‘little interaction’ between the tradesmen and the teams – a spurious claim given they are often seen together on screen – and the majority of construction is handled by ‘the production builders’. (Pictured: Scott Cam and Alice Stolz from Domain)
As for the contestants, the source said that while the teams are all hard-working home renovators, they do ham it up for the cameras. (Pictured: Tom and Sarah-Jane)
It comes after The Block host Scott Cam hinted there could be an investigation into what happened on auction day after two ‘identical’ homes sold for wildly different prices.
All fives homes went under the hammer in Gisborne on Saturday: one inexplicably sold for a blockbuster profit of $1.6million, another made just under $170,000, a third barely reached its reserve, and two homes passed in without a sale.
These unusual results left the cast and crew ‘flabbergasted’, with Cam telling radio show Fitzy & Wippa on Monday he’s still looking for answers.
Scott (left, with Dylan and Jenny) has hinted there could be an investigation into what happened on auction day after ‘two identical’ homes sold for wildly different prices
When asked why there was such a discrepancy in the sale prices, Cam said: ‘I don’t know. That’s what I said in the closer last night when we signed off on the show.
‘I said, “If anybody can explain what happened to me, I’d love to hear it.” And that’s true. Everyone, the crew, the cameraman, the producers, were all flabbergasted.’
‘One joint goes for $5.6million, and the next joint goes for $4.1million, and they’re virtually identical,’ he added, referring to Omar and Oz’s winning property, and Tom and Sarah-Jane’s third-place home, which made a profit of just $20,000.
All fives homes went under the hammer in Gisborne on Saturday: one inexplicably sold for a blockbuster profit of $1.6million, another made just under $170,000, a third barely reached its reserve, and two homes passed in without a sale. (Pictured: winners Omar and Oz)
Cam praised Tom and Sarah-Jane’s gracious response to the bad news, saying: ‘They were stoic, they were unbelievable, in fact, and they weren’t angry.
‘They were just going, “It is what it is.” You know what Sarah-Jane said to me, “We’ll just pay our mortgage off like everybody else.”‘
The Block buyers’ advocate Frank Valentic, of Melbourne-based Advantage Property Consulting, also remarked on the strange auction outcome.
These unusual results left the cast and crew ‘flabbergasted’, with Cam telling Fitzy & Wippa on Monday he’s still looking for answers. (Pictured: Ankur and Sharon, whose home didn’t sell)
‘[It] was a result that was out of the box. I think [Adrian Portelli, one of the bidders on Omar and Oz’s home] was a friend of the owners as well,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It was a bit of a freaky result. He obviously had the money to buy it, but he also pushed Danny [Wallis, the winning bidder] up a long way above what those properties were worth.’
A Nine spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘The Block finale was a public auction run according to the rules, and anyone is welcome to bid’ – and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest otherwise.
The Block buyers’ advocate Frank Valentic (pictured), of Melbourne-based Advantage Property Consulting, agreed the auction outcome was ‘freaky’
Nine made an estimated $19million profit from The Block auction, which took place in the Macedon Ranges on Saturday and aired on the show on Sunday night.
The network paid $11million last year for the 28ha plot of land, which was subdivided into seven lots with five assigned to the contestants, reports The Australian.
The reserves for each home were over $4million, and Cam’s own reno will likely sell at a later date. It’s believed Nine will make $30million when the entire lot is sold.
Channel Nine made an estimated $19million profit from The Block auction, which took place in the Macedon Ranges on Saturday and aired on the show on Sunday night. (Pictured: hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft)
Omar Slaimankhel and Oz Malik were crowned the winners, selling their property for $5,666,666 and taking home a record-breaking $1.6million in prize money.
The western Sydney mates made the largest sum of all five Block houses, far exceeding the $4.08million reserve.
Ryan and Rachel Carr placed second, selling their home for a $169,000 profit.
But there was also heartache for two couples, Ankur Dogra and Sharon Johal, and Jenny Heath and Dylan Adams, who failed to sell their homes at auction.
Omar Slaimankhel and Oz Malik (pictured) were crowned the winners on Sunday, selling their reno for $5,666,666 and taking home a record-breaking $1.6million in prize money
Their properties were passed in when they failed to attract a bidder over the reserve, with both homes only reaching $4,075,000.
The couples continued to negotiate with their highest bidders after filming.
It marked the first time a Block property had failed to sell at auction since season four in 2011 when two teams’ homes were passed in.
Tom Calleja and Sarah-Jane Wilson didn’t fare much better, with their home going for a profit of just $20,000, forcing them to sell their car to make up for lost earnings.
There was also heartache for two couples, Ankur Dogra and Sharon Johal, and Jenny Heath (left) and Dylan Adams (right), who failed to sell their homes at auction
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