The Block wouldn’t be The Block without dramas, clashing contestants and walk-offs, but this year there’s just as much tension behind the scenes as in front of the cameras.
WATCH: The Block 2020 ceases production
An insider tells New Idea the rivalry between the show’s main stars, host Scott Cam and judge Shaynna Blaze reached another level this season.
“Scotty and Shaynna have a healthy TV rivalry. Both of them have very strong egos and personalities,” says the on-set source.
But while there’s no doubt Scott is the lead star of the Channel Nine show, Shaynna reportedly loves to joke around and remind him how well her other hit show – Foxtel’s Selling Houses Australia – is doing.
“Crew on The Block laugh when Scott and Shaynna try to outdo each other with wise cracks about ratings of their two hit shows. Obviously you cannot compare the ratings, but it doesn’t stop their on-set banter.”
And while the duo are busy competing on and off screen, New Idea understands there’s a dramatic storm brewing among the contestants, too.
Already pushed to breaking point by the demanding nature of their builds, Scotty tells us there is one incident in particular which is set to cause tears and tantrums.
“There might have been some accusations about whether some contestants were doing something untoward,” reveals Scotty cryptically.
He confides that one of the judges ends up having a chat with the contestant involved and questioning whether or not their behaviour is in the spirit of the game.
“There was a little bit of controversy there and a few people throwing accusations around,” he admits.
It’s no surprise that this year’s Blockheads are beginning to crack.
They’ve faced some of the show’s biggest challenges from the get-go, from the strenuous build itself to the enforced COVID-19-related shutdown of production midway through.
“The workload is horrendous for them and they’re really struggling at times,” agrees Scotty.
“There’s no doubt there were tears and drama and some really hard moments.”
As a result, certain contestants were on the brink of giving up and walking off their build.
“This year there were a few walk-offs, a few walkings-off-the-edge, a few come-back-it’s-alright,” Scott only half-jokes.
“Everyone’s happy at the beginning, but as time goes on and you haven’t slept properly for a long time, and you run out of money and you’re judged every week and people are telling you you’re no good, understandably you snap and go, ‘I’ve had enough of this – I want to go home.’”
For more, pick up a copy of New Idea. On sale now.
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