Channel Nine
Content warning: This article discusses the topic of mental health.
From the get-go, Paige and Jesse were labelled the villains of this year’s The Block. Yet the young engaged couple, who were constantly shown verbally attacking one another, insist that couldn’t be further from the truth.
With their long-rumoured departure from now finally confirmed following the latest bedroom reveals, the couple continues to maintain “We didn’t do anything villainous”.
New Idea spoke to Jesse and Paige during the recent trip to Cyprus, which they took shortly after filming wrapped for them. Jesse says the holiday was “perfect timing” after the draining and emotional experience of filming. Paige, 27, reckons it also provided them with some much-needed “R&R”.
In a recent interview on the So Dramatic! podcast, Paige insisted that the person she’s portrayed to be on The Block is not the real her. She also claimed that when Jesse broke down in tears during the first week, her cries for help went unanswered.
What ultimately aired showed there was more interest in capturing Jesse’s distress than helping with his “mental state”.
Why did Jesse and Paige leave The Block?
Paige alleged that when she asked for the details of a psychologist, she was told she had to learn what is a “Block problem and what is not a Block problem”.
“It was very confronting to be dismissed so abruptly when it came to serious mental health concerns. I think it looks really bad on the network, especially in this day and age,” Paige shared.
What’s more, Paige implied in a recent social media post that there are hours of footage that proves she and Jesse had many loved-up moments, but it was all edited out.
“We’re young and very much in love, so we do have many cute moments, you just don’t get to see them on the TV for the sake of our narrative,” she said.
She also told her followers that “despite what you see”, she and Jesse had a great time with their builders.
“It was full of laughs, shenanigans, and an overall enjoyable experience,” she wrote on her personal Instagram account.
These shock accusations fly in the face of the hope Jesse and Paige had when New Idea first spoke with them mere weeks ago. The pair opened up about how excited they were to have made it onto The Block, after applying twice before.
“We always loved it,” explained Jesse. He added that when they accepted the invitation, they knew it would challenge them and their relationship, but that he and Paige honestly thought they would do a “really good job”.
Jesse confessed it didn’t take them long to learn that watching The Block doesn’t prepare you for the reality of working in difficult circumstances and punishing deadlines.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into until you’re there,” he said.
Paige added: “As a couple, we had a few little tantrums at each other. You are just trying to get on the same page and sometimes you don’t understand each other, and when you’re in a pressure cooker, you start to get a bit agitated.
“But it’s nothing the relationship can’t handle. You always have to remember you’re in such an unusual circumstance and you’re on the same team – which sometimes you can forget.”
Speaking with 9Entertainment the morning after their departure from the renovation reality series played out onscreen, longtime host Scott Cam said that he respected the decision the young couple had made to exit the competition.
“When these guys were struggling and we could see it, we got professional help, we had extensive chats and we made sure that they were comfortable. They made the decision themselves.”
“We followed up with professional care in their home state to make sure that was ongoing for as long as they needed it.”
If you’re looking for mental health support, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or www.beyondblue.org.au
