Shaynna Blaze has seemingly backtracked after accusing The Block’s Luke and Jasmin of copying their winning children’s bedroom renovation.
WATCH: Shaynna Blaze accuses Luke and Jasmin of cheating
The WA couple won Sunday’s room reveal for their fun, jungle-inspired bedroom, but within hours received a barrage of criticism from viewers – and later from Shaynna.
In a tense showdown on Tuesday’s episode, the 57-year-old judge confronted the couple about the obvious similarities, labelling the renovation as cheating.
But after shaming the couple on TV, Shaynna later took to Instagram to explain her comments, while asking fans not to blame the couple.
“We’re living in the world of Instagram and Pinterest so it’s inevitable that sometimes the lines blur between ‘taking inspiration’ and direct copying,” Shaynna wrote.
“It’s imperative that we all consider other designers’ intellectual property rights when we are designing for profit, which is why I had to have tonight’s difficult conversation with House 4 about their kids room and its many similarities to a room designed by @thedesignory for @barefootescapes.
“Please don’t direct any negativity towards Jasmine on social media, and instead let’s all take a look at our own appreciation of design and other designers, and our personal understanding of the difference between imitation and plagiarism,” she added.
Shaynna’s comments came after eagle-eyed viewers took to social media to point out the striking similarities between Luke and Jasmin’s room and a Byron Bay Airbnb.
Speaking to Jasmin and Luke on Tuesday’s episode, Shaynna said: “I remember saying [on Sunday’s episode], the bunk and everything, I remember saying, “I may have seen that before.”
Admitting that she assumed the couple had taken “inspiration” from a previous Block couple, Shaynna said that she was shocked when she found the Airbnb reference.
“It felt familiar, and then I found this,” she added, referring to a series of comparison photos, which she provided to the couple.
After pointing out the blatant similarities, Jasmin defended the renovation, claiming that she and Luke never made their source of “inspiration” a secret.
“So, you’re calling it inspiration?” Shaynna chimed in. “Inspiration is one thing, completely taking someone’s idea and making it your own is another.
“You haven’t changed it up enough. It’s not fair on the other contestants that they can win a room, with money, on someone else’s ideas,” she added.
Jasmin refuted the accusation, saying: “If you scroll on Instagram, everyone’s doing the same s**t… It’s like, yeah, we’re ‘original’. As original as the next house.”
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