Last night’s episode of The Block left fans reeling over a challenge they’ve branded “unfair” on one team.
First a ‘cheating scandal’ rocked the challenge. Now, fans are calling for justice for teammates Omar and Oz who were unable to even compete due to religious grounds.
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On Tuesday night we saw the teams compete in the ‘Grape Escape’ challenge where they had to recreate a wine at Levantine Hill estate in the Yarra Valley.
Teams had to taste the wine so they could mix the correct blends to recreate it. However, Omar and Oz, the only Muslim team on the show, couldn’t compete because alcohol is forbiden in their religion.
When the teams arrived at the winery they were told the prize today totals $100,000 in wine. Half for the best wine, and another $50,000 for the best label.
Aware of Omar and Oz’s situation, Shelly tells them they had ‘“something else” planned for the two. Riding the high of their recent bathroom win, the pair didn’t seem too concerned.
“We gave them another chance for the other contestants to win,” Oz joked.
However, it turns out producers hadn’t really planned anything else. Oz and Omar were just given a chance to compete in the label design side of the challenge meaning they could only win $50,000 while everyone else was competing for the whole $100,000.
It was an odd turn of events, especially given that the pair was also excluded from the grape crushing competition which didn’t involve any alcohol.
While the network has amped up the ‘cheating scandal’ (see our explainer here) it’s the unfairness of the challenge that has really goaded fans.
“Genuinely Omar and Oz just… can’t compete? That’s f**ked. Organise a different challenge,” fumed one fan on Twitter.
“Wine tasting comp with 2 Muslim contestants. Producer had an off day,” wrote another.
Others pointed out that this is the second time the boys have been at a disadvantage due to their religion.
Earlier in the competition they were taking part in Ramadan meaning they weren’t eating during the day but were still expected to produce the same outcomes as the other teams.
“If you invite Muslim people onto your show, WHY schedule the first 2 weeks for Ramadan? And then you have a challenge involving alcohol? Talk about cultural insensitivity!” said a fan.
“Sponsors have a big influence because they’re paying the bills. The challenge and prizes would have been decided long before Omar and Oz were chosen as contestants,” wrote a fan.
“The schedule was probably decided long before Omar and Oz were chosen as contestants. Plenty of Muslims work through the day during Ramadan. They are conducting themselves pretty well and they don’t seem to be at any disadvantage. I reckon Omar and Oz will win,” the same fan said.
While this is the most likely reason for the challenge and scheduling conflicts, fans still had questions.
“Omar and Oz should have been able to crush the grapes, at least?” one asked.
Even if they missed out on $50,000 it seems like the boys have won hearts across the nation.
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