NEED TO KNOW
- Melbourne-based father-daughter duo Rick and Tayla are among the five teams competing on this year’s The Block
- New Idea can reveal Rick, who has survived cancer twice, has been rushed to hospital after working his body to the bone.
- Foreman Dan recently declared that House 5 was a “team of one”, adding he’d let viewers decide who that was.
Competing on The Block is typically a two-person job. But this year, it seems not all the Houses are sharing the workload equally.
Viewers have already begun questioning the division of labour inside House 5, with Tayla facing criticism online from fans who believe her tradesman father, Rick, is doing most of the heavy lifting.
In fact, with Tayla, 32, shown at the beach and getting her nails done while her dad was back on-site working away, even Foreman Dan recently declared that House 5 was a “team of one”, adding he’d let viewers decide who that was.
It’s reportedly all set to come to a head when Rick, who has survived two cancer diagnoses, takes a leave of absence from the competition after pushing his body to breaking point.
Rick, 63, “was absolutely worked to the bone”, a source tells New Idea.
He is said to be rushed to hospital after struggling with a knee injury and the punishing physical demands of the show.
“He pushed himself far beyond what his body could handle because he knew that if he stopped, their house would fall behind,” the source reveals.
“Eventually, his body simply gave out. He ended up needing hospital treatment and had to leave The Block.
“Rick was working for two people and he wasn’t complaining – he’s that sort of man.”
While Rick is away, we hear Tayla’s twin sister Shannen is drafted to help with the build. Rick had previously applied to do The Block with Shannen, but they were never cast.
Tayla, a personal trainer and beauty business owner, entered the competition with limited renovation experience, while her father brought more than four decades of building knowledge to their team.
However, the source claims Tayla underestimated just how relentless life on The Block would be.
“If you told any other woman who has done the show that Tayla had time to do her nails, they would probably rage at you,” another production source says with a laugh.
“She is funny and brings a lot of energy, but there was a feeling that she went onto The Block expecting to enjoy the fun, glamorous side of it. She didn’t fully understand what would be required of her physically or how much work needed to be done every single day.
“Rick’s the builder, so obviously he was always going to take charge of the construction. But after a while, people felt the balance had become unfair.”
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