Episode 23 Recap: A shortened work week set the stage for The Block’s most chaotic challenge yet, with creative wins and emotional lows fuelling rivalries.

Han and Can are attempting to get their ducks in order on THE BLOCK (image – Channel 9)

The Tuesday night instalment of The Block saw contestants navigating a shortened work week, a high-stakes challenge at the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, and yet another victory for Robby and Mat that left their fellow teams less than impressed.

The looming Friday public holiday meant a tighter timeframe, forcing teams to juggle the delivery of their rumpus rooms with the bathhouse challenge that carried a prize of a caravan valued between $250,000 and $260,000, depending on the source. Most contestants chose to focus on the challenge space over their own renovations.

A Family Moment Amid the Chaos

The day began on a personal note for Sonny and Alicia, who placed a call home to wish their son Koa a happy ninth birthday. The Gold Coast couple were visibly emotional, acknowledging how difficult it has been to be away from their children.

“We have to do well here, we haven’t given up. We haven’t given up these special moments with our kids and even just the normal day-to-day, for nothing,” Alicia said.

The reminder of family back home gave them fresh determination as they pressed on with the spa challenge.

A Creative Challenge with a Divisive Result

Adding to the pressure, contestants were tasked with producing a Daylesford-inspired artwork that would be transformed into wallpaper by Grafico. The winning design would not only secure $10,000 cash, but also a custom feature wall by judge Melissa Macfarlane valued at $15,000.

While some contestants approached the task with enthusiasm, others admitted their artistic limitations. Robby took an unconventional approach, attempting a painted design that drew confusion from his fellow teams. To their dismay, Melissa declared herself captivated by his effort and awarded the win to House 5.

The decision sparked frustration among the other competitors, who have watched Robby and Mat secure multiple challenge victories since their much-criticised striped bedhead incident earlier in the season.

Han and Can’s Mistimed Strategy

The most dramatic storyline of the episode unfolded with Han and Can. Having previously stated they would hand over the caravan to Sonny and Alicia if they won—an attempt to move past tensions over a heated bench design dispute—the pair treated the spa challenge with less urgency than their rivals.

Believing they could work until 10pm, they delayed finishing their treatment room, only to discover late in the afternoon that tools down would occur at 6pm. Arriving at the bathhouse around 5pm, they were left with barely an hour to complete their space.

The time pressure triggered a heated exchange.

“I just hate letting people down. They just sprung that on us, Can, it’s not fair,” said a tearful Han, while Can urged, “It’s not worth getting upset about it. Your mental health is not worth compromising.”

The rushed result was a kaleidoscope of design choices—pressed metal ceilings, striped herringbone floor tiles in 1970s tones, and marble walls. Even the usually positive Emma struggled to offer encouragement, with other contestants openly laughing at the unconventional styling.

Reflecting on the chaos, Han admitted: “Can took her hands off the reins and left me in charge of styling and decisions. That’s what went wrong.”

A Flooring Fiasco for House 5

While challenge success once again went their way, Robby and Mat were not spared construction headaches. Their plan for seamless herringbone floorboards throughout the house hit a major snag when they discovered Em and Ben in House 1 had ordered the exact same material.

The supplier raised concerns about stock shortages due to the shortened work week, proposing the use of a breaker board to bridge the gap. The suggestion was met with fury from Robby, who declared:

“There will be no breaker in this house. At all. Whatsoever, and we will not present a room if that happens.”

The ultimatum leaves open the question of whether House 5 will be able to deliver their rumpus room on time.

Viewer Reaction

Viewers were fired up from the opening credits, with many rolling their eyes at yet another House 5 win. The wallpaper verdict split the room — some swore it looked more like “lampshades, cushions or shower curtains”, others conceded it was the kind of pattern you’d actually see on soft furnishings. A vocal camp suspected producer favouritism, arguing the show keeps “topping up” the boys’ budget, while a smaller chorus countered that the guest artist genuinely loved the piece. Either way, the optics of back-to-back challenge wins had keyboards clacking.

The flooring fiasco lit up the thread. Fans bristled at contractors hauling stock from one house to finish another, branding it a “huge boo-boo” and sympathising with the team left short. The proposed breaker solution sparked confusion and sarcasm in equal measure — how does a strip of timber fix 14 missing boxes? — with some insisting the team that changed plans late should cop the compromise, not the one that stockpiled early. A few admitted they’d have laid across the pile before letting it walk.

Han and Can’s bathhouse saga delivered the night’s chaos and comedy. The 6pm tools-down call — which they thought was 10pm — divided the audience: some cited a stitch-up or muddled messaging about what “tools down” actually allows, others called it Week-6 time-management 101. The room itself drew gasps: pressed metal ceiling, ‘70s-stripe tiles, marble walls and that infamous caulking — viewers were actively repulsed, likening the finish to “finger painting” and “Sims styling”. There was even a side-debate over whether the maximalist wallpaper echoed a high-fashion print a little too closely.

Amid the drama, there were lighter beats. The surprise cameo had fans cheering — “NEALE!!!” trended in the comments — while several praised Emma and Ben’s composure through the flooring drama. Others mused that this season’s off-site challenge load feels lighter than past years, grumbled about ad breaks and product placements, and wondered if anyone in Daylesford actually wants a private tub room that looks like a disco. The final verdict from the couch? A wildly entertaining hour where the boys kept winning, the spa kept shocking, and the internet kept score.

Looking Ahead

As work wrapped up for the public holiday, most teams managed to make progress on both fronts, while Han and Can’s spa room remained unfinished. The episode closed with anticipation building for the judging of the bathhouse challenge, which will feature a guest judge and determine whether the enormous caravan prize was worth the contestants’ exhaustion.