The Block on a Thursday? How fun!

Right, guys?
RIGHT? (Nine)
Those faces tell us that Emma and Ben have A LOT to do this week, and having to pull up work they’d already completed is not exactly helpful.

Safe to say they’re feeling very out of their depth.

Down the other end, House 4 and 5 are tracking fine.

In House 2, it’s not just budget problems causing Han and Can headaches.

The coping tile around their pool edge is about 30 millimetres thicker than the rest of their pavers, so they’re going to need to add two coats of glue under the pavers to bring them up.

This costs time and money, both of which they’re very short on.

And in the middle of the street, House 3 are, well, take a guess:
So everyone’s having a fun week, then! (Nine)
Their outdoor stone fireplace chimney is not high enough to be compliant, but the brickwork would be structurally unsound if they simply build it higher.

“It’s worse than what we thought,” Foreman Dan tells landscaper Troy Lovett.

It’s not just the chimney that is short. So is Britt and Taz’s fuse.

They’re furious that the issues with their chimney have only been picked up now, since they submitted their plans way back in Week 3 and had it built last week.

The solution, to add a huge two metre flue to the top of it, needs to be connected with what’s called a ‘gather’ and to do that, they need to pull down the existing brick chimney.
It’s a big day for unhappy Taz. (Nine)
Taz reckons they “can’t catch a break”.

“We won’t stop but it’s getting to me a bit,” he says, emotional.

That’s two out of five teams pulling down completed work. What’s a third?!

Han’s dad Lee is on site this week and has been put in charge of House 2’s cabana.

While Han is stoked to have the help, she can’t help but think there was something missing from his Block initiation.

…Stress, pain, despair, etc.

She enlists Foreman Dan for a prank to tell him that he used the wrong primer on his (finished) rendered cabana wall and will need to rip it all off.
Poor Lee! (Nine)
And Dan is really, really good at it.

“It’s definitely not coming off, it’s s–t to a blanket mate,” Lee reacts before the truth comes out.

Welcome to The Block!

Phones go off right across site, as Shelley invites the teams to a baby shower for Emma and Ben and 2023 winners Steph and Gian.

Everyone’s excited! Well, except Han and Can who opt out to get their work done.

Too bad, because they miss high tea and a very good gag from the Japandi king and queen, whose gender reveal balloon is full of beige confetti.
Very on brand. (Nine)
A beige baby!

But then comes the real reveal, and it’s a girl!

The day ends with some pole dancing lessons courtesy of instructor Emma, and while some take to it like a duck in water (Mat?) others are a little less natural (Taz).

To be fair, he’s a cop not a fireman!
A+ reaction from Eliza and Liberty! (Nine)
Without the pole antics to distract them, Han and Can have made some good progress today… but that’s done little to help Can’s mood.

She lasts approximately 12 seconds during a camera interview before ripping off her mic and escaping.
Hey Ca- oh, bye! (Nine)
It’s Friday morning and this week, there’s a special guest joining Scotty and Shelley for walkarounds – it’s Shaynna Blaze!

The hosts usually drop in, offer an opinion or two and go on their merry way, but Shaynna’s a judge, she’s dropping hints, and of course the teams are very keen to take the feedback on.

There’s also a special introduction to Lee, who Scotty deems the hardest worker of the week after just two days on site.

The prize of five plants couldn’t come at a better time, but Can can’t help being a little salty at not having received the award after 83 long, hard days!

Perhaps she can flex those hard working skills in a mad rush to finish their pool.

The pool fencing team will not be on site after today, so House 2 have to speed run the installation of their tiles so they can create the fence holes in time.

Who do you call for tile problems? Adrian Cursio, of course!

But then… rain. Lots of rain.

On the bright side, it fills the pools for free. However, it’s also meant that even four hours later, their tiles have not dried at all.
Not good! (Nine)
However, everyone’s worked so hard to get it done in time that pool fencer Cal decides he will send someone out tomorrow after all.

Crisis averted!

Meanwhile, the end of the competition is near – so Robby and Mat are stoked to confirm that Omar and Oz and Steph and Gian’s winning auctioneer Tom Panos has signed on to auction House 5.

Come Friday night, things are finally taking shape in House 1’s backyard but their landscaper Colin is back with one heck of a curveball.

“I really want to get rid of this retaining wall,” he says, of a wall they just spent four days working on.

“I know it’s a lot of work but it’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Now that’s a last minute headache! (Nine)
Well, we’re sure that’s going to make for a fun decision come Sunday!

Also Sunday, it’s judgement time on the biggest, and most important, spaces of the year: backyards.

From Dave Franklin’s nuggets of wisdom to some cranky Marty Fox hot takes, it’s going to be a doozy!