Fans are divided.

Every year, The Block seems to serve up another cheating scandal. Sometimes it’s downright explosive (remember the infamous stolen production schedule of 2021?), while other times it’s a little more low-stakes (there’s always at least one #copycat drama floating around). So when whispers of a new scandal started circling in The Block 2025, no one was exactly shocked.

But this time, the debate isn’t so clear-cut. As the story unfolds, viewers are divided: are Sonny and Alicia actually cheating, or are they just playing smart?

This week, Sonny and Alicia have been accused by their co-stars of “cheating” and taking advantage of a loophole in the show’s rules.

The couple have not won a room reveal all season, but they have won $50,000. How? By winning the weekly budget award, which is awarded to the team that spent the least amount of money that week.

It doesn’t sound too crazy yet, but the drama ramped up when the couple’s budgeting was called into question.
Alicia and Sonny in hi-vis looking upset at a body corporate on The Block 2025.Tears were shed at this week’s body corporate. (Credit: Nine)
As the teams gathered for a body corporate meeting, Britt and Taz accused Sonny and Alicia of playing a dishonest game and calling into question their budgeting.

Britt explained that she felt it was unfair for the pair to win $10,000 for spending the least and then spending the earnings to upgrade the original space.

“For a lot of the other teams, that crossed the line completely,” one production source told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
Sonny and alicia in a bedroom on the set of the blockThe couple have not won a room reveal all season – but that hasn’t stopped them from raking in extra cash. (Credit: Nine)
Following the episode, Alicia and Sonny spoke to Yahoo and explained their side of the story.

“We have winnings, they have winnings, and what we do with those winnings is absolutely our choice, so we chose to redo a room so we could sell our house,” Sonny told the publication.

“We’d be mad not to reinvest that money,” added Alicia. “But did we do that intentionally? Absolutely not. How embarrassing. I would never put us in that situation. We want to win.”

“I’m not even that smart to think like that,” she continued. “And at the end of the day, we are in the competition. We wanted to win the $10k for the winning room.”
Britt and Taz on The BlockBritt and Taz believe the couple are not playing fair. (Credit: Nine)
Online, fans are torn. “It’s a competition at the end of the day,” one fan argued. “They are playing a game.

“It’s definitely conniving but they found the loophole in The Block’s games so why not grab that opportunity?” added another. “Is it ethical, no. The Block will close that loophole next season.”

“Cheaters, that’s how I see it,” countered another, labelling the play “not very nice.”