“I was like, second-guessing, should I be here?”

A surprise visit from Robby‘s girlfriend, Alyssa, and their 5-month-old son, Brooks, gave him the motivation he needed to lift his spirits and power through the Living and Dining room renovation on The Block 2025.

While Robby’s family’s visit was beautiful, some viewers have questioned why the other contestants — like Sonny and Alicia, who have three kids, and Britt and Taz, who have two — weren’t extended the same courtesy.

“Why is one child allowed on set when the other two families can’t?” one person wrote on Facebook. Another commented, “Why is his family allowed to be there and no one else’s family is there?”

During an interview with Chattr, Robby explained that he was at breaking point missing his family, and The Block producers recognised how much he was battling, which is why they bought in Alyssa and Brooks.

“I was just really struggling to be honest. And the best thing about The Block and the people behind the scenes — you can see why it’s been a successful show for 21 seasons — is that they care. I was struggling, and I missed my son. I’m a new dad,” he said.
Robby, Alyssa and Brooks. Image: Nine.
“I felt bad for leaving Alyssa alone. She’s a new mum, and it’s always tough for her, and it put me in a situation where I was like, second-guessing, should I be here? And I just wanted to be around him. And the show said, ‘Tell you what, Rob, you say it, and we’ll get him here,’ and then they’re behind the scenes and worked it out, and he walked in, and I was very happy. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the experience much longer if I didn’t see him.”

Robby added that it was hard to put into words how he felt when Alyssa and Brooks walked into his and Mat’s half-finished kitchen and living room.

“It was one of those amazing moments,” he said. “Being away from him for a week before I went on the show — So it was about 45 days where I didn’t see him, and then for him to just walk in and see his little face, and it changed so much. I had no words. I was broken.”

“I was just so happy…Brooks is my screensaver, and I FaceTime every morning and every bath time, but to see him and have that reminder of this is why we’re here. I’m telling you right now, if we did not see Brooks and Alyssa on that Saturday, there is no way Mat and I would have got that room done.”

 

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Mat praises The Block producers for prioritising contestants’ mental health

Mat pointed out that The Block producers and crew were constantly checking in with the contestants and making sure they were coping well.

“As Rob said, you can see why [the show has] lasted for so long, because it is a family on site, and yes, they’re there to make a TV show, but fucking hell, they looked after us like,” he told Chattr.

“We became a family very quickly, with all the people behind the scenes and that sort of stuff… We were made to feel loved and cared for and our mental health and our well being. And you know, with the fact that they brought Brooks and Alyssa in so Rob could keep going. It was just amazing.”

Have other families been bought in on The Block before?

It’s not a rare occurrence for The Block crew to bring in family members to help contestants who are having a rough time.

On The Block 2022, Tom & Sarah-Jane’s daughter Cleo was bought in for her first birthday after the couple had were struggling with the idea of missing out on it. More recently, Eliza recieved a surprise visit from her parents and other sister who greeted her after a challenge with a champagne shower for her birthday.
Tom and Sarah-Jane seeing their daughter. Image: Nine.
The Block 2021 saw visits from Tanya and Vito’s kids, and the 2020 season had George‘s parents surprise him during the painting week for an emotional boost.

Each season, The Block also sets aside a special day for family, friends — and sometimes even pets — to join the contestants for some fun on site.