David Bonaddio, Real Estate Reporter
First published 27 Oct 2026, 4:00am
A production insider has rejected claims of rigging, insisting that completing unfinished homes for auction is separate from the deadlines contestants face on television.
An insider has rejected suggestions post-filming renovations could rig The Block’s Mount Eliza finale, saying no contestant received an unfair advantage.
The rebuttal follows media reports alleging Nine and production company Cavalier Productions approved substantial work after filming, including a possible $200,000 reconstruction of Rick and Tayla’s back porch.
The reported figure has not been independently verified, with publications attributing the estimated cost to anonymous sources.
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“There is nothing rigged or deceiving going on here,” the insider said.
The source, who is familiar with the production, said the television competition and the responsibility to deliver completed homes to market were separate considerations.
Rick and Tayla will enter The Block’s Mount Eliza auctions with a $3.4m reserve after securing a $50,000 reduction in the final landscaping challenge.
Rick and Tayla’s unfinished outdoor areas attracted criticism during judging, with the spaces estimated to be just 70 per cent complete during the October 11 reveal.
The insider insisted no contestant had been advantaged or disadvantaged, acknowledging Rick and Tayla’s deck had unfinished elements when filming wrapped.
“The continuation of building work after contestants leave is established practice,” the insider said.
The source said long-time viewers would be familiar with the process, pointing to previous seasons where contestants left properties unfinished.
Sonny and Alicia spent $131,551 on their front yard during The Block’s 2025 Daylesford season, when several homes still required work after filming. Picture: Channel 9/9Now
Last year at Daylesford, contestants Sonny and Alicia said they were the only team to leave filming with their entire home completed, while other properties still required work.
In 2024, Ricky and Haydn’s Phillip Island ensuite was completed off-camera after waterproofing failures left the room unfinished during judging.
Former Block winner Shannon Vos has also revealed that more
Sonny and Alicia said they were the only contestants to leave The Block’s 2025 Daylesford site with their entire home finished, highlighting a long-running production practice. Picture: Channel 9
than 30 tradespeople worked on The Glasshouse in Prahran for about three months after contestants left in 2014.
The controversy surrounding this year’s series centres on Rick and Tayla’s House 5, where unfinished decking and outdoor construction attracted criticism from the judges.
During the outdoor terrace and pool reveal, the judges estimated the areas were only 70 per cent complete.
Judge Marty Fox acknowledged the property’s market appeal but said it had not been finished to the required standard.
Mount Eliza buyer’s advocate Madeleine Roberts said completing unfinished construction was not unfair, warning buyers would not spend millions on a home with outstanding work.
Mount Eliza buyer’s advocate and M R Advocacy founder Madeleine Roberts, who inspected Rick and Tayla’s property in July, defended the need to complete outstanding work before auction.
“No, I don’t think it’s unfair,” Ms Roberts said.
“Nobody is going to spend $3m on a property that has parts that are unfinished.”
Ms Roberts said she understood why viewers could become emotionally invested in the competition and question whether additional building work provided an advantage.
However, she considered the competition primarily a test of contestants’ design decisions, while prospective purchasers would judge the finished properties on their own merits.
“Those things need to be done before auction day, without a doubt,” she said.
Rick and Tayla’s Mount Eliza home is at the centre of allegations that producers approved up to $200,000 in post-filming work, a figure that remains unverified.
Ms Roberts said Rick and Tayla’s deck had appeared to be bare timber during her July inspection, although she could not confirm what work had since been completed or whether the reported $200,000 expenditure was accurate.
She said buyers spending millions of dollars would ultimately be more concerned with the quality and value of the finished homes than the personalities behind them.
“People are buying for the property, not for who built it,” she said.
All five Mount Eliza houses have base reserves of $3.45m, with Rick and Tayla earning a $50,000 reduction after winning the final landscaping challenge.
The properties are scheduled to go under the hammer on Saturday, October 31, ahead of the televised finale on Sunday, November 1.
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