This year's season of The Block is set to be the most dramatic in reality TV history, with one team deciding to quit mid-filming. Viewers will have to wait a few more weeks for the official decision, but in a tense moment on Tuesday night's episode, two contestants began hinting at their intentions to quit.
Engaged couple Paige and Jesse are seen having a “private” car conversation, venting their frustration over a string of setbacks: The 27-year-old insurance claims specialist tells his fiancée that he's fed up with The Block's demanding filming schedule and lack of freedom, and is ready to break up.
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“I'm quitting, I'm leaving. This environment is not healthy and it's not what I thought it would be,” she said. “They kept saying, 'You're going to have a lot of autonomy.' I wasn't even allowed to build my own house, and it was like, 'We don't care if you want to surf all day, just film!' But when I asked to do something, it was like, 'No Thursday, no Friday, no Sunday.'”
“So, I won't be here as of tomorrow,” she continued, looking straight into the camera in the distance, “So, if you're listening to this, I think you'd better start looking for a replacement. Seriously, I'm not gonna say I won't.”
Page told producers they should begin looking for a replacement. Photo: Channel 9
Paige was in a lighter mood after spending the afternoon with contestant Hayden and going to McDonald's, but called her mother towards the end of the episode and declared she was “so over it.”
“Seriously, yeah, I think I'm out now,” she admitted. “I don't want to sit in a circle kumbayaking and talking about my shitty feelings when I'm not feeling anything.”
“To be honest, my mind is already made up. I don't want to be here anymore. I don't feel anything anymore. I'm done.”
Viewers comment on Paige's attitude
Viewers were outraged by Paige's confession, with many taking to social media to say they hoped she would leave the show and give it to a more “deserving” team.
“Paige we really hope that wasn't a threat. We want a new couple that actually wants to be there and not just want their 15 minutes of fame,” one person wrote, while another added, “I speak for everyone when I say Goodbye Paige! No contact.”
“Is Paige seriously complaining about being expected to stay on The Block and build a house rather than go surfing? I don't think she really knew what she was getting herself into on The Block. It's an amazing opportunity with a big reward at the end but it also requires sacrifices,” someone else commented.
Meanwhile, another user pointed out: “Don't forget to edit, not everything you see is right.”
Did Paige and Jesse really quit The Block?
Yahoo Lifestyle reported in April that Blue Team's Jesse and Paige couldn't handle the stress of the high-pressure environment and decided to pull out of the reality show just six weeks into filming. A production source said “everyone was stunned when the Western Australian team fled Phillip Island,” leaving Channel 9 to scramble to find replacements.
“Producers were surprised by the decision to step down and it was certainly not something they expected when casting the season,” the source added. “This was meant to be the wholesome, back-to-basics season of The Block that viewers have been waiting for.”
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It was also revealed that when Jessie and Paige quit, sisters Maddie and Charlotte from New South Wales took their places, with just 24 hours' notice to take on and complete the job.
Though they're the youngest contestants this season, the dynamic duo has plenty of renovation experience, having previously renovated a 1950s clapboard cottage.
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