If there’s one thing The Block fans have noticed about Tayla, it’s her big personality.
The 32-year-old has been one of the more talked-about contestants of the 2026 season, making an immediate impression when she leapt into Scotty Cam’s arms during the premiere and later called fellow contestants Courtney and Sarah “sexy, sexy ladies”. Safe to say, Tayla didn’t exactly ease her way into The Block.
But that enthusiasm hasn’t always gone down well with viewers. Earlier in the season, fans complained Tayla was “a bit much”, with some getting frustrated by her big reactions, silly faces and constant energy. Now, however, the criticism has taken a very different turn, with some viewers questioning how much work she’s actually doing alongside her dad, Rick.
As the renovations have ramped up, some fans have accused Tayla of leaving Rick to do the heavy lifting.
“Rick…The Block’s first ever SOLO contestant,” one viewer wrote, while another commented: “I feel sorry for him, she’s bloody useless.”
“She is so lazy, poor Dad,” another fan said, with someone else adding: “She is useless needs to be told to pull her weight.”
But there’s another side to Tayla’s Block story that viewers might not know. She wasn’t actually supposed to be Rick’s partner in the first place.
So, how did Tayla end up on The Block?
Rick had spent years trying to get onto The Block. But Rick originally planned to renovate with someone else. More than a decade ago, Rick actually applied with Tayla’s twin sister, Shannen. The pair gave it a crack “probably 15 years ago”.
“Well, I think back in them days, I think I was too overqualified,” Rick told WHO. “So, and then it went on, and we just didn’t do anything. And then I thought, ‘no, let’s try again’.”
But when Shannen eventually moved overseas for six years with her then-husband, who was playing sport there, Tayla became the daughter who was still at home.
“Shannen ended up moving overseas, and she lived overseas for six years with her ex-husband,” Tayla explained. “I was really the only one who was left here.”
Tayla’s very last-minute Block audition
So when The Block came calling again, Tayla suddenly found herself in the running, despite having barely any time to prepare.
The family received an email asking them to re-audition while Tayla was away at a wedding, giving her just 24 to 48 hours to send through a video.
“They sent that email 24 to 48 hours ago, and they requested me to send the video 24 to 48 hours ago,” Tayla recalled. “So I was already late.”
As soon as her flight landed in Melbourne, Tayla jumped in the car and drove to Ocean Grove to meet Rick and film the audition before heading straight back home.
“I got right in the car, and I drove all the way [to Dad]. We did the video, and then I drove back home,” she said.
And it turns out they didn’t need much time at all. Rick said Tayla’s three-minute audition video took just 30 seconds to film.
“It was so natural. And then Tayla said, what do you think, Dad? I said, just send it.”
Rick and Tayla made it to the shortlist last year before reapplying this year and finally landing their spot on The Block. What started with Shannen more than a decade ago had turned into an unexpected father-daughter renovation adventure.
And Tayla has certainly made her mark. She’s now one of the season’s most talked-about contestants, for better or worse.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Share this post