After one of the toughest and most dramatic seasons to date, Tess and Luke Struber were crowned the winners of The Block during last night’s emotionally charged episode.
WATCH: Tess and Luke left in a state of shock after taking out the title
In what can only be described as an action-packed auction, the newlyweds beat their competitors to take home a staggering $730, 000 for their efforts on their stunning three-storey terrace.
“Speechless. We cannot believe we have just won the biggest Block ever!” Tess said after being announced the winners. “$730,000 is more money than we could ever imagine having in the bank!”
The Cairns couple, who had their reserve set at $2,990,000, received a bid of $3,620,000 for their incredible property— which featured its own self-contained studio unit— resulting in a profit of $630,000.
Here’s how the teams ranked overall”
WINNER: Tess and Luke, $730,000 ($630,000 over reserve + $100,000 prize money)
2ND PLACE: El’ise and Matt, $460,000
3RD PLACE: Andy and Deb, $430,000
4TH PLACE: Jesse and Mel, $388,000
5TH PLACE: Mitch and Mark, $384,000
Their unexpected win comes after the reality TV stars told News.com.au they wished they’d never applied for the series, slamming the producers for “bullying” them on set.
“We thought this was going to be an amazing, positive experience in our life, but we wish we never went on this bloody thing. We got bullied the whole way through (filming) the show, and now we feel like they’re bullying us on the show as well,” Luke said.
Tess added: “We’re really upset — we’re not coping with it any more. We’re really heartbroken. We just want this over and done with. It’s really sad that we feel like we have to explain ourselves to people who have no idea who we really are. They’re judging us based on a show that is completely full of sh*t.”
Despite being unhappy with their portrayal, Tess and Luke said they’re still going to celebrate the win.
“We are so grateful to be on The Block. Our lives have changed completely, but you do get really upset being portrayed a certain way and but it’s because you don’t see everything. And unfortunately, we were portrayed as the lazy ones, but you can’t win The Block being lazy,” Tess told news.com.au.