The Block fans have once again had enough of the drama, with viewers claiming the renovation show is starting to feel more like Married At First Sight (MAFS) than earlier versions of itself.
It’s certainly not the first time fans have made the comparison, but after another week of arguments, accusations and contestant feuds, the complaint has reared its head again.
This week alone, viewers watched the mystery of Rick and Tayla’s missing olive tree unfold. Then tensions between Tayla and Jolene reached boiling point. There were also accusations over trades being on site after hours. Add in claims that contestants were “playing the game” and yet another fiery confrontation between the houses, and it’s been quite the week.
However, contestant Chantel told WHO she backs the drama being added to the show.
Fans claim The Block is getting ‘ridiculous‘
The latest drama has sparked another wave of complaints. Viewers feel the show is becoming too focused on contestant relationships, rather than the renovations themselves.
One fan summed up their frustration by calling for producers to cast contestants who can “actually do the job that’s required to build a house” instead of people who spend their time “talking like teenagers and spoilt brats”.
“This show is getting ridiculous,” they added.
Another viewer took aim at the general direction of the show, saying the renovation competition had become “Mean Girls meets MAFS, occasionally interrupted by someone laying a tile”.
“The bullying, tantrums, petty feuds and general ratbaggery are tedious, not entertaining,” they added.
And it wasn’t just the amount of drama that annoyed viewers. Some fans questioned whether contestants are actually doing enough of the work themselves, while others complained that the renovation elements are increasingly being pushed into the background.
Chantel has her say on The Block drama
However, according to one of the contestants, a little drama is all part of the Block experience.
Speaking to WHO, Chantel admitted she understands why viewers might get frustrated by the amount of drama on screen, but she also pointed out that The Block is still a TV show, and a little conflict is necessary to keep people watching.
“I think for me, it’s important to keep a little bit of drama in any TV show because otherwise the viewers will get really bored,” Chantel said.
“So I think, you know, people say a lot of things online, but they’re still tuning in. So at the end of the day, I think, you know, it is a TV show and it needs to be entertaining in a way as well.”
And it’s hard to argue there hasn’t been plenty of entertainment this week.
The Block has always been about more than renovating
Interestingly, the argument that The Block has become too focused on drama isn’t exactly new. There’s also a pretty important piece of context from the people who created the show.
Co-creator David Barbour previously described The Block as a “soap opera set on a construction site”, while executive producer and co-creator Julian Cress has also spoken about the importance of “human drama” to the format.
In a 2023 interview with Mediaweek, Cress described “human drama” as something the series had “always set out to produce”. He also spoke about the importance of competitive energy and “personality politics”, with friendships forming and breaking as contestants deal with the pressure of the competition.
So, while viewers might feel like the drama has taken over this season, it’s nothing new for The Block.
But fans aren’t convinced
This hasn’t stopped viewers from calling for a return to the format of previous seasons.
One fan pushed back against those wanting the show to return to how it “used to be”. They pointed to comments from the show’s creators about the show’s focus on relationships and drama.
But clearly, not everyone was buying it.
“I’ve watched The Block for years, but this season is bloody hard work for the audience,” one viewer wrote. “Someone has to work I suppose, because the contestants certainly aren’t.”
And so, the great debate over The Block continues: are viewers tuning in for the houses, or the drama? Because judging by the comments, the contestants might be building houses, but their feuds are doing plenty of the heavy lifting.
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