The Block Australia contestant Leah broke down in tears on Wednesday night’s episode as she began to question her friendship with this season’s ‘villain’ Kristy.
But viewers have questioned whether the epiphany was genuine, or a calculated reputation overhaul for national TV.
In what is shaping up to be the most dramatic fallout The Block has ever seen, Leah and Kristy will finally come to blows on this Monday’s episode, after forming a rock-solid friendship in the first few weeks of the Channel 9 series.
Cracks began to show on Sunday when Kristy got in a row with fellow contestants Eliza and Liberty following their surprise kitchen week victory, with Kristy accusing the sisters of benefiting from “special treatment”.
A usually calm Eliza hit back, arguing what Kristy perceived as “special treatment” was really just her being “kind to people, so they’re kind back to me.”
What emerged in the aftermath were claims Kristy and her husband Brett weren’t popular among crew and tradies, with Eliza telling Leah the couple made “four crew cry” and that “the crew hates being around them.”
Leah and husband Ash swiftly began their redemption arc following this chat, with much of Wednesday night’s storyline revolving around their realisation they’d endorsed Kristy and Brett’s behaviour by not calling them out.
Their change-of-heart was further fuelled by Kristy’s drunken outburst at Leah for hanging out with Eliza and Liberty following the open home inspections Tuesday night. Instead of joining her on the dance floor at the after-party, Kristy discovered Leah was spending time with the other couples.
“Both of them have been saying things that have gone way too far, and you and me have laughed about it or not called it out … What does that say?” Leah said in a deep conversation with Ash aired Wednesday.
“We should be calling it out. Not saying something actually speaks louder.
“This is not who we are, and so not how we would ever want to be perceived.”
However, viewers weren’t so convinced, as they took to social media to dub Leah’s abrupt realisation as disingenuous.
Further, Yahoo Lifestyle reported a secret conversation had happened between Leah and Eliza which wasn’t aired, in which media savvy Eliza – who has worked in media for a decade – told Leah she would be portrayed negatively due to her association with Kristy and Brett.
“What Channel 9 will not show the viewers was the secret meeting between Eliza and Leah that changes everything for House 2 (Leah and Ash),” a source told the website.
“Eliza pulled Leah aside and gave her some industry advice. Eliza has worked in media for over ten years and has a wealth of knowledge on how these shows get made.
“She took it upon herself to share some of her knowledge with Leah and Ash and to be fair her advice was bang on the money.”
In a teaser for the next episode, which airs Monday night, viewers got a taste of Leah’s explosive confrontation with Kristy.
In a piece-to-camera shown in the ad, a producer is heard asking Kristy if she feels like she’s lost a friend, to which she responds, “I wouldn’t really call it a loss.”