The Block 2022 auctions: Inside the Channel 9 show's biggest scandals

Talented contestants have made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their amazing home renovations on The Block.

But while there are many success stories from the popular Channel Nine series, the show has also been plagued with a string of controversies over the years.

Daily Mail Australia looks back at the arrests, cheating rows, break-ups and auction scandals that have rocked The Block.

Suzi Taylor

Probably one of The Block’s most controversial contestants, Suzi Taylor has hit headlines multiple times since finding fame on the show in 2015.

The self-described ‘party girl’, whose real name is Suellen Jan Taylor, made headlines in January 2016 after sharing details of her ‘secret relationship’ with Weekend Today show host Richard ‘Dickie’ Wilkins. 

‘He gave me access to his house and I would be there in my underwear waiting for him when he got home from work,’ she claimed. 

But after months of sneaking around, Suzi said she was left heartbroken when Dickie suddenly ended their romance.      

Suzi found herself in court in late 2019 when she was accused of ‘honey trapping’ a Tinder date, whom she allegedly held against his will before he was assaulted and forced to transfer money.

She and a co-accused faced charges of extortion, deprivation of liberty, fraud and assault, but they were found not guilty on all charges in April 2021 after Suzi had spent 202 days behind bars.

Darren Jolly

Former AFL star Darren Jolly and his wife Deanne were popular contestants on The Block – appearing twice in 2014 and 2015, and winning the latter season.

But the pair hit headlines two years ago when they sadly announced they had ended their 15-year marriage.

After their split, Darren claimed on Instagram in October 2020 he hadn’t been in contact with his two daughters since splitting from his wife in September 2019.

Fast forward to January 2021 and Darren set off alarm bells when he shared a troubling Instagram post in which he claimed he could not ‘go on much longer’.

He was later found safe, with his new girlfriend taking to Instagram to advise Darren was ‘receiving the best care he needs right now’.

The ex-footy player has since become a father again, and is on the road to recovery.

Phil Rankine

Phil Rankine starred on The Block with his former wife Amity Dry in 2003 and in the All-Stars edition in 2013. The couple split up in 2018.

After his stint on reality TV, Rankine became a high-profile concert promoter in Adelaide, drawing big names to the city including Florence and the Machine, Bob Dylan and Bon Jovi.

He faced court in August 2020 after allegedly stealing more than $5million from investors.

He had been arrested two months prior on June 20, and appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with 20 counts of theft.

Police alleged at the time he stole money to use in his events from 2018 to 2019.

However, his theft charges were dismissed in July 2021 after Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal ruled prosecutors had taken too long to advance their case.

Auction scandal

In 2020, The Block was rocked by its biggest ever scandal, after a mysterious buyer was accused of failing to pay for the home she’d won at auction.

At the centre of the controversy was Emese Abigail Fajk, a cyber security expert who bid $4.2million on Jimmy and Tam Wilkins’ home but didn’t stump up the money.

She presented receipts of bank transfers indicating the money for the house had gone through, but the large sum never reached Channel Nine’s bank accounts.

Tam and Jimmy choked back tears as they told A Current Affair how they’d been left blindsided by the strange turn of events.

‘Here we are now not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s something no one ever saw coming, no one ever expected, but it’s something we now have to deal with,’ Jimmy said.

When confronted by Nine reporter Alison Piotrowski, Emese insisted she had paid the deposit for the property and had receipts to prove it.

‘I’m trying to find out what’s going on,’ she claimed.

She then took to social media to say she had been ‘thrown under the bus’.

‘I didn’t get forms in time that I needed to sign, I had to find crucial information on my own, even though I paid someone else to make sure there are no hiccups,’ she wrote.

‘I still believe there is a happy ending here somewhere for everyone involved.’ 

However, in February 2021, Emese claimed she had given up on buying Jimmy and Tam’s $4.2million home and that she was the victim of a conspiracy.

Jimmy and Tam found a buyer for their Brighton home in June 2021 for $4million.

Jess Eva and Norm Hogan

Jess and Norm became household names after starring in the 2018 season of The Block, and share son Fred and daughter Matilda.

During the show’s finale, the western Sydney couple sold their apartment renovation nyc at auction for $2,859,000, making a tidy profit of $209,000.

But in September 2020, Jess and Norm confirmed they’d blown every penny of their cash prize in just two years.

Speaking on Triple M’s Moonman in the Morning, Jess revealed they’d spent the cash on swimming pools, gambling and ‘helping out friends’.

‘The first thing we bought was two above-ground pools…

and we handed them out to our friends like lollies,’ she revealed.

‘We just had friends who had been wanting a pool for ages… They’re $5,000 each, so there’s $10,000,’ she said.

The couple also spent a portion of the prize money betting on a tennis match.

‘Remember when Ash Barty was starting out on the tennis circuit and we didn’t know she was going to be a winner and she was playing against Maria Sharapova?’ she said.

‘We put thousands on Maria Sharapova and it was just when Ash Barty was starting her winning streak… I’ll never forget Norm’s look after Maria lost the second set, he just had tears in his eyes.’ 

Jess also revealed she and Norm paid off a friend’s car loan, bought two lawnmowers and even purchased a block of land on Queensland’s Russell Island.

The mother of two told Daily Mail Australia the pair originally had plans to become property developers but things changed when they returned home.

‘When we got home, we felt guilty that we had won all this money and felt a lot happier having fun and sharing it with our friends,’ she said.

Jess said that while she doesn’t have any regrets, if she won $200,000 now she’d be much more responsible.

Tanya Guccione’s cheating scandal

The biggest scandal of last year centred around Tanya Guccione. 

The outspoken makeup artist and her husband Vito gained an unfair advantage by secretly taking a photo of the show’s production schedule early on in the season.

She later shared the photo with rival team Luke and Josh Packham.

Anyone who saw the schedule had the advantage of being able to plan their specifications weeks in advance or pre-order something for a specific room.

The Gucciones and the Packham twins were each docked two points for a room reveal after the scandal was exposed.

Frustratingly for the other teams, Tanya denied any wrongdoing for weeks – before eventually making a full confession during the season finale.

Auction day fears for this year’s season 

The 2022 season of The Block has had the usual blow-ups and cheating accusations – usually involving Sharon and Ankur from House 3 – but the biggest scandal this year may unfold on auction day.

This is because there are fears the Macedon Ranges homes won’t sell at all.

While sales have been all but guaranteed in previous seasons, rising interest rates and falling house prices combined with a move to rural Victoria have resulted in uncertainty for the five teams.

Some real estate experts have expressed concern the properties won’t sell for within their $4million to $4.4million price guides.

This is because the median house price in the Gisborne area is about $1.1million.

However, sources at Nine are confident the homes will smash their reserves because of their ultra-stylish designs, great location and resale potential.

Former Block contestant Kirsty Lee Akers said last week she was ‘really worried’ for this year’s teams.

Kirsty, who made a $301,523 profit during the 2021 season with husband Jesse Anderson, predicts the ‘cooling’ market and overly ambitious reserve prices are a recipe for disaster.

‘I hope I’m wrong but I have a really bad feeling about this year’s auction,’ the country musician told .

‘Interest rates have shot up and the market has cooled, plus everyone is saying these homes will sell for $5million, but some of the better homes recently sold in that area [the Macedon Ranges in Victoria] only made about $2million.

‘That’s a huge price difference.’

The Block finale airs Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now

Kirsty also noted how the most recent season of The Block New Zealand proves sales aren’t always guaranteed.

A heartbreaking auction day saw two homes fail to sell, while the winning team made a profit of just NZ$4,000 and the runners-up walked away with only NZ$100.

‘I hope I eat my words, but I’m really worried for them all,’ Kirsty said.

 

The Block’s shock break-ups

Shaynna Blaze and husband Steve Vaughan

Shaynna Blaze (right) announced her split from her husband of 18 years, personal trainer Steve Vaughan (left), in August 2018 

The Block judge Shaynna Blaze announced her split from her husband of 18 years, personal trainer Steve Vaughan, in August 2018.

The interior designer wrote on Instagram: ‘Sometime in life, our paths change directions and now this is one of those times for me, with Steve and I separating.

‘I will not be making any further statements about this and whilst I appreciate your support, I ask that you respect our right to privacy.

Thank you, Shaynna.’

Shaynna and Steve had tied the knot 20 years earlier, after first meeting at a bar in Melbourne.

Chantelle Ford and Steve O’Donnell

Chantelle Ford and Steve O’Donnell soared to fame in the 2014 season, with a number of expletive-ridden fights often making their relationship look uncertain at best

Chantelle and Steve soared to fame in the 2014 season, with a number of expletive-ridden fights often making their relationship look uncertain at best.

Fans of the popular renovation show weren’t surprised to hear that 14 months after they won $736,000 in prize money, the pair had chosen to go their separate ways.

The duo announced the news via their shared Facebook page, writing: ‘We interrupt your Sunday night to let you know that we are no longer a couple.’

Explaining that the separation was a mutual one, they continued: ‘We’ve had an incredible 3.5+ years together and remain the best of mates, but both agree that we are better off as friends.

‘There’s no drama, no scandal, we’re just two people with an enormous amount of respect for each other who, together, made this difficult decision.’

Madi and Jarrod Coppock 

Despite at first denying rumours their marriage had ended, The Block’s 2013 couple Madi and Jarrod Coppock divorced a year after they made $291,000 on their apartment in Melbourne

Despite at first denying rumours their marriage had ended, The Block’s 2013 couple Madi and Jarrod Coppock divorced a year after they made $291,000 on their apartment in Melbourne.

Since their break-up, Jarrod proposed to his girlfriend Tilly Parker in 2018.

The pair welcomed a daughter together the following year.

Madi no longer has social media, but she is believed to have remarried in 2015.

Whitney Nolan and Andrew Simmons

Whitney called time on her romance with Andrew shortly after completing filming their season in 2015.

She drew a line under the couple’s professional and personal relationship by moving out of their Melbourne home, admitting: ‘Yes, there were tears.’

Speaking to Woman’s Day, Whitney said: ‘Officially it just ended, but in my eyes it was weeks ago, when we started on the communal level.

It’s tough going through a break-up, and especially having to explain that to the other person.

‘He was upset and I was upset, but I think we both understood it was coming to an end. We both knew it was going to happen because I wasn’t happy for a little while.’

Andrew only had kind words for his ex-partner and told the publication he hoped they could get back together in the future.

He also revealed he would look for a partner with some of Whitney’s qualities, adding: ‘I’ll still be there for her, no matter what.’

Whitney Nolan called time on her romance with Andrew Simmons shortly after completing filming the Channel Nine show in 2015