The Block rivals rage as 'copycat' scandal worsens

The Block rivals rage as 'copycat' scandal worsens
Source: Daily Mail Online

There was plenty of tension on Sunday's episode of The Block as the teams lined up to hear the scores for Backyard Week.

Matt and Robby were none too happy after learning that Emma and Ben had earned rave reviews from the judges for their wine cellar.

It was particularly painful for the Adelaide boys after a scandal had rocked the Daylesford site earlier this season over claims that the husband and wife duo were 'copycatting' Matt and Robby's own wine cellar.

Judge Marty Fox gushed over Emma and Ben's efforts.

'Geez, isn't this strategic from Emma and Ben,' he said, as he surveyed their elegant wine cellar and added:
'We're in a real estate competition, this is adding value to the buyers. After seeing House 5's cellar, it's the perfect chess move.'

Matt and Robby were visibly shaken as they listened to the host Scott Cam read out the comments.

Still, the best mates earned their fair share of praise from all the judges for their landscaping and design, especially their gigantic Trendz outdoor fireplace.

The boys also left a cheeky surprise to impress the judges - a pair of huge steaks on the BBQ.

Overall, the judges were impressed by all five teams and just as Scott was about to add up the final tally, Ben produced a $100 bill with a secret gnome, giving House One a bonus point.

Predictably, the other Blockheads were unhappy about Ben and Emma's strategy.

'You lied to our faces,' Alicia said, after Ben and Emma had managed to keep their gnome a secret.

In the end Emma and Ben won Backyard Week by half a point, with their final score at 38.5.

Robby and Matt came second with 38 points, while Britt and Taz weren't far behind on 37.75.

The Daylesford site was rocked earlier this season over claims that the husband and wife duo were 'copycatting' Matt and Robby's own wine cellar.

Han and Can, who have struggled with money issues for weeks, walked away with the CommBank budget award of $10,000 after completing their backyard against all the odds.

Han and Can, who have struggled with money issues for weeks, managed 31.5 points and walked away with the CommBank budget award of $10,000 after completing their backyard against all the odds.

Meanwhile, Scott has announced an added incentive for the teams. Next week's winner will have $50,000 knocked off their reserve price.

It comes after two recent copycat scandals rocked the renovation show over the last few months.

The first scandal, which aired in August, featured Queenslanders Alicia and Sonny going head-to-head with Perth-based hopefuls Han and Can.

The Queenslanders accused Han and Can of stealing the concept for their Hepburn Springs bathhouse.

Tensions were so heightened in the wake of the accusations that one Block insider confessed it was one of the season's 'most heated moments'.

'Alicia went ballistic,' a source told Daily Mail.
'She may have toned it down for the cameras but off-screen she was still seething. Sonny made it clear the girls were dead to him.'

The second copycat scandal saw Adelaide boys Matt and Robby go head-to-head with Emma and Ben.

Matt and Robby had been planning a show-stopping wine cellar and bunker design, only for Em and Ben to unveil an almost identical concept over at House One.

While Alicia and Sonny made no secret about their feelings, Matt and Robby take a different tack.

Rather than 'going ballistic', the boys quietly bite their tongues - even while privately arguing that it would be considered cheating if they pulled the same stunt.