Courtney may be keeping her job as a site manager in commercial construction a secret from the other The Block 2026 contestants, but she’s had no qualms about bringing it up behind the scenes. In the first week alone, she’s told foreman Dan, Scotty, the producers, and, well, just about anyone who’ll listen that she’s a site manager.
Courtney has mentioned being a site manager so many times that one Reddit user likened her to Married At First Sight’s (MAFS) 2023’s Alyssa Barmonde, whose repeated references to having a child became a running joke among viewers.
And, while Courtney did her best to keep her fellow contestants from knowing about her construction-adjacent career, Chantel revealed she caught on pretty easily.
“I didn’t know initially, but I picked up on it quite quickly,” she told Chattr in an exclusive interview. “I noticed that she was saying things correctly and pointing things out, and she kind of had the know-how. And because I have a trade background, I knew she knew what she was talking about, so I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. There’s something not adding up here.'”
Chantel revealed that once she grew suspicious, she did what anyone would do and Googled Courtney.
“I looked it up online. Someone shared an article, and lo and behold, she was a site manager,” she laughed.
Does Chantel think it’s fair to lie about your job on The Block?
Courtney told the other contestants that she works in admin, with her teammate Sev explaining in a producer-led interview that she thinks if the other contestants found out about her occupation, they’d feel “threatened”.
Chantel, who was introduced as a small business owner but has extensive experience as a chippy, weighed in on Courtney’s decision to cover up her career, saying she supports it.
“None of the contestants knew until they watched the first episode about me [being a carpenter] either. But to me, personally, I think it’s kind of funny. I was never going to tell anyone about my trade either. So I was kind of in the similar position.
“Obviously, she’s a site manager and I haven’t done it for 10 years, but yeah, I think it’s a really good move for people to just kind of underestimate you as a female. So honestly, I think it was clever.”
And, Courtney and Chantel aren’t the only two cast members with useful careers this season. Sev’s an interior designer, Rick is a builder, Adam is a carpenter, Jolene’s a real estate agent, and Lisa and Rosco have experience renovating their own houses.
With a stacked cast like that, it’s no surprise everyone’s trying to keep their experience under wraps.
The Block airs on Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.
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