We may only be a few weeks into The Block 2026, but between stolen tradies and medical emergencies, the drama is already in overdrive, with no signs of slowing down.
With so much unfolding in such a short space of time, viewers could be forgiven for wondering just how much of the drama happens organically, and how much is influenced by production.
However, Courtney and Sev told Chattr in an exclusive interview that what viewers see play out on screen is very much real, revealing that producers don’t manufacture the drama.
“There’s a concept where people think the show is scripted or people tell us what to say, and we find that quite funny because during the course of the show, we’d just be like, ‘Holy s**t, you can’t write this stuff! Like some of the stuff that would just happen, you would just be shook in that moment and not understand how it came to fruition,” Sev said.
Sev stressed that the contestants are real people navigating an intense situation, not actors playing out pre-written storylines.
“I think it’s so hard trying to convince people that we’re real people and we’re in a pressure cooker situation, and we’re just trying to do our best. People don’t understand all the parameters around us and everything that we need to integrate within the competition.
“But then I think it just means we have to appreciate that people are only seeing a very small fraction of what happens, and they’re going to make a judgment on it. So whether they want to believe it’s a pre-written show or it’s scripted, that’s going to be their prerogative. But hopefully, some will come around and notice that there are actually real moments in the show that speak to these real people.”
Courtney shares why the drama happens organically
Courtney explained that the fast-paced environment and the stresses that come with renovating a huge house in such a short timeframe are naturally conducive to drama.
“The edit that’s being shown at the moment is Sev and I are pretty cool, calm, collected, and quite confident and tough. But we weren’t sleeping. We were barely even having meals. Like it was just chaotic. We were stressed. We didn’t know where to get materials from. We didn’t know the limits. We didn’t know what was allowed and what isn’t allowed,” she said.
“You don’t get a handbook before you come on the show. So we’re stressed out of our minds. We’re freaking out now. We’ve got the budget problems. You know, we don’t have like, you know, our friends on the show are starting to turn the cold shoulder.”
The site manager explained that not knowing exactly what was happening in the other houses, paired with their own problems, naturally resulted in some spicy moments.
“The drama just happens. It happens because you don’t have all the facts. You’re sleep deprived. You’re in a really stressful situation, and everything starts to become this organic domino effect of just problem after problem or drama after drama.”
The Block streams Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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