Episode 26 Recap – Kitchen Week has arrived on The Block, and Monday night’s episode immediately turned up the pressure as contestants raced to get plasterboard on the walls, mapped out some of the biggest rooms of the season and discovered that living together may be becoming harder than renovating together.
The week began with the traditional Domain open for inspections, giving the five teams a chance to inspect their rivals’ recently completed guest spaces and decide whether they agreed with the judges.
For House 5, the feedback remained difficult to hear. Rick returned after spending a week recovering from a knee infection, stepping back onto site beside Tayla following their last-place result.
The pair had already been frustrated by the judging, although Rick remained proud of what Tayla had managed while he was away.
The other contestants were less convinced by some of the styling decisions.
An outdoor chair inside the guest suite, a pot plant positioned underneath a desk and Tayla’s air fryer recipe book all attracted attention during the inspection.
The bigger concern was the barn door separating the bedroom from the bathroom.
Rosco struggled to find the words.
“We’ve had some bad weeks but um …”
That was about as far as he got.
The inspection also provided a quick snapshot of how the competition currently stands.
House 3’s Lisa and Rosco were marked down despite receiving praise for their ensuite, while House 2’s Chantel and Wyatt continued to divide opinion with what was regarded as a safe guest ensuite.
House 1’s Adam and Jolene impressed most of their rivals with a polished guest suite, but it was House 4’s Courtney and Sev who remained the team everyone was watching after collecting the first 10s of the year.
Their reworking of the guest suite was widely accepted among the contestants as a clever use of the space.
Viewer reaction to the Monday-night inspections was more mixed. Some viewers said the walk-throughs remained one of the strongest parts of the Monday episodes, but complained that not every contestant reaction was being shown.
One viewer said:
“The only thing I like about Monday nights is the couples doing the walk throughs of each others rooms, but they don’t even show every couples response for each room now.
I don’t understand why they keep editing out the stuff we might actually be interested in.”
Another said the room criticism was more interesting when it was shown in greater detail, while others complained that the program had increasingly moved away from construction.
One viewer summed up that frustration with:
“So are we going to see any work getting done?”
Another wrote:
“I swear this show goes out of its way to stop us from seeing anything construction related.”
Those complaints came on an episode in which the construction schedule was actually critical.
With guest suites done, attention shifted immediately to Kitchen Week, with each team required to deliver a kitchen, butler’s pantry, lift and powder room on a $20,000 budget.
There was also a familiar face back on site.
Foreman Dan made a visit following the birth of his and wife Dani’s son, Fletcher. He is due to officially return next week, but his brief appearance allowed him to meet temporary foreperson Leonie.
Scott Cam also marked the occasion by presenting a Block-themed gift for baby Fletcher.
From there, the episode moved into the kitchen plans — and one house entered the week with an enormous advantage.
Courtney and Sev have a $250,000 kitchen weapon
Fresh from their room win, Courtney and Sev entered the new week knowing they could finally use the $250,000 E&S appliance package they won earlier in the season.
Their fridge alone was revealed to be worth $60,000.
The pair are closing off the hallway entry into their butler’s pantry and narrowing that space as part of their revised design.
In the kitchen itself, they are planning a curved layout, with Sev designing a custom Beacon Lighting pendant.
The room will also feature a Wolf oven.
Their adjoining powder room is set to include a Nood Co basin, stone vanity and smart toilet.
For Sev, the appliance package is not simply about adding expensive fittings. She believes House 4 needs the advantage to help compete against the views available to the houses further up the site.
Even with the substantial appliance package, however, Courtney and Sev were already looking closely at their competition.
Their attention quickly moved to House 1.
Adam and Jolene turn their kitchen towards the view
Adam and Jolene are the only contestants to reorient their island bench so it faces the view outside.
It was a move that immediately caught Sev’s attention during the planning stage.
She became so impressed with Jolene’s design decisions that she jokingly began questioning whether her rival had undisclosed professional experience.
The speculation was wrong, but the compliment was clear: Sev considers Jolene a serious design threat.
House 1’s kitchen is planned around a neutral scheme with oak cabinetry, brushed gold tapware and adjustable pendant lighting.
Their butler’s pantry will continue that approach.
In the powder room, Adam and Jolene are extending the rammed-earth look already used elsewhere in their house.
The room will also feature a burgundy basin, smart toilet and underfloor heating.
The reaction from viewers towards Adam was also positive during the episode, with one describing him as one of the season’s most watchable personalities:
“I cant with Adam 😂 he makes this season watchable”
Rick returns, but House 5’s plaster bill causes trouble
For Rick and Tayla, Kitchen Week also marked Rick’s first day back after his knee infection.
His return did not mean an immediate return to full physical duties.
He was expected to take things easier, something he clearly found difficult as the pressure began building around House 5.
The pair are sticking closely to the architects’ original kitchen layout.
Their plans include a light-up quartz splashback, central island bench, multiple wine fridges and exposed shelving.
The powder room is heading in a different direction, with a green marble-inspired look.
But before any of that could happen, Rick and Tayla faced a much more immediate problem: plaster.
After speaking with Courtney, Tayla began questioning how much House 5 had been paying its plasterer.
She believed the amount was excessive.
Her assessment was blunt, describing the plasterer as “taking the piss” with the bills.
The discrepancy became even more obvious once House 4’s plastering team finished its own work and moved next door to help Rick and Tayla.
The new rate was $85 an hour, about half what House 5 had reportedly been paying.
Rick’s existing plasterer offered to match the lower rate, but after three weeks of what the couple believed were excessive charges, they decided to move on.
The intervention from Courtney and Sev’s trades became crucial.
By shutdown, the plasterers had completed about half of Rick and Tayla’s kitchen, pulling House 5 back into the contest after what had threatened to become another disastrous start to the week.
Lisa and Rosco start Kitchen Week chasing money
Money was also dominating the conversation in House 3.
Lisa and Rosco began the week short on cash after missing out on the budget win by just $2.90.
Their plan was therefore to use as many Block Bucks as possible while chasing money they believed was still outstanding.
That included the tilers’ bill Courtney had previously agreed to cover in exchange for tradie assistance.
Rosco attempted to add a $500 late fee to the amount.
His negotiating position did not last long.
He eventually accepted just $20.
The pair are also making a significant layout change by closing off the hallway entry to their butler’s pantry.
Their kitchen is designed primarily around entertaining, with dark walnut cabinetry, a coffee and bar nook and an island bench measuring almost five metres.
Their powder room will feature green marble tile, a Nood Co sink and smart toilet.
While finances remain tight, the couple were determined to remain focused and avoid distractions as the week began.
Chantel and Wyatt refuse to abandon their style
In House 2, Chantel and Wyatt are continuing with the bright, traditional look that has defined their home so far.
The pair are closing off the rear of the butler’s pantry and using marble-effect Cosentino stone, gold handles and matching splashbacks.
Their powder room will feature a beige and white stone vanity, Nood Co basin and brushed gold tapware.
They are yet to win a room, but there was no sign on Monday night that they planned to dramatically change direction.
Viewer opinion on that decision was split.
One viewer criticised the house for being too restrained, saying the styling was “bland” and that its colour palette was almost non-existent.
Others defended the approach, arguing the more neutral design could give a future buyer greater freedom.
One viewer said:
“Marty has had nothing but good things to say about Chantelle’s design because it is going to be sellable.
If someone actually wants to live there they may not like every room having a different colour.”
Another agreed, describing the house as “a blank canvas”.
Plaster becomes Monday’s real emergency
Whatever the teams had planned for their kitchens, none of it mattered if the plastering was not finished.
The kitchen and pantry areas needed to be sheeted and based before the cabinetry installation could begin later in the week.
Once Kinsman started installing cabinetry, other trades would not be able to work in those areas, creating a hard Monday-night deadline.
Only House 2 received its plasterboard on time.
The remaining teams were left scrambling.
The Nine In Six team eventually stepped in to collect plasterboard for House 4, helping Courtney and Sev avoid a potentially serious delay.
By site shutdown, the five houses were in very different positions.
House 1 was ready for flooring.
House 2 remained behind, but had completed insulation and plumbing.
House 3 continued trying to push forward without allowing outside distractions to derail the schedule.
House 4 was close to being ready for the Kinsman installation.
And House 5, after struggling with plastering costs and timing, had been given a late boost by the trades from next door.
Courtney and Sev cash in their 10s
Away from site, Courtney and Sev were able to enjoy the rewards of their successful judging result.
The pair headed to the Portsea Hotel with Scott Cam for their winners’ dinner as part of their Chery getaway.
Their two 10s also earned them the Arnott’s Big Bikkies $20,000 cash prize, making them the first 2026 recipients of the award.
There was, however, one problem with the celebration.
The meal included a large seafood platter.
Courtney hates seafood.
Viewers quickly picked up on her attempt to make the best of it, with one writing:
“Respect for Courtney giving it a crack.”
Another compared the experience to an eating challenge, while others admitted they would have preferred a burger and chips.
The share house finally explodes — over dirty dishes
Back at the share house, the long-simmering tension between contestants finally began moving into the open.
Lisa and Rosco were responsible for the Aldi family dinner, serving slow-cooked bolognese as the contestants marked the halfway point of the season.
The dinner was also a chance to acknowledge Rick’s return and celebrate Courtney and Sev’s room victory.
Before long, though, the pronunciation of bolognese became its own discussion.
The pair repeatedly referred to the meal as “spag bog”, something viewers immediately noticed.
One wrote:
“The only two people in the whole world that can’t pronounce bolognaise and they’re married.
That’s scary stuff … bahahahahahah”
Another viewer simply said:
“Lisa not knowing how to say bolognese is astounding!”
That debate was minor compared with what came next.
With dinner finished, attention turned to cleaning.
Chantel and Wyatt rinsed their own plates before announcing they were leaving.
Their destination?
The gym.
The decision did not go down well.
Jolene was furious, believing the pair were not contributing enough to the upkeep of the shared house.
“I’ve never seen them wash a dish up besides maybe a plate that they may have, I have never seen them empty a bin.”
She went further, saying she believed they treated the share house like “a restaurant”.
Rosco was also irritated, suggesting the pair appeared to behave as though someone else had been hired to clean up after them.
Rick’s assessment was shorter.
“Wyatt’s a pig.”
The reaction among viewers was immediate and divided.
Some thought the episode had finally delivered the share-house tension they had been waiting for.
One viewer wrote:
“It’s taken a while but finally the sharehouse is starting to get spicy.
The producers are digging it!”
Another said:
“Was waiting for some sharehouse drama”
Others were far less impressed by the fact the argument centred on washing dishes.
One viewer described it as “such low-tier drama”, while another sarcastically declared:
“Stella drama this year – who should wash up the dishes”
There was also debate over whether the criticism of Chantel and Wyatt’s gym routine was fair.
Some pointed out that working out was simply part of their lifestyle.
One viewer wrote:
“I am not shocked – people who look that that, look like that for a reason and it involves an ABSURD time at the gym.
I don’t hate it, people smoke, people go out for drinks, people (me) spend all night on the couch infront of the tv. these people gym.”
Others questioned why they continued travelling to an off-site gym when equipment was available at the share house, suggesting the trips were contributing to perceptions that the pair were distancing themselves from the group.
The strongest reaction was reserved for the lack of help after dinner.
One viewer said:
“It’s a fucking share house everyone does the fucking dishes….
You goblins shame even when I go to mates house I help with the damm dishes.”
Another had a simpler solution:
“Simple way to make them do dishes only wash yours and leaves theirs…..”
There were also viewers who wondered why the problem had been allowed to build without a formal house system.
“Being in a share house, why not have a roster or make it clear from the start?
Does anyone clean up at their home?”
Whatever the solution, the edit made it clear that the dispute was not finished.
The episode ended with the suggestion that the resentment would carry into Tuesday night, with the group tension ready to boil over after a night of stewing.
