The Block 2024 episode 45 recap: Kylie flees the show as Brad confesses his ‘flirting’ has wrecked his family

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She’s threatened to walk out multiple times throughout this season, but this is the episode where Kylie actually does it, dumping her Block car, phone and boots at an Aldi carpark and presumably making her way to the airport to fly home to Cairns.

What precipitated the crisis began with congenial Saturday night champagnes around the fire pit between Kylie, Brad and Mimi — and ended with Kylie overhearing what everyone involved agrees were “inappropriate” comments and flirting between Brad and Mimi.

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What follows is some seriously uncomfortable TV. We see Brad discovering his wife’s abandoned car, Brad watching a farewell video Kylie sent to a producer and Brad left to do the regular couch interview with a producer alone as he flagellates himself about his behaviour.

Brad tells a producer he believes he’s destroyed his marriage.

The renovating has often taken a back seat to interpersonal drama on The Block, but never with something quite as high stakes as the apparent implosion of a family.

— For the sake of completion, the renovating component of this episode consists of the teams doing their front yards and garages, Ricky and Haydn buying an established palm tree while making quips about length and girth and Kristian and Mimi getting started on the cinema room in the communal space.

Exactly what happened between Mimi and Brad is left somewhat opaque, although the episode ends on a cliffhanger, with a slightly uncomfortable Kristian saying to Mimi “You guys just talked?” then a producer asking Mimi to explain exactly what occurred.

Brad and Mimi in a flirty late night conversation by the pool.

What we do see is Brad and Mimi chatting in Brad and Kylie’s backyard late at night as he digs holes and Mimi asking Brad if he could catch her if she jumped off the balcony “or am I too heavy?” and Brad replying “No, I’d catch you”.

Near midnight we hear Brad asking Mimi “Are you going to call me again in the morning or what? How come you called me?” with Mimi replying “I don’t want to talk about it. What I do when I’m drunk is none of my business.”

And we hear Kylie telling her mum on the phone that she overheard Brad telling Mimi “You know I’d follow your OnlyFans.”

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In her conversation with her mum Kylie foreshadows her disappearance.

“How many f***ing chances have I given him?” she says. “I can’t be on national television with my marriage breaking down. It honestly disgusts me. The whole thing was in front of me. Like a friend has done that, but also my husband.”

As the unhappy couple do reluctant inspections of the other teams’ outdoor area Kylie tells Brad “How I’m even married to you is beyond me. I deserve so much better. Sickening, absolutely sickening.”

When Brad later discovers Kylie’s car abandoned in the car park a producer plays him a video she sent to the production team.

Brad watches Kylie’s video and discovers she’s left the show.

“Okay, I’m saying goodbye,” she says. “I can’t be on national television with my marriage breaking down. I’m going home and I can’t say I will be returning. You can talk to Brad about the details but unfortunately, I can’t do it anymore. I don’t need to always be made out to be crabby and the bad guy. Thank you for the opportunity and I’m sorry I couldn’t stay ‘til the end. I’m just not strong enough anymore.”

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The episode is interspersed with moments of Brad on the couch — minus his wife — being grilled by a producer.

When asked exactly what happened he says “Kylie wouldn’t like me talking about it, but I guess it’s all already been spoken about. I said some pretty inappropriate comments, I was flirting with Mimi, Kylie overheard them and understandably she’s quite upset.

Kylie’s farewell video to a producer.

“It wasn’t my intent to set out to do it. I guess I’m really not thinking about what I’m doing at all, or anyone else. I’m embarrassed. I feel sorry for other people having to live with my choices. She’s the last person I want to hurt, her or my kids, but I managed to do it anyway.”

Quite why he stays to subject himself to being interrogated about such personal matters is unclear, though genuine remorse is a possible reason.

When the producer asks if he thinks the whole thing might blow over, Brad is clear.

“There’s no way this is going away or getting better. It’s done,” he says. “I’d very much say I’ve just single-handedly destroyed my family.”