The Block episode 22 recap: ‘Sorry you can’t handle my tone’. Non-apology sees builders walk off

2 days ago 6

A builder sacking is always a big event on The Block, and after tonight there’s been two of them in a month.

Newbie contestants Charlotte and Maddy have been uncomfortable with their inherited builder Zak since they arrived a few days ago.

When they mentioned to Scott Cam that they found him intimidating his reaction was to, well, intimidate them, accusing them of “s***-canning” him on national TV.

The Block judge puts Peninsula ‘mullet house’ up for sale

‘F..king snake, I’m not having you on site’. Block builders fired

Now they’ve brought their carpenter mate Jack down from NSW to work under Zak on site, but Zak’s not overly impressed.

When he finds out the girls gave him a tour of the house he claims they’re designing the house with him.

Zak tells Charlotte he's not impressed at being called intimidating.

Zak shows Charlotte that he’s not actually intimidating.

But it all comes to a head when Zak complains to Charlotte that the site is a “f***ing brothel” and needs to be cleaned up.

When Charlotte points out that she can’t clean up the site while the kitchen installers are doing their then and turns to Zak’s carpenter Nathan for agreement Zak has had enough.

“I’m trying to have direct conversations with you and you just turn and talk to Nathan. It’s quite rude,” he says to a quickly tearful Charlotte. “It’s been happening since Monday. I directly asked you and you turned your body to talk to Nathan.”

Jeez, she “turned her body”. Call the cops why don’t you.

Charlotte later concedes she and Maddy do go to Nathan over Zak “probably because I find him more approachable and will give you an answer as well”.

A despondent Charlotte after a run in with her builder Zak.

With Zak telling the girls he’s feeling like a “glorified labourer” they all agree to sleep on it and return the next day with more positive attitudes.

MORE: The mansion set to smash Portsea’s price record

Five insider tips for making millions flipping houses

Block winner’s dreamy home renovation

Instead, the argument starts up right where it finished, with Zak trying to claim what the girls see as intimidation is actually just him being “blunt and straight to the point” before offering one of those classic non-apologies so beloved of the passive aggressive the world over.

“I’m sorry you can’t handle my tone.”

Charlotte’s having none of it, and neither is Zak who declares he’s made up his mind.

“We’re going to be out of here. This team dynamic isn’t going to work, sorry guys.”

Maddy and Charlotte join the competition.

Maddy and Charlotte before reality bit.

He doesn’t even stick around to hear what the girls have to say, walking off as Charlotte is telling him she’s sad that it’s ended this way.

“I think being kind goes a long way. We’re not asking for the world, we’re just asking to be respected. I probably knew from the beginning it wasn’t the best fit,” she says later.

And so, like so many contestants before them, the girls are up Block creek without a builder.