Episode 23 Recap: Unplanned twist spells disaster for Robby and Mat as another duo meltdown over spa challenge room

Welcome to another episode of The Block!

Tonight, we think we should all send a big thank you to Ben for delivering us this glorious laugh to start our evenings:

We have no idea why he did that. But boy, we're glad he did.

Perhaps he was looking for a short cut on account of just learning that Friday is a public holiday.

It sounds fun... except for the fact that it means completing a room in an even tighter time frame than usual.

Stream every episode ever of The Block for free on 9Now.

It's also the week to deliver their Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa rooms and next door in House 2, Can is sick as a dog.

Honestly, what better time for a challenge?

Each team must come up with a design which Grafico will turn into real wallpaper to go into their homes. Winner gets $5,000 and a one-off wallpaper feature from judge Melissa Macfarlane worth $15,000.

As long as everyone stays away from maroon stripes, what can go wrong?!

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While some of the contestants are very excited to flex their creativity, Robby decides to just... attempt painting... things(?) and is completely flummoxed when Melissa is obsessed with it.

To the frustration of literally everyone else, she loves it so much that she hands House 5 the win.

Challenge kings strike again!

READ MORE: Robby and Mat plot a devious plan on The Block 2025

Back in House 2, it is one problem after another.

Their feature archways, which they plan to use as shelving, are too tight for plaster but the MDF board used instead is causing issues.

All they can do is put the shelves up and hope for the best.

Next door, Foreman Dan and Taz are busy with their own problem... debating who is taller.

Yeah, just as tense as in House 2.

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That night, Sonny and Alicia call their youngest Koa, who is celebrating his ninth birthday.

Although they're sad to miss it, the call reinvigorates them and reminds them why they are here in the first place.

"We have to do well here, we haven't given up. We haven't given up these special moments with our kids and even just the normal day-to-day, for nothing," Alicia says.

The next morning, it's just 24 hours from the judging of the bathhouse challenge AND the last day before the Friday public holiday shuts down the Block site for the day.

The tighter time frame has most Blockheads on the tools, which has Foreman Dan very excited.

"That's what The Block's about! That's what everyone should be doing," he excitedly reacts.

"You go down to House 5 and they don't even know what a tool is," he continues.

Rough!

Off site, it's all go at Hepburn Bathhouse and Sonny and Alicia are still all-in on trying to win the $260,000 caravan.

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While everyone is powering to get their rooms done in time, Han and Can are nowhere to be seen.

And their design has become the laughing stock of the other teams.

"Last night I flat out said 'you've f---ed it, just stop,'" Alicia laughs.

"'... and they didn't," Emma replies.

But true to form, Emma does her very best to remain positive.

"It's edgy!" she reacts.

So... what went wrong here?

"Can took her hands off the hands and let me be in charge of styling and decisions, that's what went wrong," Han explains.

On site, Robby has noticed a big flooring problem.

They had planned to have herringbone floorboards run throughout their home, but it turns out that House 1 have ordered the very same floorboards to do the very same thing.

And the boxes in House 5's garage are slowly disappearing down to the other end of the site...

Robby finds Travis from Flooring Xtra, who is worried about getting enough stock for both houses with the short week.

He advises Robby to put a 'breaker' in, meaning their herringbone pattern will not flow throughout the whole house.

It's exactly what Robby and Mat wanted to avoid.

"There will be no breaker in this house. At all. Whatsoever, and we will not present a room if that happens," Robby says.

BIG. CALL.

There is a 6pm tools down on site tonight, so at about 5.20pm Han and Can head out to the bathhouse to complete that space.

...Only to learn the tools down applies there as well.

They were under the impression they had until at least 10pm.

Cue panic.

Once they arrive at Hepburn they have an hour to do... everything.

Cool, calm and collected Han lasted about a week, and she is well and truly gone now.

Safe to say, they do not get enough done.

"I hate letting people down," Han says, voice cracking.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group are getting into their best, relaxed public holiday mode at the caravan site.

Tomorrow night, the bathhouse challenge finally comes to an end – with a guest judging appearance from a very familiar face.

Sonny and Alicia admit it would be pretty embarrassing if they lose after all they've put into it... tune in to see if it was worth all the blood, sweat and tears after all!

The Block airs Sunday at 7pm and continues Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Stream every episode ever of The Block for free on 9Now.

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