After remaining relatively mum on the subject of their The Block 2022 walkout, Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull finally have something to say about the ordeal. Well, kind of.
The influencer and her AFL-playing fiancé have been the names on every Block-lovers’ lips recently after it was revealed they quit the series just two days into filming.
Now, someone from their “camp” has spoken to The Daily Telegraph, suggesting that they’ve been made patsies in a bid to rake in viewers.
“[Nine] need this season to work as there’s a lot at stake,” one insider told the publication. “Elle and Joel were the most high-profile talent on the show and they don’t have them anymore, so they still need to find a way to incorporate them in their promos.”
They added that “Nine’s tactic” is “very clear… and, to be honest, it’s working for them”.
The 2021 season of The Block debuted to just 591,000 metro viewers, marking the lowest viewership in the show’s 17-season run.
However, those numbers skyrocketed by the time the finale rolled around. This saw Mitch Edwards and Mark Mckie‘s win broadcast to 1.83 million viewers.
Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull Refute Nine’s Claims
When news first broke of Elle and Joel’s departure in April, it was cited that the 36 and 37-year-olds had fled to be by Joel’s mother’s bedside following a tragic fall.
However, host Scott Cam said production was not aware of Joel’s mother’s condition. Meanwhile a So Dramatic! source (as well as show creator Julian Cress) said the couple’s departure had more to do with The Block not being “on-brand” for them.
Now, Camp Ferguson-Patfull has claimed that the duo had an “in-depth meeting” with Julian, who “was aware” of the family health emergency.
Furthermore, they stated that Joel’s mother was in ICU with a “broken neck, broken coccyx and bleeding on the brain”. This is in contrast to reports that she had only suffered a fractured wrist and a possible broken coccyx.
The claims that The Block wasn’t “on-brand” for the duo were also rubbished due to the fact that Elle has an interior design degree, coupled with Joel’s experience in renovating properties.
Is It True That Elle Ferguson Wasn’t Keen on Wearing Protective Gear On-Site?
As told to So Dramatic!, Elle wasn’t down with wearing the super flattering (not!) tradie gear provided by production.
“Elle didn’t want to wear any of the sponsored tradie clothing, along with the selected outfits for promo filming,” they said.
This was similarly claimed by Nine, however, the couple’s team noted that they “have been photographed multiple times in hi-vis”. So, myth busted, we guess?
Nine also stated that the influencer insisted on bringing “a lot of designer outfits” to the set, which, again, was refuted by Elle and Joel’s team.
“All contestants were required to have more than 12 outfits for the Sunday night ‘room reveals’,” The Daily Telegraph was told. “Styling was not going to be provided on set.”
As for the claims that the duo complained that the “toilet paper was too scratchy”?
Welp, this was reportedly echoed among the cast. And TBH, can you blame them?
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 207 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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