The Block Australia 2022’s Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman “Oz” Malik have been repeatedly hammered for their “dodgy” dealings during the 18th season of the hit TV show.
From questionable piano purchases to continuing construction without a foreman’s approval, the two mates have been dealt numerous blows throughout the season.
As reported in episode 213 of the So Dramatic! podcast, an on-set insider reported that “a lot of bad sh*t goes down with Omar and Oz” this season. And yeah, understatement of the year!
“They did a lot of stuff during the season that wasn’t above board,” the source dished.
While fans have rallied behind Omar and Oz amid their unflattering portrayal, The Block’s showrunners seem insistent on painting House Five as “villains“.
So, if you’re as overwhelmed with the countless scandals as we have been, we’ve collated a definitive breakdown of all the times Omar and Oz have been in hot water.
The Block 2022‘s Omar and Oz Reportedly Didn’t Pay All of Their Tradies and Received Free Labour
As So Dramatic! previously reported, foreman Dan Reilly first called Omar and Oz “dodgy” because they were very “sneaky” with their build.
“There were rumours that they had people working on their house for free,” an on-set source revealed. “Which is obviously against The Block rules. They weren’t paying their tradies and were doing some handshake deals.”
We finally saw the drama emerge during the September 11 episode.
Former Blockhead Ronnie Caceres claimed the Western Sydney mates had “too many” people working on their site.
Ronnie — who later assisted Sharon Johal and Ankur Dogra with their painting — suspected Omar and Oz had been trying to save money by getting their family and friends to help.
“I counted 17 trades at House Five. Something’s not adding up,” Ronnie said before asking: “Are these all your cousins?”
Foreman Keith later echoed Ronnie’s concerns about the unusually high number of tradies working on their home. However, the boys insisted they were still following The Block’s strict rules.
The Blockheads also reportedly had numerous tradespeople quit due to private arguments not seen on TV.
Omar and Oz Were Disqualified After Purchasing a Baby Grand Piano That Went Against The Block’s Rules
Omar and Oz were disqualified from the Living Room Week reveal after purchasing a baby grand piano at a discount of more than 50 per cent.
The boys were put in the hot seat during the September 25 episode, as Scotty Cam called them out for their rule-breaking decision in front of the other Blockheads during judging.
“The retail price of the piano is $36,000 bucks. You can’t go spend $7,500 bucks and expect me to let that slide, boys,” Scotty said before revealing that Omar and Oz would be disqualified for the unfair advantage.
The Block Contestants Call for a “Financial Audit” After Omar and Oz’s “Piano-Gate”
During the September 26 episode, Sarah-Jane Wilson requested a full financial audit after Omar and Oz were outed for their piano purchase.
ICYMI: All contestants are given a credit card (and a fairly tight budget) to buy building supplies, furniture and other items relating to their houses.
Sarah-Jane asked all the contestants whether they would be open to being audited.
Despite putting up their hands along with the rest of the group, Omar and Oz quickly saw through the facade, claiming that they were the main targets of the audit.
The Block’s Foreman Dan Slammed Omar and Oz for Being “Dodgy” After They Continued Construction
“Hellway week” lived up to its name for Omar and Oz, as they were hit with setback after setback.
While some were out of their control — including their tilers forging insurance documents to get on-site — other issues were arguably down to Omar and Oz’s “dodgy” judgement.
Foreman Dan was flung into a rage after House Five continued construction despite being penalised.
After Keith partially approved their work the next day, it appears they weren’t allowed to start plastering until the other issues were resolved.
“Is there a reason why there have been electricians working and plasterers working?” Dan asked, claiming House Five went behind his back to continue work.
“The thing that is really pissing me off is you two boys are pushing our friendship and disrespecting authority on-site,” Dan said.
Oz later told the camera that Dan told them they were “dodgy”. He went on to describe his comments as “unacceptable”.
The Block 2022’s Omar and Oz Had Multiple Builder Walk-Outs
As reported in episode 215 of the So Dramatic! podcast, there was even more drama that didn’t unfold on-screen. And yup, the messiness does. Not. END!
The House Five Blockheads were the first 2022 contestants to have tradies quit and walk off the construction site, never to return. But unlike 2022’s “villains” Sharon and Ankur, the boys ensured the cameras didn’t catch any arguments they had with their trades team.
An on-set source revealed that Omar and Oz sorted all their argument off-site, down the road where there weren’t any cameras. Sneaky or smart? We can’t decide.
“They kept everything like that off-site and would have meetings in private and not on camera so they wouldn’t look bad, which is also against the rules,” the insider said.
The ongoing conflicts reportedly caused many of their builders to quit.
Leaked Texts Allege That The Block’s Omar and Oz Had Help from an Interior Stylist
Omar and Oz have also been wrapped up in off-screen drama and cheating accusations, with texts allegedly between Omar and a stylist leaking in a The Block Facebook fan group.
One user shared the texts to the group on September 19, claiming to “have some gossip”.
“It seems Omar & Oz HAVE been communicating with a local Stylist regularly,” they wrote.
In the screenshots, it appears that Omar and the unnamed stylist often went back and forth over styling choices for House Five.
In one thread, the stylist told Omar to “do shaker style with brass handles”.
“For guest room as well so the house [matches],” they wrote.
Omar responded: “Yeah, doing it for all to match.”
Three more screenshots were also provided, in which Omar asked the stylist’s opinion on including a baby grand piano in their living area.
Omar later asked the alleged stylist on June 9 whether someone named “Mohammed” would assist in tiling their upcoming mud room and powder room.
The Block 2022’s Omar and Oz Have Had Their Fair Share of On-Screen Setbacks
For every scandal Omar and Oz have been at the forefront of, they’ve also experienced numerous “unfair” situations, with many fans alleging the boys have been racially and culturally discriminated against.
During the August 30 episode, Omar and Oz could not complete an “unfair” wine-making challenge worth $100,000 due to their religion, as drinking alcohol is strictly haraam (forbidden) in Muslim culture.
Producers were already aware that Oz and Omar are practising Muslims, as they were observing Ramadan during the first few weeks of shooting.
Since then, there have been two more on-screen instances where Omar and Oz have been excluded from activities due to alcohol.
The “winners and grinners” dinner on September 25 was outed for not being inclusive for Omar and Oz. This was because red wine was used as the main ingredient in the sauce of one of the dishes.
Two days later, during the September 28 episode, Oz and Omar could again not complete a gin-making challenge.
It never ends!
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 216 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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