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John & Neisha win The Block -but Brenton & Chez struggle

John and Neisha sell their Vaucluse apartment for $1,105,000, but it was bad news for Brenton and Chez.

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If The Block auction promised drama, it got it in the form of winners and losers last night.

High school sweethearts John and Neisha sold their Vaucluse apartment for $1,105,000, a cool $205,000 above their reserve of $900,000.

As the first apartment to go to auction on Tuesday night, it saw them become the runaway winners of the show. In doing so they pocketed the series prize of an additional $100,000.

But the win was in contrast to the auction of an apartment renovated by Brenton and Chez. After several bids it failed by $15,000 to meet its reserve of $880,000 and was passed in at $865,000.

The couple were gobsmacked when auctioneer (and Apprentice winner) Andrew Morello passed the property in. A stunned Brenton left the room to be consoled by his cast mates while a crushed Chez sat dumbstruck beside a speechless host, Scott Cam.

The apartment renovated by the “Two Fat Tradies,” aka Mark and Duncan sold for $907,0000, $47,00 above the reserve price of $860,000. Erin and Jake sold their property for $997,500, $87,500 above the reserve of $910,000. They also won a car.

The $305,000 prize for John and Neisha is one of the year’s biggest TV cash prizes, three times the money awarded by the record-breaking MasterChef.

The series has already been renewed for 2011 and is currently taking casting applications. Be prepared to walk away empty-handed.

31 Responses

  1. I thought Andrew Morello was full of s#!t on The Apprentice and his skills as an auctioneer were poorly lacking. That said, I commented to my husband before it even started that I thought Brent & Chez’s place would do the worst. Their appartment was the only one that had nothing special or extra, ie; courtyard, sea view or extra garage. But I did wonder what all those people sitting in the Auction room were there for. Supposedly they were meant to be only serious bidders but apart from the first auction they didn’t seem to be all that serious. Unless they were expecting to get a bargain. What did they expect for their money??! I think they were being a bit greedy.

  2. I think a better result would be to divide the profits between the 4 and then add the 100 grand to the couple who’s apt. sold for the highest price
    The first couple also had the advantage of the best Auctioneer by far.

  3. I really enjoyed this series. I think Scott was the right choice for host as he has a natural unpolished way about him, which is perfect for a show on a building site. The fact he had no idea what to do when Brenton walked off was priceless television. The producers did a good job of selecting the cast, they offered a good mix of personalities.

    Here’s a thought, bring back Brenton and Chez for a chance to redeem themselves with the next series maybe???

  4. I was yelling at my TV: “Host! Host!”

    I don’t quite know what Jamie Durie would have done, but I know someone like Gretel Killeen would never have sat there blinking in a moment like that. Scott Cam should have empathised with the couple, or reflected what the audience was feeling, given them some comfort that it wasn’t their fault…..anything!

  5. I think the picture said it all. It was an abysmal performance by Scott Cam with Brenton and Chez. God I was feeling their pain and he did nothing to make them feel better or break the silence. Painful television to watch.

  7. Thanks for the article David.

    I wonder if the poor tiling in Brenton and Chez’s ensuite (I think it was) that may of put people off as it had to be ripped up and re-tiled as it kept flooding.

    Still some good tele watching everyone’s reactions.

  8. So, Chez and Brenton sell theirs for $865,000 and, if I’ve done my sums correctly, they then owe the producers $15,000. Perhaps they could be given a chance to win that back on “The Hot Seat”?

  9. I have to agree with floss re: when Brenton stormed off. The look on Scott’s face was priceless and the moment itself was very honest and raw. I honestly thought it was one of this year’s best tv moments. Scotty is a great host too. I hope he’s back for 2011!

  10. It was interesting to see how much more upbeat Chez and Brenton were later on when congratulating the winners. Is it possible that in the meantime producers etc had given them some word on financial reward no matter what ultimately happens with the sale of their unit? Love a good conspiracy theory!!

  11. @ David… I know its easy to dismiss thoughts like mine with sarcasm but I really thought the show had alot of drama from highs and lows. Its a shame people always focus on the lows and failures rather than the successes. Shame 🙁

    1. Steven… I am often accused of being a 7 / 9 / 10 man which frankly means I am probably hitting the right mark. But to be accused of being a Seven man for using a photo? Sorry, sarcasm was the best I could come up with. I believe the story covered the highs and lows you refer to, but I chose a photo that I felt was its most dramatic point.

      Brad: they were good sports to celebrate Neisha & John’s win.

  12. The photo actually looks quite funny. It was the most dramatic moment. Your words are good David, but the photo says it all!!

    Was a great series! Felt the show was a little too padded, the recap was too long and uneccessary for the fans of the show.

    Congrats to the 3 winners. Maybe we shoudl focus on the experience and not the prizes. (didn’t another team lose out in the original Series 1 or 2??)

  13. I actually enjoyed Scott Cam not hosting because in a moment of raw, and clearly unexpected result, it was closer to reality that most ‘reality’ shows get.

    I think if Jamie Durie had been there, he would have been trying to follow Brenton outside and get a super aggressive reaction shot, and I actually liked the little bit of dignity they gave him by letting him storm off.

    The flip of the coin was I enjoyed the deer in headlights look Scott Cam had during that moment, as he clearly was looking at the producer behind the camera for direction on what to say and do many times.

  15. Steven: Yes I am a Ch 7 man. And tomorrow I am a Ch 10 man. On Friday I might be SBS or ABC, haven’t decided. Photo was the show’s most dramatic moment, including when the host suddenly stopped hosting. Reckon you should focus on my words not a photo, but that’s just me…

  16. Aw poor Chez I just want to give her a big hug. It’s funny though there are people dying out there and this is just a tv show afterall…some perspective is needed.

  18. I thought it was pretty obvious that John and Neisha would win. The substantial courtyard gave them a significant advantage over the other apartments which could only offer an extra garage (Mark and Duncan) or barely-there water “glimpses” (Jake and Erin). To be fair, John and Neisha’s apartment also had a very “plain” design which may have attracted more buyers than the more “unique” designs chosen by Jake and Erin.

    I feel bad for Brent, but not for Chez. It will be interesting to hear whether they get any prize money at all. If it sells through negotiations after the auction, then it would seem to be an unfair advantage to Brent and Chez since there could have been buyers out there who didn’t want to have to deal with the production side of “The Block” (including the packed open houses, appearing on camera, etc) and who avoid auctions. Whatever the result, it will be unfair to someone.

  24. Scott Cam demonstrated what a crap host he is when Chez and Brenton’s place was passed in. If The Block does return next year as promised, I hope they replace him. And yes, i still want Deborah Hutton!

  25. I must admit I kind of find this a bit a joke from you David. Is that the best image of the finale you could find? Mhmmm less than Ted Ballieu …..are you are ch7 man?

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