Jesse & Paige quit The Block over mental health

Struggling Block contestants Jesse Maguire and Paige Beechey last night sensationally quit the Nine reality series due to mental health stress.

Exiting five weeks into production, theirs is the latest into production a couple has ever quit.

The episode featured audio of the couple fighting off camera. It isn’t clear if they knew they were being recorded, but Nine’s contracts are extensive about their content rights for those who agree to compete in the reality series.

The couple have struggled since the series began but reached a crescendo with Paige insisting she no longer wanted to continue.

It came to a head after Jesse and Paige had a huge argument the Friday night before. Edited audio made for confronting television. Here are excerpts:

Paige: You’re frustrated because you have someone that doesn’t want to be here. You want me to want to be here.
Jesse: I told you what I’m going to do to try and help you.
Paige: You want me to be here, and I don’t
Jesse: Then walk out man!
Paige: Why are you yelling here? You’re the only person who’se yelling.
Jesse: You don’t understand how much pressure you has been put on me.
Paige: I felt it in the whole first week. Jesse, I understand the pressure. I didn’t crack under it. You do. I’m not listening to a thing you said after you speak to me like that? Again?
Jesse: You speak to me like that as well.
Paige: I never bellow it like that.

Jesse: I don’t want you to leave.
Paige: That’s great. I know you don’t want me to leave, but I want me to leave. So we’re at a stale mate.
Jesse: Walk out there, like, what are you doing here?
Paige: You haven’t even had a conversation with me. You think I’m gonna walk out and get on a plane without talking to you? I’m literally nearly mentally checked out.
Jesse: That’s just giving up.
Paige: It’s not giving up. How many times do you want to have this conversation?

Paige: I don’t want to be here. Do I need to spell it out?
So what’s next then?
Paige: I’m doing what is best for me, not for you.
Jesse: What about what’s best for us?
Paige: There is no us. I’m not prepared to be selfless enough for us to compromise my mental health this much? ….because I know myself. You actually don’t.
Jesse: I just think it’s bullshit how I’m always public enemy number one.
Paige: You’re not! Sorry at this exact moment, I’m at my end of the f***ing tether with you.
Jesse: How do you think I feel as well, though?
Paige: I don’t give a f*** how do you feel. Deal with it yourself. I have no resilience left in me. I’ve got nothing.

Executive producer Justin Sturzaker stepped in to check on the couple and offered the show’s resident counselling.

“Have you reached out to any of the counselling stuff that we’ve got? Because that’s why we have that stuff in place, so that you get you don’t have to voice all of your feelings to just Jesse. We really need to get some other people in to talk to you. Where you guys need to make a big decision,” he said.

Over the weekend the couple met with a health professional and chose to leave the show.

Next morning they farewelled cast members and Scott Cam, forfeiting their place in the competition and leaving producers to scramble to replace them (which takes place tonight).

Producers have previously told TV Tonight contestants need to be 100% committed to the demands of the show.

“It was a very difficult decision for them to come to, but there was a very strong reason why they decided to do it…” Julian Cress said.

“I’m not saying these people left because they were lazy. They wanted to do it, but it just became enormously challenging at some point and their reasons for leaving, are pretty remarkable. I think it will start a very interesting conversation amongst the audience.”

Indeed on social media opinions were divided over their reasons for leaving, as well as the way it has been portrayed on camera.

Nine has previously stated it has a publishable framework for looking after participants in Reality TV but is yet to indicate where.

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