The Block stars hit back at Scott Cam's 'distasteful' comments

The Block’s longtime host Scott Cam has come under fire after he criticised the 2024 cast for being “less resilient” than in previous years. The tradie-turned-TV personality, who has hosted the series since 2010, gave a rather blunt answer when asked how he thinks contestants have changed since he joined the show.

“The contestants are less resilient than they were 20 years ago, 15 years ago,” he told news.com.au. “There’s more expectation of it getting easier, but it’s not. It gets harder… And people aren’t ready for how hard it is.”

Scott’s comments certainly didn’t land too well with this year’s cast, including Paige and Jesse who recently made history as the first team to quit the show partway through filming. The controversial couple tell Yahoo Lifestyle that they thought Scott’s remarks were “very distasteful”, and pointed out that contestants are expected to do so much more in 2024 than when the show first launched two decades ago.

“A lot of people didn't like what Scott said. A lot of people did not like that,” Paige shares. “I think that was very distasteful.”

“It’s different now. We’re 20 years through and the show's changed,” Jesse adds. “We probably don't do as much building as 15, 20 years ago, because you can't. You have consultations every single day.”

RELATED:

• The Block's Paige and Jesse reveal they'd compete again on one condition

• The Block's Paige and Jesse on being 'tricked' to return to the show: 'On edge'

• Paige and Jesse reveal 'insane' way The Block impacted their relationship

The WA-based team adds that contestants are made to “run around to sponsors 10 hours a day”, and the site’s location in Phillip Island made it much more difficult than in previous years to attend various consultations and getaways in Melbourne.

“This year was a lot of driving, like you’re on the road for eight to 10 hours a day,” Jesse continues. “That’s a big part of The Block this year, and a lot of people don't actually realise that.”

Paige and Jesse defend their co-stars amid 'bullying' allegations

Scott Cam isn’t the only Block star who’s caused ruffles amongst the cast lately, with a majority of this year’s contestants being called out on social media this week for seemingly excluding newcomers Maddy and Charlotte.

The sisters recently joined the competition to replace Paige and Jesse and have so far struggled to break into the close-knit group, with Kylie calling them “little itty bitty babies” and Mimi saying they “need more depth and drama in their personalities”.

While fans have slammed the way Maddy and Charlotte have been “ostracised” and “bullied” by their co-stars, Paige and Jesse assert that viewers aren’t seeing the full story play out on TV.

“They’re creating a storyline which we know about,” Jesse says, while Paige adds, “And we've heard both sides of the story in depth, so I don't think you can place judgment on any one party in this sense”.

SHOP:

• The award-winning mattress that's 'like sleeping on a cloud'

• The oil-based serum that gives your skin a double dose of goodness

• Red Rooster launches new exclusive menu for a limited time only

The pair also argue that it would be difficult to form a new friendship at this point in the competition because you simply don’t have time to socialise.

“By week five, during the day, you don't have time to speak to anyone. It's more earlier on you have the time to build those relationships,” Jesse explains.

“It would be very hard for the couples and for Maddy and Charlotte to forge relationships,” Paige says. It would take a lot of effort and trying. Breaking into that tiny group would have been very challenging. But I also think everyone makes an effort as well.”

Want the latest celebrity news? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.