The Block 2026 Episode 23 recap: Spence accuses his mates the Cursios of cheating

At the end of week one Chantel and Wyatt were accused of messing up their budget and they threw their toys out of the pram, holing themselves up in the share house and telling everyone who would listen that they were quitting.

Tonight they’re accused of engaging in a cheating conspiracy with their tilers the Cursio brothers and they barely bat an eye.

The source of the accusation is Rick ring-in Spence, a former contestant turned Nine in Six employee who’s helping Tayla out while her dad is recovering from a knee infection.

He happens to be mates with the Cursios, so he drops over to see them when he finishes for the day to find them putting their first waterproofing coat on Chantel and Wyatt’s guest bedroom ensuite.

Knowing that you need to leave four hours between coats, and that it’s tools down in half an hour, he’s stunned to find out the Cursios have started tiling the moment the site opens the next day.

The only explanation is that they sneaked back on site after tools down to apply the second coat of waterproofing.

“That’s cheating. If they’re tiling this morning that’s because they came back late last night,” he says.

RELATED: Inside The Block’s biggest scandals

Why this will be The Block’s riskiest auction yet

How much Block contestants really make

Spence tells Tayla his mates the Curios are cheats.

Tayla is only too eager to get on board.

“House Two has been cheating this whole fricken thing,” she declares before heading off to confront them with Spence.

When the Cursios pull out a video showing them leaving the site at two minutes to tools down, its only stokes Tayla’s suspicion further.

“The fact you video yourself walking out of the gate, do you do that every night,” she says.

Wyatt’s reasonable explanation is that it’s just a way of the Cursios documenting their hours for invoicing purposes.

“I believe they left at 8pm, it’s whether they came back,” Spence reiterates.

Tayla recognises they don’t have enough evidence to take it further.

“It’s so bad but we’ve got no information to prove them wrong. I’m not going to tell any of the other contestants, if they find out they find out,” she says.

Cut to Tayla telling the other contestants.

“We’re all for people getting a push if they’re in strife but you’re a day ahead so why do you need to break the rules?” Courtney wonders.

The Cursios show Tayla video of them leaving site.

Meanwhile, the genial Cursios are shocked at being accused of cheating by Tayla, especially since it’s been instigated by one of their mates.

“I can’t believe she said that,” Gino says.

“Cheating is a nice word,” Chantel shrugs. “It keeps coming up because we are too fast. Jealousy.”

The whole thing seems to fizzle out without the usual Block body corporate and name calling, though it’s never quite explained how they Cursios managed to get two coats of waterproofing down in the space of half an hour.

The Cursios are agog at being accused of cheating.

Elsewhere, Lisa and Rosco are stunned to discover last year’s winning real estate agency hasn’t been snapped up by any of the teams.

She had been under the impression Rick and Tayla had struck a deal with Buxtons, only to discover Tayla had fired them after failing to “vibe” with her agent, who, aside from living two hours away in Ballarat, had advised her to cancel her herringbone flooring.

Lisa and Rosco have no such qualms and they’re soon showing the team around their house, incredulous that they’ve managed to secure them.

Jolene finds out Adam has spent all her money on waterproofing.

Jolene meanwhile is spitting chips at Adam for spending $2500 of their tiling voucher on a new system of waterproofing materials, leaving her with nothing to spend on actual tiles.

“Are you f..king joking? Well there goes the budget. You don’t have funds to pay the trades next week, what the f**k,” she rages.

MISSED AN EPISODE? HERE’S ALL OUR RECAPS SO FAR

Episode 1: First tears shed on season 22 of The Block

Episode 2: ‘I will shut you down’

Episode 3: ‘I won’t help them again’

Episode 4: ‘You will only last five weeks’

Episode 5: Block couple ready to quit after scandal

Episode 6: ‘Everyone is in on it’: Chantel and Wyatt cry foul

Episode 7: Gloves are off as Courtney accuses Rosco of treachery

Episode 8: Dan fuming as Tayla barely lifts a finger

Episode 9: A huge prize causes bitterness in one contestant

Episode 10: Jolene and Tayla fume over controversial bathroom win
Episode 11: Lisa and Rosco fall behind again