The Block 2023 Episode 49 recap: Kyle and Leslie’s mean plan falls flat in final judging week – realestate.com.au

And so the cunning plan which marked the up-until-now decent Leslie and Kyle as just as bad as Kristy and Brett and Leah and Ash is a shuddering failure.

Kyle and Leslie sold their bonus point gnome to Steph and Gian, ostensibly to earn some money to finish their house, but in reality in order to stop Leah and Ash winning the final week car prize they’d been coveting for weeks.

RELATED: ‘Lack of empathy is sociopathic’: Leah unleashes on Block team

Three teams plot to ruin Leah and Ash’s chances

Adding to that the fact all the couples knew about it except for Leah and Ash and the stage was set for the mother of all showdowns if Steph and Gian used the bonus point to win.

And after finding Leah and Ash somewhat distasteful for most of this season, there would be few viewers who would begrudge them tonight’s win, coming as it does after Kyle and Leslie’s nasty trick, and their little dog dying.

The pair won by half a point over Steph and Gian, with both teams using their bonus point and creating an even playing field.

Leah and Ash’s car-winning facade. Picture: Supplied, Channel 9

This despite Steph and Gian having much more money to spend, after winning a whopping $163,000 over the course of the season.

They invested it in what Marty Fox called “an absolute showstopper” of a front garden and facade, featuring a stone-stacked chimney and matching entrance fence posts, extra parking, huge mature tree (complete with family of owls), travertine pavers and a masterful planting plan that will ensure the garden looks fabulous no matter the season.

The only thing that let them down was their dark front entrance hall, with Darren Palmer suggesting they should have at least had a glass panel in their front door to take in the view of the garden and add some light to the poky space.

Their rivals Leah and Ash went all out with a water feature/goldfish pond, car turntable, huge planter with silver birches, printed basket weave front fence with plants cascading from the top and garage wallpaper, featuring the original 1940s blueprint of their house.

Their efforts got them a 9.5 from each of the four judges (including landscaper Dave Franklin) and they won by half a point over Steph and Gian, who scored 9.5s from every judge except Marty Fox, who gave them a 9 because he didn’t like their plain concrete garage floor.

Steph and Gian’s “showstopping” front garden and facade. Picture: Supplied, Channel 9

Kyle and Leslie did well with their micro budget. Their landscaper found a bargain ex-display water feature to jazz up their front garden, which also featured a car turntable, but the judges didn’t like the dark grey colour they’d painted their original brickwork on Scott Cam’s advice and they didn’t have enough money to do much in their garage other than paint the walls.

Kristy and Brett redeemed themselves from last week with a cosy east-facing deck to capture the morning sun, epoxy speckled garage floor and a bonus extra living room with ceiling projector and hidden storage room for linen and miscellaneous items like a Christmas tree and kids’ bikes.

Kristy and Brett’s front yard. Picture: Supplied, Channel 9

And Eliza and Liberty had a much happier judging week too, after being utterly devastated by the judges’ comments on their backyard.

This time the judges were fans of their natural timber garage door, timber arbour with seating and table to ensure guests didn’t mistake it for a front door and their wide open and airy side front entrance area which they declared the grandest on the show.

“They designed this to win the auction,” Marty Fox says.

As the final scores were compiled, Steph and Gian reveal their secret gnome, and Leah and

Ash take it somewhat in stride, realising immediately that the pair must have bought it from the cash-strapped Kyle and Leslie.

Eliza and Liberty’s front yard. Picture: Supplied, Channel 9

“I can imagine how that’s all played out,” Leah says. “You wanted to surprise us right there and then, to what purpose? You have the gnome, play the gnome, give us the heads up.”

But she’s too excited to be bitter given she and car nut Ash will be driving home in a new electric Mustang.

As the teams drive home Kristy can’t help but come up with one last conspiracy theory.

“Do you think it was like ‘here you go’ because they’re not going to do well at auction,” she asks Brett, who for once doesn’t entertain his partner’s unhinged ideas.

“No,” he replies.

But Kristy is undeterred.

“I do. Who’s going to buy that f–king house?”

We’ll all find out next Sunday.

JUDGES’ SCORES

1 Leah and Ash 39

2 Steph and Gian 38.5

3 Kristy and Brett 35

4 Eliza and Liberty 34.5

5 Kyle and Leslie 32.5

MISSED AN EPISODE?

Ep 47/48: ‘Lack of empathy is sociopathic’: Leah unleashes on Block team

Ep 46: Three teams plot to ruin Leah and Ash’s chances

Ep 45: ‘This is a disaster’: Judges slay Block backyards

Ep 43/44: Leslie pulls jaw-dropping dirty Block tactic on Leah

Ep 42: Block claws out as Leah calls out landscaping ‘cheating’

Ep 41: $30k error ruins Block villains’ horror week

Ep 39/40: ‘She is unhinged!’: The Block’s nastiest fight so far

Ep 38: Unlikely Block friendship raises eyebrows

Ep 37: Block’s ‘Mrs. Positive’ cracks at judges criticism

Ep 35/36: Kristy calls out Leah’s own two-faced Block bullying

Ep 34: Scott Cam bemused by most awkward Block dinner ever

Ep 33: Leah and Kristy go all out in bitter Block bust-up

Ep 31/32: ‘Crew hates them’: Drunk Kristy’s spray shocks the Block

Ep 30: ‘Something is wrong here’: Truth about Block villain becomes clear

Ep 29: ‘Make The Block great again’ — Kristy’s shock Trump-style stance

Ep 27/28: ‘I’ve had enough’: Brett’s foul spray at Block producer

Ep 26: Australia turns on ‘revolting’ two Block couples

Ep 25: ‘F*** that!’: Kirsty rages at Block sisters ‘sympathy trip’

Ep 23/24: Foreman bribe has Block ‘fake friend’ seeing red

Ep 22: Block sisters left reeling after builder’s text

Ep 21: ‘It’s the Titanic for them’: Shaynna savages ‘micro room’

Ep 19/20: Tensions flare over one Block team’s ‘s***ty attitude’

Ep 18: Knives come out over cocktails with Scott Cam

Ep: 17: Block’s controversial moss wall leaves a bad taste

Ep 15/16: Block team rushed to hospital after falling down manhole

Ep 14: Block sisters plot bizarre bathroom feature

Ep 13: Blockheads baffled after being punished for following orders

Ep 11/12: Dangerous near miss as Block home’s ceiling collapses

Ep 10: ‘A***hole real estate agent’ — new judge cops massive spray

Ep 9: ‘Better if left empty’: Block judges deliver brutal feedback

Ep 7/8: Real reason Block team is shielding their windows

Ep 6: ‘Don’t speak to me ever again’: Rogue dad brings Block drama

Ep 5: Block team gets dad to help, accused of rule breaking

Ep 3 & 4: ‘Secretive and fake’ — Battle lines drawn over Block agents

Ep 2: Stumble out of the blocks: Team demolishes wrong room

Ep 1: ‘Fugly as’: Contestants unimpressed with Block houses

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