The Block: Ratings spike amid cheating scandal and break from The Voice

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    The Block benefited from a highly publicised cheating scandal and no competition from The Voice on Tuesday night, drawing an impressive 911,000 metro viewers.

    The ratings, the highest so far this season, will no doubt please Nine executives after the long-running renovation show had a disappointing start last month.

    The Block had consistently trailed behind Seven’s The Voice since both shows launched on August 8, but Tuesday’s figures show there is still life in the franchise.

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    Back in the game: The Block benefited from a highly publicised cheating scandal and no competition from The Voice on Tuesday night, drawing an impressive 911,000 metro viewers. Pictured: The Block contestant Tanya Guccione

    Back in the game: The Block benefited from a highly publicised cheating scandal and no competition from The Voice on Tuesday night, drawing an impressive 911,000 metro viewers. Pictured: The Block contestant Tanya Guccione

    The Block gained many viewers by virtue of the fact The Voice wasn’t on, with Seven instead screening a documentary about the band Abba at 7:30pm.

    However, the show did also deliver plenty of drama courtesy of a ‘cheating’ scandal that had been heavily promoted on Nine for weeks. 

    Elsewhere in the ratings, Home and Away had a metro audience of 662,000 while ABBA Fever drew 526,000 against The Block and Australian Survivor (707,000).

    Fighting spirit: The Block had consistently trailed behind Seven's The Voice since both shows launched on August 8, but Tuesday's figures show there is still life in the franchise. Pictured: The Voice coach Jessica Mauboy (right) and one of her contestants

    Fighting spirit: The Block had consistently trailed behind Seven’s The Voice since both shows launched on August 8, but Tuesday’s figures show there is still life in the franchise. Pictured: The Voice coach Jessica Mauboy (right) and one of her contestants

    In the later time slots, Channel 10’s The Cheap Seats was watched by 348,000 in the five capital cities, while The Hundred with Andy Lee climbed to 413,000.

    Tuesday’s The Block saw a cheating scandal unravel after someone took a photo of the show’s production schedule and leaked it to the contestants in week one.

    After suspicion initially fell on Love Island twins Josh and Luke Packham, Tanya Guccione finally confessed to producers she was the first person to see the photo.

    Controversy: Tuesday's The Block saw a cheating scandal unravel after someone took a photo of the show's production schedule and leaked it to the contestants in week one. Pictured: Tanya Guccione (left) and Luke Packham (right)

    Controversy: Tuesday’s The Block saw a cheating scandal unravel after someone took a photo of the show’s production schedule and leaked it to the contestants in week one. Pictured: Tanya Guccione (left) and Luke Packham (right)

    The whole saga began when someone broke into host Scott Cam’s office and took a photo of the whiteboard which showed the series’ filming schedule – including the dates of each challenge, private tours and furniture consults.

    Anyone who saw the photo would have the advantage of being able to plan their specifications weeks in advance or pre-order something for a specific room.

    Ronnie and Georgia Caceres brought the scandal to light this week, confirming the Packhams had previously shown them a photo of the schedule in question.

    Blame game: After suspicion initially fell on Love Island twins Josh and Luke (pictured), Tanya Guccione finally confessed to producers she was the first person to see the photo

    Blame game: After suspicion initially fell on Love Island twins Josh and Luke Packham (pictured), Tanya finally confessed to producers she was the first person to see the photo 

    The brothers admitted to seeing the photo, but wouldn’t reveal the source until Tuesday’s episode, when Georgia finally confessed her involvement.

    She sat alongside Luke and admitted to a producer that an ‘ex-tradie’ had sent her the image during the first week of filming.

    Tanya first explained it was sent to her Block phone number, before she backtracked and corrected herself, saying it was sent to her ‘personal number’.

    Fuming: Ronnie (left) and Georgia Caceres (right) brought the scandal to light this week, confirming Josh and Luke had previously shown them a photo of the schedule in question

    Fuming: Ronnie (left) and Georgia Caceres (right) brought the scandal to light this week, confirming Josh and Luke had previously shown them a photo of the schedule in question

    She told producers she’d shown the photo to her husband, who did not want anything to do with it.

    Tanya continued: ‘I sent it to Luke, and said, “Hey, do you know about this? A tradie sent it to me. Is it common knowledge?”

    ‘So that is the truth, Luke got it from me. I got it from an ex-tradie from The Block.’

    Luke chimed in: ‘Yeah, and then with the information, obviously I hadn’t seen it, and then I’ve passed it on.’ 

    The photo in question: The whiteboard revealed the dates each challenge was scheduled for, what times the judges would arrive for a tour, and when furniture consults would occur

    The photo in question: The whiteboard revealed the dates each challenge was scheduled for, what times the judges would arrive for a tour, and when furniture consults would occur

    Unfair: Anyone who saw the photo would have the advantage of being able to plan their specifications weeks in advance or pre-order something for a specific room

    Unfair: Anyone who saw the photo would have the advantage of being able to plan their specifications weeks in advance or pre-order something for a specific room

    Tanya later appeared relieved to have shared ‘her truth’, but a hidden camera recording her conversation with Vito earlier in the day exposed a flaw in the story.

    She said: ‘I’m going to tell the camera what happened about the tradie sending me the photo. It was a number I didn’t know, and I deleted it straight away.’

    ‘The thing is… it was my Block number, yeah… You’ve got to always have the same consistent story,’ she quietly told her husband.

    The impact of Tanya’s confession will cause an almighty clash between the contestants during a meeting in tomorrow’s episode.

    The Block continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine

    'Consistent story': Tanya later appeared relieved to have shared'her truth', but a hidden camera recording her conversation with Vito earlier in the day exposed a flaw in the story

    ‘Consistent story’: Tanya later appeared relieved to have shared ‘her truth’, but a hidden camera recording her conversation with Vito earlier in the day exposed a flaw in the story

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