Scott Cam speaks out about Jesse and Paige’s exit: ‘We didn’t force them out’

Scott Cam has spoken out about Jesse and Paige’s dramatic exit from the show, as the couple contend with a fierce viewer backlash.

The Block host Scott Cam has spoken out about contestants Jesse and Paige’s dramatic departure from the show, insisting the couple left of their own accord: “We didn’t force them out.”
Cam spoke in a video published on 9Now this morning, the day after Jesse and Paige’s exit played out on screens. The Perth couple’s decision to leave came after weeks of escalating tension between them, culminating in a late-night fight that saw one of The Block’s executive producers intervene to tell them they needed to make a decision about their future on the show.

After meeting privately with healthcare professionals, they made the decision to quit.

“It was a duty of care moment,” Cam said in the new video of the producer stepping in.

Scott Cam: “We didn’t force them out.”

“We’ve always said we’re not doing anything important here, we’re just renovating. Health, wellbeing, happiness, always comes first on The Block. We always make sure contestants’ wellbeing is number one.”

Cam said that when it became clear how much Jesse and Paige were struggling, “we got professional help and had extensive chats. They made the decision themselves – we didn’t force them out. They made the decision they wanted to go home. We followed it up with professional care in their home state for as long as they needed it.”

In emotional scenes aired during Monday’s episode, Paige explained that her worsening mental health had been “just like a black hole in my head” and that she hadn’t felt like herself during her time on the show.

Paige says her emotional goodbyes.

The young couple had clashed with each other since day one.

The couple have also had to contend with a brutal viewer backlash as their unhappy Block experience has played out on screens. Most posts on their official Instagram account have comments switched off – but the one recent post that does allow comments has been swamped with hundreds of negative messages from viewers.

Many expressed their anger at the way Paige had spoken to her fiance Jesse during their frequent fights on the show.

“Poor Jesse – using her ‘mental health’ to justify how badly she treated him. What a cop out,” reads one top-rated comment.

“The way Paige treats Jesse is actually heartbreaking, and I don’t say that lightly,” another viewer commented.

“No one deserves to be spoken to the way that she speaks to him,” said another fan of the show.

A replacement team to take over the couple’s unfinished house will be revealed in tonight’s episode of The Block.

News.com.au understands Jesse and Paige are now seeking paid media opportunities to speak out about their time on the show.

Originally published as Scott Cam speaks out about Jesse and Paige’s exit: ‘We didn’t force them out’