Block boss reveals behind scenes dramas leading to shock exit of Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull

The Block boss Julian Cress has hinted at the real reason for Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull’s shock exit - and it may have more to do with an aversion to workwear than an ailing mother.

Joel Patfull and Elle Ferguson reportedly felt the show didn’t fit with their brand. Picture: Getty Images

The boss of The Block has revealed the behind-the-scenes drama when two Bondi influencers suddenly quit the hit reality show, with claims it was “not on brand” for them and that one had an aversion to high-vis workwear.

Julian Cress, the show’s executive producer, said the decision by Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull to walk off The Block in April during the first week of shooting stunned the production, noting that while Ferguson had “seemed a bit shocked that she was going to have to spend 12 weeks in high vis on a worksite” there had been no indication that they were going to jump ship.

The pair put their departure down to a need to be in Adelaide to look after Patfull’s mother who had suffered serious injuries in a fall.

“We just completed our first challenge on the show (and) they were proving themselves to be really good competitors, a real kick arse team for the series,” Cress said.

“So I was absolutely dumbstruck when they called me very late, about 11.30pm on the Friday (April 15), the evening of tools down on the first challenge, and said that they were feeling like the show wasn’t for them.

Beach shots were likely more ‘on brand’ for the influencer pair than building.

“I said don’t make any hasty decisions, let’s meet in the morning and discuss it face-to-face.

“They agreed to do that so I drove out to location (in Gisborne South) on the Saturday morning, but by the time I got there they had packed up and left. They never spoke to any of us again.

“While they are the first couple to have ever left in these circumstances it does remind me that The Block is not for everyone and it clearly was not for them. They actually mentioned to me in that late Friday night phone call that they felt it was not quite on brand for them. That is OK, it is not for everyone.

“Obviously I wish they had realised that prior to coming onto the show because I don’t think that the difficulty of doing The Block and the challenge of appearing on the show should be a surprise to anybody who applied to be on the show. This is our 18th series.”

Cress said The Block was aware that Patfull’s mother had been injured and revealed the production had paid for the couple to fly to Adelaide to see her in the week before filming started.

“There was a suggestion in the media that the reason they left the show was that they could not get any certainty from me as to whether I would let them go and visit (Joel’s) mother who was recovering from a fall,” Cress said.

“I can understand why they did not feel they didn’t get an answer to that question because they never asked it.

“And I will add the previous week one of the other contestants tested positive for Covid so we had to delay the production for a week, so for that week, at our expense, we flew Joel and Elle to Adelaide to be with his mum.

Joel Patfull and influencer Elle Ferguson may have had an aversion to high-vis work wear.

“They spent some time with her, flew back and thanked us for making that possible.

“We once shut down the entire production of The Block for a week when the mother of one of our contestant’s, (Bec and George during the 2013 season), was ill.

“We are not the kind of program that says no to somebody going to visit a sick mother. We never have been, we never will be.”

The departure of Ferguson and Patfull will be a significant storyline when the show launches on Channel 9 on Sunday, August 7.

“I do think being on The Block affords people the opportunity of a lifetime and I am just very sorry that they felt it was not an opportunity that they wanted to continue to participate with,”

Cress said.

The show had a replacement team organised within hours to plug the gap left by the Bondi bolters.

Ferguson and Patfull and their manager did not respond to a request for comment.