Dave Hughes buys Elyse and Josh’s house on The Block

MELBOURNE comic Dave Hughes has stunned TV viewers as he forked out a record-breaking amount for his piece of The Block, going almost $500,000 over reserve. He explains why.

VICTORIAN couple Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker have won The Block — and it is all because of Dave ­Hughes.

The comedian bought the young couple’s renovated five-bedroom house in Elsternwick for $3.067 million on Saturday.

It was $447,000 over the pair’s reserve of $2.62 million at 46A Regent St, giving them the win and an extra $100,000 in prize money for a $547,000 total.

It is understood to be the highest amount paid for a house in The Block’s 14-series history, plus all five homes are believed to have recorded the show’s top five best auction results.

Josh and Elyse win The Block 2017

Theirs was the first house up for auction.

“Hughesy has changed our lives,” Elyse said. “He’s bought our home and so we are very grateful.”

Hughes, who lives in St Kilda with wife Holly and their three children, was at the auction, and said it was an investment property rather than a new family home.

“I’m really excited,” Hughes said. “It is a brilliant house in a brilliant spot.”

Hughesy was given reduced airtime on The Footy Show earlier this year after fans aired their grievances at the apparent not-so-funny man’s appearances.

He quit the show in October to defect to network rival Ten as the frontman on the upcoming comedy-based, eight-episode panel show Hughesy, We Have A Problem.

Plus, the stand-up comedian is shifting from KISS FM to Hit Network’s national drive program with Kate Langbroek next year.

Josh and Elyse did well on this year’s The Block.

Interiors at Josh and Elyse’s house at 46a Regent St Elsternwick

Yet, the other teams weren’t so lucky on what turned out to be a rollercoaster finale of the ­reality-TV show, which took place on a Saturday when there was a record 1700 auctions across Melbourne.

Sarah and Jason pocketed a healthy $347,000 when their house at 46E Regent St, the second to be auctioned, sold for $3.007 million.

Dave Hughes tries out his new bath tub.

The kitchen inside Josh and Elyse’s winning house.

None of the other homes got near the $3 million mark.

Sticks and Wombat had to split a disappointing $130,000 when their house at 46B sold for $2.65 million. Hannah and Clint got $95,000 above their reserve of $2.615 million.

Poolside at Josh and Elyse’s house.

Judges loved Josh and Elyse’s style.

The biggest drama of the day came when Ronnie and Georgia’s house at 46C, the fourth to be auctioned, was passed in after failing to reach its reserve of $2.62 million. It was later sold for $2.781 million, giving the West Australian couple a profit of $161,000.

“It (the mixed results) is pretty hard to swallow,” Josh said. “It puts a bit of a dampener when not everyone is walking away with as much money as us.”

The Block will return next year to renovate the dilapidated Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda.

Plans have been lodged to Port Phillip Council in June on behalf of The Block producers to convert the hotel into eight luxury apartments.

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