The Block contestants Leah and Ash speak about show’s current controversy

They’re at the centre of a big Block controversy – now Leah and Ash set the record straight in a candid new interview with news.com.au.

The Block contestants Leah and Ash are at the centre of this season’s most dramatic storyline, as they try and extricate themselves from the close friendship they’ve formed with fellow contestants Kristy and Brett.

And in a candid new interview with news.com.au, the couple speak out about the scenes that have so rankled viewers this week – and also hit back at “unfair” rumours that have been circulating about them.

For weeks now, viewers have become increasingly frustrated at South Australian couple Kristy and Brett’s attitudes towards the other contestants – in particular, sisters (and novice renovators) Eliza and Liberty. Kristy and Brett have accused them of receiving special treatment, spouting conspiracy theories about them being “planted” on the show by Nine and given an easy ride.

Leah and Ash do a major U-turn in Block scenes playing out this week. .

As the girls started scoring wins, Kristy and Brett’s venom towards them was palpable – and Leah became deeply uncomfortable about her relationship with her closest ally on the show.

Speaking to news.com.au as they weather some intense viewer reaction to the show’s latest episodes, Leah and Ash were keen to share their side of The Block’s latest scandal.

Leah explained that by this point in the season, she’d had a creeping feeling for weeks that her friendship with Kristy was starting to turn “toxic.”

“Kristy and I only had The Block as our talking point – we don’t know each other’s lives – so our conversation was so much about The Block,” she explained.

“First it was jokes here and there, but as the weeks went on, I thought it was getting a bit snarky. We really liked the girls, and when they were visibly upset about the Channel 9 plant conspiracies, we thought it had gone too far. It was time to step back and look at what role we’d played in all this.”

Contestants Kristy and Brett have gone down a rabbit hole of Block conspiracy theories.

But Leah’s stocktake, currently playing out on TV, has been met with suspicion from some viewers. Some have accused her of simply realising, seven weeks into filming, that she might be painted as a reality TV villain.

Indeed, a report that surfaced in the media this week quoted an anonymous source on the show, who claimed that Leah’s mea culpa only came after Eliza paid her a visit and informed her that dreams of a post-Block TV career would be unlikely unless she changed her ways.

The couple both vehemently deny that report.

“The allegations that Eliza came over and told Leah there’d be no TV career in her future? That’s total baloney, it didn’t happen. It paints Leah in a bad light, and Eliza in a good light … but it didn’t happen, hand on heart,” Ash told news.com.au.

I asked Leah and Ash, who have been watching the show and keeping an eye on the online reaction, if what had been shown on TV was a fair representation of how things played out on The Block.

Leah nominated one moment she was disappointed didn’t make it to air – an apology she extended to fellow contestant Steph after treating her rudely earlier in the season.

“Unfortunately it didn’t air, but Steph and I had a very sincere conversation the night the girls were away at the hot springs. We had a chance to speak, and I said to her: ‘I think I judged you too quickly, and I don’t think I’ve taken the time to get to know you further.’ I said I was really sorry, and we decided from there on that we’d get to know each other a lot more,” she revealed.

While some things didn’t make it to air, Leah said she was sometimes stunned to see what did – particularly from Eliza and Liberty.

Leah said she was “shocked” to see Eliza (left) and Liberty talk about her behind her back.

“You know what I was shocked about? How much the girls would talk about us behind our backs. We didn’t expect that – we were very close with the girls, we went to their house most nights, they FaceTimed our kids … I was a little bit shocked at that one.”

But the couple were momentarily speechless when asked if they’d raised this issue with the sisters while the episodes aired, suggesting there’s more bumps ahead for that particular relationship.

“Um … not as … not yet,” Leah said after a long pause.

“I think there’s … yeah. I would like to, but it probably hasn’t gotten there yet with the girls.”

In the next episode of The Block, airing Monday, Leah and Ash finally directly confront Kristy and Brett about their behaviour, suggesting they all need to change tack and be less negative towards the other contestants.

Spoiler alert: It does not go well, the two couples leaving the tense meeting on bad terms.

Leah and Ash said there is “no realigning” with their former Block besties.

And months after filming wrapped it seems the tensions on The Block are still being felt, as the teams await auction day in November.

“This affected the rest of my experience on The Block. Some serious, deep issues went on. At the moment, most of the cast are trying to stay very positive and professional,” said Leah.

She also said there was another Block rumour swirling that she wanted to quash: That she and her husband will be seen “realigning” with Kristy and Brett later on in the season.

“There is absolutely no realigning (with Kristy and Brett). It’s not fair that that rumour sparked up when no-one has the facts,” she said.