The Block finale 2020: Jimmy and Tam's record-breaking win

A shell-shocked Scott Cam called it "the most unbelievable day in Block history." He's not wrong: The auctions smashed an Australian record.

Nick Bond

@bondnickbond

less than 2 min read

November 22, 2020 - 9:42PM

Brisbane battlers Jimmy and Tam broke a Block record with their season win, becoming the first team in the show's history to take home more than a million dollars.

Their $1.066m win is also the biggest cash prize in Australian TV history.

But there were no losers this year, with even last-placing team Daniel and Jade going home $460,000 richer.

And they all have one man in particular to thank for the incredible results - eccentric I.T. millionaire Danny Wallis, who bid on every house and ended up buying three. His love of giant, show-stopping bids drove the prices sky-high.

But a special shout-out must also go to this mysterious young woman, who nabbed the winning house from under Wallis' nose, having only visited it for the first time the night before auction:

The pocket rocket won the house.
I hope she told her Mum & Dad where she was going ðŸ˜‚#TheBlock #TheBlockAu pic.twitter.com/DOoMBkeNyf
— ðŸµï¸ Í²á”áŽ¬áŽ¬Í²Õ á´áŽ½ áŽ·áŽ¬ ðŸµï¸ (@tweetsbygillian) November 22, 2020

See how it all unfolded in our liveblog below:

Updates

The final tally

Who could've predicted this? Even The Block's own executive producer was this week conceding they may not sell all houses this year. Instead, every couple has gone home a LOT richer.

5th place – Daniel and Jade, $460,000 profit.
4th place – Luke and Jasmin, $506,000
3rd place – Harry and Tash, $650,000
2nd place – Sarah and George, $650,002
1st place – Jimmy and Tam, $966,000 + $100,000 prize money = $1,066,000

I said it below but it bears repeating: Not only is Jimmy and Tam's win a Block record by more than $100,000, it's also the biggest cash prize in Australian television history.

And while he didn't pick up the winning house, I.T. millionaire Danny Wallis's auction showboating and purchase of three houses in a row mean he was the standout star of auction day. But the very rich and undeniably eccentric Wallis, pictured above with the three couples whose houses he bought, has been labelled a &quot;nuisance&quot; by one Block buyer&#x27;s agent.

Lucky last: Harry and Tash

There were some grumbles about their placing in the auction order, but father-daughter duo Harry and Tash needn't have worried: Their house is bought by – guess who – Danny Wallis, for $4 million exactly (he didn't throw in an extra $2 this time, the cheapskate).

Wallis gave another jaw-dropping final bid to secure his third Block property in a row, pushing the price from $3.475m to $4m in a single bid. Do you think he does this just so he can watch their reaction shots later? Here's how Harry and Tash looked the second he pushed their profits up by more than half a million dollars:

It means Harry and Tash will go home with the $650,000 profit over their reserve – and it also means Jimmy and Tam are this year's Block winners, with an incredible $1.066 million once their $100,000 prize money is added on to their reserve.

That's the biggest win in Block history – and it's also the biggest cash prize in Australian TV history.

It's Daniel and Jade's turn

…and Danny Wallis is really adding to his property portfolio today – he buys their house, his second in a row.

And he did it with another knockout bid, offering a winning bid of $3.8 million, a massive $325,000 leap from the previous top bid of $3.475 million.

That means four-time Block applicants Daniel and Jade score $460,000 profit over their reserve. Before the auction, the humble couple said they were just hoping to make $20,000 – enough to send all their parents on holiday.

That incredible result makes them the last-placing team so far – what a result if the "losing" team go home almost half a million dollars richer.

Sarah and George win big - plus $2

…and serial bidder Danny Wallis finally gets a win, buying the house for the oh-so-Danny Wallis price of $4,000,002 – that's four-million-and-two dollars.

It gives the underdog couple an amazing profit of $650,002. They can be mortgage-free. Result!

Jimmy and Tam smash a Block record

WOW. Jimmy and Tam's 50s-inspired home sells for a whopping $4.256 million – that's $966,000 over their reserve, meaning that even if they don't win this season, they've already smashed all previous Block records.

Before now, the highest profit over reserve was achieved by 2015's Darren and Deanne, who earned $935,000 (and that was including their $100,000 prize money).

And while he didn't end up winning the auction, eccentric IT millionaire Danny Wallis definitely deserves a thank-you from Jimmy and Tam for driving the price up: after opening bids of $3.2 and $3.25m, Wallis pipes up with a bid of $4.2m – a jump of almost a million dollars.

But in the end, the winning bid comes from a young woman who only visited the house for the first time the night before. This is after another bizarre bid from Wallis of "4,241,691.18." Yes, 18 CENTS.

But lets relive that incredible moment early in the auction where Jimmy and Tam are still waiting to clear their reserve – and one bid from Danny Wallis instantly puts them $910,000 in the clear:

Well done, guys. Can I borrow $20?

Across Australia, Block viewers are asking one question: What's Danny Wallis' deal?

More dollars than sense. #theblockau #TheBlock
— Fab Scalia 🇦🇺🏳️‍🌈 (@MichaelScalia86) November 22, 2020

This guy with the quirky amounts is taking the piss… #TheBlockAU
— Jodie Willis (@ltlblkdress) November 22, 2020

Opening bid of $4.2M had me #TheBlockAU pic.twitter.com/INIL6hlPKE
— gtown (@imallg70) November 22, 2020

So, the Melbs property market seems to be….ok? This is silly. #TheBlockAU
— Franko (@_thebruz) November 22, 2020

Well, #TheBlockAU is insane obviously #GoggleboxAU pic.twitter.com/2ZImMxNhKY
— 💚 Heather 😷 (@impossible_cut) September 12, 2019

Scott Cam calls it "the most unbelievable thing I've ever witnessed in 16 seasons of The Block."

Luke and Jasmin's big result

Well, we're off to a good start. After a lively auction, Luke and Jasmin's house sells for $3,856,000 – that's $506,000 over the reserve.

Serial Block bidder, millionaire IT boss Danny Wallis, puts in a lot of bids, but in the end he and Block buyer's agent Nicole Jacobs are pipped by two blonde women and their buyer's advocate dialling in on Zoom. Buying a $3.8 million dollar house without leaving the sofa? Glad someone's having a good 2020!

So Luke and Jasmin are now half a million dollars richer – there were a lot of tears around the $400,000 profit mark as they realised they could now pay off their mortgage – but can else do even better?

An elbow touch would've sufficed

First up it's perhaps this season's most controversial couple, Luke and Jasmin. The glammed-up pair greet Scott Cam to watch the auction – and he plants a big kiss on Jasmin before giving Luke a firm handshake, which in 2020 Melbourne seems like a risky move. Nobody likes a superspreader, Scotty!

The viewers have chosen their favourite...

…and it's a landslide for Sarah and George, with 44% of votes:

Poor Daniel and Jade on 6%!

Auction order revealed

Jimmy and Tim were "awarded" the poisoned chalice of deciding the auction order – Jimmy admits the responsibility makes him feel "physically sick."

A nervous Jimmy and Tam reveal the auction order they've decided, with help from their real estate agents who encouraged them to put friendships aside and look out for themselves.

The poor things are shaking as they deliver the news, explaining that Luke and Jasmin will go first as they have a strong house with an emotional connection. Last place is equally strategic – they feel Harry and Tash's house is similar to theirs, so their estate agents have advised them to shunt them to last place. The order:

1. Luke and Jasmin

2. Jimmy and Tam

3. Sarah and George

4. Daniel and Jade

5. Harry and Tash

There are tears from pretty much everyone as Jimmy and Tam break down, clearly overwhelmed to have had to make the decision. I even spied a tear from Scott Cam! LOOK IT'S BEEN A BIG YEAR.

Reserves revealed - and nobody's happy

The five Block teams come together to learn what their reserves will be for the auction.

Luke and Jasmin, Harry and Tash and Sarah and George all have a reserve of $3.35 million for their properties. Daniel and Jade have a slightly lower reserve of $3.34 million, while Jimmy and Tam have the lowest reserve at $3.29 million – their house is around 50m smaller than all the others.

Nobody's happy – everyone was hoping for reserves around the $3.2 million mark. Luke and Jasmin also question why Jimmy and Tam got the lowest reserve. " I would have thought they would have been favourites after doing so well all season," says Jasmin.

As the teams grumble, Scott Cam reminds them that "no-one has ever been happy with their reserve price."

Read related topics:Brisbane The Block