He’s the smiling Queenslander who’s dealing with The Block’s intense competition by looking on the bright side – however, the pressure finally gets too much for Luke Struber this week.
After an altercation with foreman Keith, Luke storms off-site and disappears for hours – leaving his wife Tess Cattana, 28, and his builders with no idea where he is or what he’s doing.
The drama unfolds after “The Blockinator” Keith Schleiger notices a safety breach, and immediately kicks the Cairns couple’s plasterer off the site for the remainder of the competition.
Furious with Keith’s cut-throat decision, Luke gets into his truck and speeds off into the distance – leaving his wife and his remaining tradies gobsmacked.
“I was just super-overwhelmed with the build,” Luke tells Woman’s Day. “It was such a stressful time [losing the plasterers] – I was kind of kissing the wind goodbye.”
Tess (left) was left on her own. Meanwhile, Luke (right) says the pressure of the competition is immense.
(Image: Channel Nine)In a bid to escape from the situation, Luke, 30, drives almost three hours away from site to pick up the insulation for the other contestants.
He says he had to leave for his own sanity.
“You never want to offload your burden to anyone else,” Luke confesses. “Everyone is fighting their own battles – they aren’t listening to your problems, so I just drove.”
After returning hours later to a frazzled crew, Luke’s slammed for not taking the build seriously.
“It’s like talking to a brick wall. You’re not taking it seriously, you just laugh it off,” foreman Dan Reilly says to Luke after he returns on-site.
But it was laughing that helped the young Blockhead deal with the stress.
“It’s not that I don’t take it seriously, but it’s either laugh or cry in that joint,” he tells Woman’s Day.
WATCH: Meet The Block’s newly married couple Tess and Luke. Story continues below…
“I felt like there’s enough tears around, so I thought I’d just have a laugh. But if they were that concerned, they would be there helping out a lot more. Dan knows what it’s like, he should be there giving me a hand, not just telling me how poorly I’m doing.”
“It was definitely hard to keep a positive outlook,” he admits.
“It’d be good for Keith and Dan to be more foremen than problem finders – they don’t tell you you’ve done something wrong until two hours have passed where you’re meant to be so you can rectify the problem.”
“We sacrificed a lot to get down there and we were about to embarrass ourselves on national television.
“It was definitely the hardest. Getting into that mindset that you’re not cut out for it isn’t nice at all.”
READ NEXT: The Block: All the past winners and their incredible auction day results
A distraught Tess had no idea what happened to her husband.
(Image: Channel Nine)
Shelley has announced she has an exciting new TV role coming up.
(Image: Getty)Shelley Craft quits the show!
Alongside Scotty Cam, Shelley Craft has been the face of The Block for almost a decade, but it may be time for the presenter to put her tools down for good.
Shelley has announced she’ll be hosting a new show, Your Domain, with Chris Kohler this month, and fans are speculating it means she won’t return to The Block next season. It comes as the 43-year-old’s once pivotal hosting role has been dwindled down to a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, one many fans have said is pointless!
Andy (left) has become chummy with comedian Dave Hughes (right).
(Image: ABC/ Getty)Andy and Hughesy’s secret deal!
Being a regular on the comedy trail, Andy Saunders has gotten to be very chummy with funnyman Dave Hughes, who famously bid on and won Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker’s home in 2017. Now, Andy may be enlisting the comedian to give him some pointers on how to create a winning property this year!
“I have worked with him, but I haven’t had any tips or offers from him yet, but they will come surely,” the 47-year-old Blockhead tells Woman’s Day.
When asked if he plans on calling upon the 48-year-old TV and radio star to bid on his property this year, Andy says, “He is on the top of the list along with any other celebrity looking to buy a home in St Kilda!”
READ NEXT: Dave Hughes admits he overpaid for Elyse Knowles and Josh Barker’s Block house
For more The Block 2019 content, check these links out below!
The Block: All the past winners and their incredible auction day results
Where to follow all The Block 2019 contestants on Instagram
Inside the colourful history of The Block’s Oslo Hotel
The Block stars’ surprising past revealed
EXCLUSIVE: Scotty Cam confirms Kylie Minogue’s debut on The Block
See inside The Block 2019’s first room reveal as the teams unveil their guest bedrooms
