Controversial couple Hayden and Sara walk away from The Gatwick in dramatic scenes on The Block this week. But why do they leave?
Hayden and Sara are already under immense financial and emotional pressure after delivering a series of low-scoring rooms. When their guest bedroom again failed to impress judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker, an emotional Sara slammed their feedback.
“It got to the point where there was no constructive criticism,” Sara, 31, tells TV WEEK. “It just became pure insults.”
The pair’s guest bedroom scored just 22.5, with Shaynna commenting it “felt like a standard display-home room”.
The Block’s Sara and Hayden struggle to keep their composure.
A furious Sara was seen mouthing the f-word and rolling her eyes during the critique.
“They said the room looked like a really bad 1980s paint job – where’s the constructive criticism in that?” she sighs. “When they said things like that, I’d roll my eyes and just think, ‘This is for the drama.'”
Sara says the comments were aimed at her “to try to get a rise out of me”.
This week’s challenge could be a clincher for the under-pressure couple, with Sara and Hayden desperately trying to restore their reputations.
The pair are planning to spend a cool $75,000 on their ensuite, which includes a special secret weapon.
But will it be enough to keep the fiery couple in the competition, or will one more negative comment make them walk?
The judges were clearly not impressed with their room reveal.
Despite being seen as the dramatic duo by viewers, Hayden, 45, and Sara have received some sympathy from the other four couples. They all agree The Block is one of the most difficult experiences of their lives – and can understand why the NSW couple would want to leave.
“I think any renovation is really tough on relationships,” Jess, 33, says. “Also, you spend 100 per cent of your time with your partner or husband, and that’s something people forget about.”
Hans says the toughest thing leading up to the halfway mark was that there’s no real end in sight. “You’re thinking, ‘How are we going to have the energy, stamina, emotional fortitude to continue to deliver the rooms?'” he says.
The distress of being away from family – Hayden and Sara have a 14-month-old daughter – was also tough.
The pressure gets all too much for Hayden and Sara this week, leading to them storming off the building site. “The toughest thing about it was the stress,” Sara explains.
“It’s not highs and lows within a week, it’s highs and lows within hours.”
So, will the passionate pair return?
