The Block 2025 Episode 17 recap: two teams are smashed by hyperbolic judges

It would be hard to find a single Australian who would turn down the chance to have one of five main bedrooms unveiled tonight in their own house.

But that doesn’t stop the judges referring to one as a “disaster” and another as a reason to vomit.

First to be judged is Emma and Ben – by Sonny and Alicia – who consider the young couple childhood sweethearts almost sickeningly lovely.

“How can two people just be kind to each other all the time? And they have been together the same amount of time as Sonny and I: 14 years,” Alicia said.

Cut to Sonny and Alicia squabbling over painting and Alicia threatening divorce.

Then it’s on to the actual judging, where Ben and Emma’s incredible burgundy and timber custom-made bedhead, red marble topped beach and open walk-in robe with island have the judges in raptures.

“They have nailed the beautiful modern den,” Shaynna said.

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Emma and Ben’s room with curved timber custom bedhead and concussion-causing pendants.

The judges love the red marble handles in the walk-in robe and the double skylight built into the pitched roof.

About the only fault they can find is the placement of the heavy bedside pendants, which almost left Marty Fox concussed when he demonstrated how easy it would be to hit your head when getting out of bed.

“The reason they might not get a perfect 10 is the lump on my head,” he said.

Their neighbours Han and Can don’t fare so well, and they could be forgiven for feeling hard done by.

After being told to lean in to their Wes Anderson-style aesthetic and colour palette two weeks ago, Shaynna now wants them to lean out, telling them they don’t have the styling chops to pull it off.

The judges hated Han and Can’s choice of blue highlight colour in their main bedroom but conceded it’s easy to fix.

Marty is more brutal.

“Oh, I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I actually want to vomit. I’m great at selling, not even I could sell this room,” was his hyperbolic assessment.

The problem is their choice of a vibrant blue highlight colour. They’ve used it behind the bed and on some of the built in cabinetry.

“It’s so abrasive, it’s so intense, it’s actually really throwing off everything else in here. Thankfully it’s really easy to fix,” Darren said.

“There are so many elegant inclusions in here that are overwhelmed by this punch in the face,” Shaynna agreed.

Han and Can take the over-the-top comments surprisingly well, but quite reasonably point out that it’s difficult to know how to respond when they’re told to do one thing, and then told to the opposite.

“It’s confusing when you’re told to create a dream space and be bold and be brave and then you get shut down for it, but it is what it is,” Han says.

Sonny and Alicia’s room leading into “disastrous” walk-in robe.

In any case, their feedback pales when compared to Sonny and Alicia’s, who the judges say have made mistakes that are much harder to fix than changing a paint colour.

They have a hidden door into their walk-in robe, wallpaper designed by Alicia herself, velvet curtains, fireplace and bench seat.

But Shaynna describes their gallery-style entrance as being like a “dated hotel entrance” saying “even though the artwork is exquisite it feels corporate”.

She also hates the exposed power points beside the bed, noting that they could easily have had a much wider bedhead to cover them, and bigger bedside tables, given how much space they had.

They also get pinged for their poor paint work and for the fact the direction of the grain in their secret door doesn’t match the surrounds.

Sonny and Alicia hearing the judges’ feedback.

But the biggest error in the judges’ view was not making use of that space and extending the size of their walk-in robe.

With a make-up station placed in the robe’s darkest corner, glass fronted drawers that leave socks and undies on full display and a narrow space for getting dressed, Marty calls the whole thing “a disaster”.

“You’re standing 24 storeys up in a two-bedroom Southgate apartment sold 15 years ago to someone who’s never visited it,” Marty added, sinking the boot in.

Alicia is teary by the end of it all but they try to put a brave face on it.

“Everyone gets a roasting and we just got roasted I suppose,” Sonny said.

“We put a lot into that room so it’s a bit upsetting.”

Britt and Taz have a much easier time of it.

“Serene, elevated, refined and sophisticated” are just some of the adjectives thrown out by

Britt and Taz’s winning main bedroom featured two entrances to their walk-in robe and custom bedhead.

Darren Palmer about their room, which has the bed facing the window, a Daylesford-perfect timber bench at the end of the bed and a lux walk-in robe with two entry points, huge full length mirror and island bench with drawers for days.

Shaynna begs them to get rid of the plants, and some unnecessary hanging pendants above a reading nook, but compares the cop pair to fellow former law enforcers Alyssia and Lysandra as having the chops to transition into interior design.

“Everything in that room is Britt,” Taz says. “I know how amazing she is but to hear it from a world renowned interior designer and real estate legend, what an opportunity, what an amazing thing to say.”

Mat and Robby chose a custom-made four poster bed for their main bedroom.

Mat and Robby get similar praise for their “masterful” feature paint work. The judges love their custom four poster bed but also notice the lack of a fireplace and island bench in their walk-in robe.

The boys are trying to save cash to pay for their secret wine cellar, but the judges don’t know that.

The night ends with Britt and Taz narrowly beating Emma and Ben. They also pick up the $10,000 budget award, and get an extra $10,000 for scoring a perfect 10 from Darren Palmer, making it a $30,000 night for the WA duo.

FINAL SCORES

Britt and Taz 29

Ben and Emma 28.5

Mat and Robby 25

Sonny and Alicia 21.5

Han and Can 20

MISSED AN EPISODE? HERE’S ALL OUR RECAPS SO FAR

Episode 1: Why no NSW applicants were good enough for The Block

Episode 2: The worst day on The Block

Episode 3/4: ‘Tear them off’: teams forced to rip tiles from walls

Episode 5: Judges feedback leaves one contestant vomiting

Episode 6: Dan and Dani’s heartbreak