The Block 2025 Episode 44 recap: Taz and Britt have reached breaking point

Excited grandmothers? Check. A gender reveal? Check. Bumping and grinding on a stripper pole? Believe it or not, also a check.

A baby shower thrown for expectant contestants Emma and Ben and past winners, Steph and Gian, had a few surprises thrown in for good measure (including Emma giving her guests an acrobatic and aerodynamic performance on the pole as well as a few lessons).

Emma and Ben were elated to have their mums by their sides to mark the special occasion.

They were also happy to share their big day with Steph and Gian, who are also awaiting the birth of their first child.

Unlike Emma and Ben, who already know their child is a boy, Steph and Gian hadn’t yet learned the sex of their baby.

And so, host Shelley Craft organised for them to find out by popping a large helium balloon filled with coloured confetti.

Steph was shocked when beige-coloured confetti rained down instead of the usual pink or blue. It was just a little joke in reference to her love of all things neutral.

When the real reveal was done, she discovered it’s a girl! Happy days.

It was a much-needed bright spot for Emma and Ben who have had to face one disaster after another with their landscape and cellar plans. The drama had even managed to wipe the smiles off their faces.

And they weren’t the only ones in a slump.

How much Block winners won and losers lost

How much Foreman Dan is paid for The Block

It’s all too much for Can.

Can appeared to have given up on her pledge to have fun in the last two weeks.

And when judge Shaynna Blaze joined Shelley and Scott Cam on their weekly walk through, she got Can offside by telling her how tired she looked.

Storm clouds have gathered over Can’s head – figuratively and literally – as she’s dealt with mounting bills and Han’s steadfast refusal to keep things simple.

Conversely Han has become Little Miss Sunshine since her dad Lee arrived to lend a hand. She even got involved in helping Foreman Dan pull a prank on her old man.

A proud Han declared her dad “fricking incredible. There’s nothing he can’t do.”

Seeing Han so happy and relaxed only seemed to add to Can’s stress.

“She’s obviously not feeling great,” Han shrugged of her downcast partner. “She’s stressed. So, she’s biting me.”

Adding fuel to Can’s fire was host Scott Cam naming Lee the hardest worker on site.

Instead of rejoicing that Lee’s victory would score them five free trees, Can was annoyed that her own efforts weren’t being recognised.

Han’s dad Lee wins hardest worker award.

“He’s only been here two days. I have done 83 days in this insane asylum and I have gotten no reward,” she said through gritted teeth while rolling her eyes.

Lee has been a big help to the girls. Not only has he helped Han lighten up, he also identified issues with their pool tiling.

Turns out the girls’ paving tiles were thinner than those edging the pool. To make sure they lined up evenly, they would have to do additional layers of glue under the pavers to build bulk. The labour-intensive process, put the girls even further behind.

To help them have any chance at finishing, Foreman Dan called in the Cursio brothers.

Tearful Taz is at a low ebb.

The Cursio cavalry were also called in to help Britt and Taz with their chimney dramas.

Despite submitting detailed plans in week three and building their chimney a week before landscaping officially got underway, Dan had only just let Taz and Britt know it wasn’t up to code.

And increasing its height to make it compliant would only make it structurally unsound.

The only solution was to build a tall and ugly flue or knock the whole thing down. Britt and Taz elected to go with the flue and hope for the best. But they weren’t happy.

A tearful Taz moaned: “Just to hit a hurdle as big as this one on a Thursday is really testing me.”

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

Episode 7: The big problem with the Block house designs

Episode 8: Robby and Mat’s drunken blunder

Episode 9: ‘An up-market nursing home’

Episode 10: Can faces the wrath of Han

Episode 11: Han micromanaging from her sick bed