BL OCK S HOCK WHO GETS ARRESTED?
POLICE RAID THE SET AFTER THEFT CRISIS EXPLODES
They may be tipped as favourites to take out The Block, but for Jess and Norm that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing. This week, the Queensland couple are shocked to the core when the police turn up on site.
While it could have been Norm’s streaking that caused complaints to be lodged with St Kilda’s finest, the police were actually there on a much more serious note – credit card fraud. The couple were completely baffled to learn people they trusted had been arrested over theft and misuse of their show credit card earlier in the season.
“When we found out that someone inside The Block build had taken our credit card, we were just devastated,” Jess, 33, reveals. “We had sung happy birthday to them and gave them food and drinks – we couldn’t believe it.”
“It was a massive shock to everyone.” Norm, 40, agrees when they found out it was two of the tradies from The Gatwick that had been arrested. Despite the tradies not being on any of the contestants’ builds, everyone had felt like a family during the show.
“We were hoping that the credit card had been thrown in the bin by mistake and someone from outside the show had taken it,” Jess admits. “But they were caught on CCTV.”
Nine explain further in this statement: “Two labourers on The Block site were arrested for stealing Norm and Jess’ credit card. One culprit was convicted of theft and credit card fraud and was deported. The other was released. Suncorp refunded all of Norm and Jess’ missing money. They weren’t employed directly by Norm and Jess, they were just working on the site.”
With that worry behind them, they got on with completing their final room and redoing the living room – which led to a little bet that went wrong for Norm.
“I said to Keith, if I get the marble slab up in one piece, I will run nude down Fitzroy Street backwards,” Norm recalls. “However, my little mate Jess and my other mate Keith, teamed up together and did reverse psychology, convincing me I was wrong and had to do it when I broke the slab!”
It didn’t take much to sway Norm he had a bet to fulfil. “I went to the bedroom, got nude and put a cup over my doodle and ran straight through the apartment. Keith thought I’d get locked up if I actually went out onto the street,” Norm reveals.
Jess was surprised at how much hilarity it caused. “Keith loved it,” she says. “He said ‘I’ve been here for 10 years and the greatest thing that’s ever happened was Norm taking off his clothes!!’ He thought it was the greatest thing ever that had happened on The Block.”