SHOCKING Outburst: The Block's Steph Ottavio SLAMS 'Absurd' Timeline After $250k Bathroom Week Scandal

Former Block winner Steph Ottavio has questioned bathroom-week judging after the winning room’s execution was, in her view, “probably not hitting the mark”.

The architect rated Courtney and Sev’s bathroom the strongest design of the week, but questioned how execution was being weighed with a $250,000 prize at stake.

Former Block winner Steph Ottavio has questioned how much execution counts after Courtney and Sev’s winning bathroom fell short of the finish she believed its design deserved. Picture: Nine

Her comments followed a reveal where two teams failed to complete their full briefs, underlining the pressure of delivering a functioning bathroom within seven days.

“I think there’s one thing to be said about beautiful design, and then there’s one thing to say about what you’re able to execute within the seven days that you have to renovate,” Ms Ottavio told News Corp Australia.

She said Courtney and Sev had “the most beautifully designed bathroom”, praising its architectural layout, custom joinery, material choices and use of natural light.

Steph and Gian Ottavio recovered from a rocky opening to win The Block 2023, giving Steph first-hand experience of how quickly a troubled build can turn around. Picture: Nine

But Ms Ottavio believed Adam and Jolene, who finished second, appeared to have delivered a more complete result.

“Has The Block moved away from being able to just execute pretty things and getting a good mark because of it?” she said.

“Are we no longer considering the time for execution?”

Steph and Gian parted ways with their original builder in week one of The Block 2023 before recovering to ultimately win the series. Picture: Instagram/stephjoottavio

Ms Ottavio said Courtney and Sev’s design intent was clear, but parts of the finished product showed the pressure of delivering it within the competition’s deadline.

“If you have to live with it, the way that it is today, in terms of execution, it’s probably not hitting the mark,” she said.

“And it’s only because they didn’t have the time to execute it in the way in which they wanted.”

For Ms Ottavio, the difficulty of getting a build team to perform under Block conditions was familiar.

House 1’s family bathroom was among the week’s more complete results, with Steph Ottavio believing Adam and Jolene delivered a stronger level of execution. Picture: Dylan James Lark

Adam and Jolene finished second in family bathroom week, with Steph Ottavio pointing to their execution as a counterpoint to the winning room’s stronger design. Picture: Nine

She and husband Gian ultimately won The Block in 2023 after parting ways with their original builder during the opening week of their season.

“I remember when we had to sack our builder week one,” she said.

Ms Ottavio said their original trade team had struggled collectively to deliver at the speed and standard required by the competition.

Tayla and Rick were among two teams that failed to complete their full bathroom brief during a week carrying a $250,000 prize. Picture: Nine

Rick and Tayla’s bathroom was one of two incomplete briefs, sharpening the question of what contestants can realistically execute within The Block’s seven-day deadline. Picture: Nine

“We all couldn’t execute and get it together to the standard that The Block needed,” she said.

She said tradespeople would not normally be expected to turn a framed room into a finished, functioning bathroom within seven days.

“Very, very absurd,” Ms Ottavio said.

For contestants, she said the consequences of one slip-up could extend well beyond a room score and ultimately threaten their chances of winning.

Major prizes attached to individual reveals could also shape the rest of a team’s build.

House 5 formed part of a bathroom week where execution became a major talking point, with two teams unable to complete their full briefs. Picture: Dylan James Lark

“It is the fact that there was this $250,000 kitchen upgrade,” Ms Ottavio said.

“It’s what that then means.”

She also praised the placement of the fixed skylight above Courtney and Sev’s vanity.

“The skylight over their vanity is brilliant from a lighting perspective,” Ms Ottavio said.

“I think they’ve really nailed the placement of the skylight.”

Courtney and Sev won family bathroom week and its $250,000 prize, although Steph Ottavio said parts of the finished execution were “probably not hitting the mark”. Picture: Nine

Builder and Velux skylight expert Carl Swanson backed Courtney and Sev’s victory despite Ms Ottavio’s concerns about parts of the execution.

He said changes to the skylight configuration had made the bathroom appear significantly larger and brighter.

“They incorporated a huge linear skylight and deleted two smaller skylights, which made the room look so much bigger,

House 4 was Steph Ottavio’s pick for the week’s strongest design, with its architectural layout, custom joinery and material choices among the features she praised. Picture: Dylan James Lark

Block 2023 winner Steph Ottavio praised House 4’s skylight placement for flooding the vanity with natural light, while questioning whether every element had been fully executed within seven days. Picture: Dylan James Lark

brighter and flooded it with natural light,” Mr Swanson said.

On Lisa and Rosco’s result, Mr Swanson said planning and trade sequencing were critical.

“It probably more revolves back to planning or failing to plan,” he said.

“No one plans to fail, but they just have to get it in order.”

Rosco and Lisa’s bathroom week unravelled after problems with their tiling, illustrating the consequences Steph Ottavio says can flow from one setback on The Block. Picture: Nine

Lisa and Rosco were left with two unfinished spaces after their tiling had to be removed during a bathroom week carrying a $250,000 prize. Picture: Nine

Bathrooms were particularly difficult because electricians, plumbers, plasterers, tilers and other trades all had to work within the same confined space at different stages of the build.

“A bathroom involves most of our trades,” Mr Swanson said.

“We all have to work together as a team in a very small space.”

He said contestants needed to lean heavily on their builder during bathroom, kitchen and living weeks, when the number of trades and moving parts increased.

Mr Swanson said future contestants should choose builders who understood the competition’s unusual timelines and expectations as well as having the technical ability to deliver.

“You don’t get eight days, you only get seven.”