Leah’s last week on The Block is her lowest after her dog passes away

I’s the final week on The Block, but what should be an exciting push to the finish line for Leah is cruelly snatched away by heartbreaking news from home.

When Leah and Ash receive a call to tell them the family dog Ollie has died, they’re dismayed when they get “little sympathy” from the other contestants.

“When you’re dealing with something horrific, you’d think that all swords would be put down and the petty crap pushed to the side,” Leah, 31, tells TV WEEK. “I thought everyone would be the bigger person and rally around us, but they didn’t.”

Ever since the couple questioned how Kyle and Leslie could afford their extravagant back garden in Pool And Landscaping Week and threatened an audit, Leah has felt a shift that has seen her and Ash isolated by the other teams.

“I’ve never felt more alone,” she says. “Everyone turned on us so quickly after that.”

As Kyle and Leslie have little of their budget left for Front Garden Week, they’re forced to get creative to earn some quick cash so they can deliver a finished yard for the judges.

With a gnome up their sleeves, they look to sell it to the most cashed-up Blockheads, Steph and Gian. And with a coveted Ford Mustang part of the prize this week, Kyle and Leslie are motivated to make sure their new enemies have less chance of winning.

“I thought us losing our dog would have given everyone real-life perspective and they wouldn’t game-play so much in that week,” Leah says. “Steph and Gian bought the gnome – and that’s a totally fine gameplay – but hiding it from us? That’s dirty.”

When the contestants agree to not tell Leah and Ash about the gnome, Leah says it felt like they were all “relishing her pain”.

“We felt betrayed by every single contestant, especially the girls [sisters Eliza and Liberty],” Leah declares. “It was a really heartbreaking and disappointing way to finish The Block.”

With so much on the line, which team will win the final challenge of the season?