For most couples, a proposal is a private moment or something they might just share with family and friends. That was never going to happen with Ricky Recard and Erin Lee, the pair who met in front of the cameras of renovation reality series The Block and are now sharing their life together in a new on-screen project.
“We met while the cameras were rolling, we’ve been living in front of cameras since… so it made sense that I should pop the question in front of a camera too,” says Ricky, 37.
And to him, “sense” meant dropping his towel while filming the final scene of the couple’s newest TV renovation journey to show off a bright pink pair of budgie smugglers with, “Will you [a picture of a ring]?” printed across his backside.
Surprise timing
“Sure, it might have been more romantic sailing on a yacht off the coast of Italy,” Ricky tells Woman’s Day, “but I’ve always said time is too limited to waste so don’t wait for the perfect time for anything. The perfect time is right now!”
“It was a total surprise!” Erin, 42, says. “I didn’t know what he was doing, particularly since we were talking about proposals one day, nothing serious, just chatting away and I said, “Just don’t do it while we’re filming! So I was stunned and I didn’t know what to say!”
Fortunately, her answer was an enthusiastic “Yes!” and another chapter in the couple’s unique love story began.
The two met when Ricky and his best mate Haydn Wise were contestants on The Block in 2024 and Erin was the makeup artist whose job it was to make him look presentable every week after long days of construction.
Both were at the end of relationships, and although nothing happened at first, they both felt a definite spark.
“After The Block, Ricky headed to Mexico for a break, but he was FaceTiming me constantly – it was like I was on holiday with him,” Erin says.
“He even propped up the phone at a bar and bought me a margarita!”
Love story
It didn’t take long for both of them to realise they were falling in love.
“When I came home, we caught up and once we were both free, we started dating,” Ricky adds. “And we haven’t been apart since!”
It all led to a decision in late 2025 to buy a house together on Victoria’s Phillip Island, renovate it into their dream home and film the process.
“Again, that’s something that seemed like a great idea at the time,” Ricky laughs.
The plan was to rebuild the inside of the existing beachside home and drop a tiny home made from two 12-metre shipping containers into the backyard as a self-contained granny flat for the couple and Erin’s two children to enjoy.
“We decided to live on site during the reno and film it all, and of course anything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Ricky says. “I thought it could be done in 12 weeks but we blew past that to 20 weeks. And the budget? Don’t ask.”
Never boring
By the end, Ricky realised if their relationship could survive the pressures of living in the middle of a renovation, he’d found the love of his life.
“When you know, you know,” Ricky says. “So, with no budget left for a big gesture like that trip to somewhere romantic, I did what any bloke would do and got a proposal printed across my bum!”
Then with Haydn and his family watching, he asked his big question, “Will you be my container wife?”
“It was a classic Ricky move,” Erin laughs, one that caught even the film crew by surprise, with the big moment now part of their new series Container Builds, which dropped on YouTube this month.
While it’ll be hard to top, the pair are looking forward to seeing where the project takes them next, with a second season already in planning.
“It’s been a lot, but we did it!” Erin says. “We’ve already been through so much more in two years than most couples face in a lot longer… So whatever’s coming, bring it on!”
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