Rick, 63, and Tayla, 32, are heading into The Block 2026 as a father-daughter duo with energy to burn and a shared dream that’s been years in the making.
“It is a dream I have wanted for so long. I have watched every episode, I just love it,” Rick says of finally landing a spot on the show after applying many times over the years – including once with Tayla’s twin sister, Shannen.
Meet The Block‘s Rick and Tayla
Rick is a builder through and through. Born in Mauritius, he moved to Melbourne with his family at just two years old, and started his apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner at 15. Since then, he’s built more than 100 residential properties.
“I love the satisfaction it brings to the owner once it is finished. I love what I do,” he says. Rick is now looking to make the move into project management – something he hopes The Block will help fast-track.
He’s also faced two cancer diagnoses, both of which he’s recovered from, and it’s a big part of why he applied for the show. Spending three months building alongside his daughter is high on his bucket list. “That would be amazing,” he says.
Meanwhile, Tayla is a personal trainer and business owner running women’s-only group training sessions, and she also specialises in eyebrow tattooing, waxing and laminating. She’s a mum to six-year-old son Hendrix, who she co-parents with her ex-husband, and says the show is ultimately for him.
“I am doing this for him, for our future. So I know it is all going to be worth it,” she says.
While Tayla has picked up plenty of renovation know-how over the years, she credits her dad as the one who taught her everything she knows.
Rick is married to wife Michelle, with the pair set to celebrate 40 years together later this year. Along with Tayla and her twin sister Shannen, they round out a family that now includes two grandchildren.
Rick and Tayla’s The Block journey
Off the tools, Rick and Tayla have plenty in common – dancing, rollerblading and a shared love of a big night out among them. Rick’s even a former professional roller skater.
On site, the roles are already clear. Rick will run the build and stay hands-on with the tools while Tayla takes charge of design, shopping and styling – leaning on her father’s decades of building experience as their biggest advantage.
But it’s their contrasting energy that could be the real secret weapon. Rick brings a calm head for dealing with people, while Tayla is a firecracker.
“Being a personal trainer, I feel I have motivation, determination and power to help push us through,” she says.
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