The Block‘s upcoming Mount Eliza auction is already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic in the show’s history, with Woman’s Day learning producers have secretly filmed the all-important auction order weeks ahead of schedule.
Insiders say the decision was made amid concerns about Chantel and Wyatt‘s involvement in the finale.
Why did The Block film the auction order early in 2026?
Following an increasingly strained relationship with the show, sources say the controversial couple are expected to fly into Melbourne for the October 31 auction and leave again as quickly as possible, minimising their involvement with production.
“They’re essentially flying in, doing what they have to do and flying straight back out,” a well-placed insider tells Woman’s Day. “There was genuine concern about how involved Chantel and Wyatt would be by the time everyone returned for the auction, so production wasn’t prepared to take any chances.”
Usually, the auction order provides plenty of last-minute drama, with contestants battling over who goes under the hammer first and who risks being left until last. But this year, that part of the finale is already safely in the can.
“Production filmed it while they still had everyone there,” explains the source. “They wanted to make absolutely certain they had it.”
The stakes are enormous for Chantel and Wyatt. According to the insider, contestants must take part in the auction and fulfil their obligations to production, and the pair have been left in no doubt about what they risk if they don’t return.
“They know they have to be there,” claims the source. “The understanding is that if they simply don’t show up and fulfil their obligations, they could forfeit the money they would otherwise be entitled to make from the house.”
Did Chantel and Wyatt get the auction order they wanted?
While speculation has been swirling that the pair were unhappy with their position, Woman’s Day can reveal that isn’t the case at all. Our source insists they got exactly the spot they asked for.
“There have been people suggesting they’re angry about where they ended up in the auction, but that’s just not true,” says the insider. “They requested their position and they got it. Whatever issues they have with the show, the auction order isn’t one of them.”
Perhaps most interesting is how tightly producers are guarding the result. While the contestants already know where their houses will sit in the order, Woman’s Day understands they’ve been specifically told not to tell their own real estate agents.
“The agents don’t know,” reveals our source. “They haven’t been told the auction order and the contestants have been warned they can’t tell them. It’s being kept incredibly tight.”
Even the reserves remain a mystery to those charged with selling the multi-million-dollar properties. Buyers are currently understood to be received guidance of around $3.6 million to $3.9 million, with insiders expecting the reserves to land somewhere around that territory. However, the final figures haven’t been disclosed to the agents.
“They’re out there trying to get buyers ready for auction day without knowing the two biggest pieces of information. The reserve and when their house will actually go under the hammer,” says the source.
With the auction order capable of having a major impact on the final result, secrecy is paramount. And after a season of feuds, fractured friendships and behind-the-scenes tension, Nine appears determined to make sure nothing derails its blockbuster finale.
The five houses are due to go under the hammer on October 31, with the dramatic results airing the following night, Sunday, November 1.
For Chantel and Wyatt, however, it could be a very short reunion.
“They’ll come back because they have to,” says the source. “But don’t expect them to hang around any longer than necessary.”
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