The Block host Scott Cam has come under fire from contestants Mitch and Mark over comments they believed to be “inappropriate and offensive”.
On last night’s show, Cam referred to the couple’s living room as a “party room”, which prompted swift backlash from the two contestants.
Delivering the judges’ feedback to contestants Matt and Elise, Cam said the judges noted the couple had placed their second master bedroom on level two “considering the party room on top of Mitch and Mark’s house”.
Cam continued to say the other team had changed their design plans to “get away from the noisy people in [Mark and Mitch’s] place,” before Mark quickly interjected.
“There’s no noisy people. People need to cope with the fact that there are multiple living spaces in all metropolitan homes and they need to actually step away from it because they have no idea.
“It is a living space as any house in any suburban part of Australia has. And if they’re making a judgment about us – because they’ve often said, ‘People like us’ – I need to understand what does that mean? Are you judging us?”
Cam replied by saying he didn’t believe the judges were making a call about the couple personally, but rather a “judgment about having an entertainment space next to a master bedroom.”
A fiery exchange between Cam and Mitch and Mark quickly erupted, with Mark telling Cam: “You need to step away from that.”
Cam rebuffed: “I don’t need to step away from nothing, mate. I’m the one reading the feedback. I don’t think it’s wrong, but anyway.”
Social media users were quick to take to Twitter to discuss the confrontation, with many suggesting the couple deserved an apology for what some viewed as homophobic remarks.
Good on Mitch & Mark calling out the homophobia on #TheBlock & @ScottyCam9
— Sasha Cunningham (@sashac) September 8, 2019
The blatant homophobia on The Block is getting a little too much and a little too frequent. Quite disappointing. #theblock #theblockAU pic.twitter.com/evxrcYZhL0
— TL (@TroyLester) September 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/mattnewman_au/status/1170641813549408256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1170641813549408256&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fentertainment%2Ftv%2Freality-tv%2Fare-you-judging-us-mitch-and-mark-launch-fiery-tirade-at-scott-cam%2Fnews-story%2F7646f950bb3b38e6292e6742bf577048
In a camera interview later, Mitch said he found Cam’s comments “inappropriate and offensive” but that he’d “rather just leave it alone totally.”
Mitch also claimed Cam has made similar remarks before.
“Scott Cam has said to me, ‘This is a party house, for people like … us’.”
“I don’t know what he means. Is he making a judgmental about gay people? That because of our age, and that we’re gay, that we’re going to be partying? If he’s making a judgment like that, when he doesn’t know who we are, then that’s a homophobic comment,” he concluded.
However, Mitch and Mark had previously called their house an “entertainers home” with Mitch adding, “party party party”.
