Influencer Elle Ferguson and her retired AFL star fiancé Joel Patfull have quit the 2022 season of The Block just three days into filming.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the couple made the difficult decision to leave after Joel’s mother Trish fractured her neck during a fall at her home in Adelaide.
The publication reports Trish potentially has also broken her coccyx and fractured her wrist.
Gone: Influencer Elle Ferguson (right) and her retired AFL star fiancé Joel Patfull (left) have quit the 2022 season of The Block just three days into filming. Pictured on day one of filming in rural Victoria last week
While they have yet to officially address their exit, Elle, 36, shared a telling picture of the pair’s suitcases at Melbourne Airport on Monday captioned: ‘Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first.’
She also shared a black-and-white image of her partner Joel, 37, sat with their luggage, as they prepared to catch a flight to Adelaide.
A Channel Nine spokesperson confirmed the pair’s exit to Daily Mail Australia, saying: ‘Over the weekend, we were surprised to have one of our new contestant teams depart The Block a few days into filming for the upcoming season.
Cryptic: While they have yet to officially address their exit, Elle, 36, shared a picture of the pair’s suitcases at Melbourne Airport captioned: ‘Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first’
Telling sign: She also shared a black-and-white image of her partner Joel sat with their luggage as they prepared to catch a flight to Adelaide
‘We wish them all the best for the future and we’re excited to cast two new Aussies for the opportunity of a lifetime on The Block. The Block Tree Change will air as scheduled later this year.’
The couple were seen arriving at the show’s building site in Gisborne, in the Macedon Ranges, on day one of filming on Tuesday.
Joel retired from AFL in 2016 after 220 games for the Brisbane Lions and GWS Giants.
Power couple: Joel retired from AFL in 2016 after 220 games for the Brisbane Lions and GWS Giants. Meanwhile, Elle is the creator of the now-defunct fashion blog They All Hate Us, and recently launched her own spray tan label, the ELLE EFFECT
Meanwhile, Elle is the creator of the now-defunct fashion blog They All Hate Us, and recently launched her own spray tan label, the ELLE EFFECT.
She previously spoke to Body + Soul about her professional ethos, saying she had to work ‘twice as hard’ to prove herself in her career.
‘I think a lot of people judge me as a blonde called Elle, but I also have a university degree, work really hard, and I almost think I’ve had to work twice as hard to prove myself,’ she said.
Speaking out: Elle previously spoke to Body + Soul about her professional ethos, saying she had to work ‘twice as hard’ to prove herself in her career
The new season of The Block is being filmed in the Macedon Ranges, a 40-minute drive from Melbourne.
After years of city renovations, the producers have opted for a ‘tree change’ by having the teams transform homes in rural Victoria.
Now, the teams will each be building a home on 10 acres of land.
‘It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to build a house on 10 acres. Who gets to do that?’ The Block host Scott Cam recently said.
‘The amount of things you can put on that 10 acres! I mean, goodness me, if you’ve got enough money you could put a tennis court down, you could put a big swimming pool in, you could put a pond in, you could put a chook shed in, you could put a veggie garden and a kitchen garden. Who knows?’
The new season of The Block will air on Channel Nine later this year
‘It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to build a house on 10 acres. Who gets to do that?’ The Block host Scott Cam (pictured) recently said