The dark side of The Block: Former contestant reveals how much they really get paid and slams the show’s aftercare – after Jesse and Paige’s exit amid mental health concerns

A former star of The Block has opened up about what it’s really like to appear on the show and how much the stars actually get paid.

Ash Milton appeared in the 2023 series with wife Leah and has now delivered a scathing verdict on his entry into Channel Nine’s renovation competition.

The 39-year-old construction company owner said he and Leah were each paid $100 a day to participate in the program.

Appears on Triple M Breakfast with Marto, Margaux and Dan, Ash shared: ‘I’m still under contract. I don’t know how much I can say, but it’s probably a matter of public record.

“But you get a little bit of pocket money per day. I think it was about $100 per person per day, which is not bad.

“But you still have to run a household. I mean, I basically closed my entire business while I was there. You know what I mean? And then after the show, you had to start over again.”

The owner of the Milton Project then provided insight into the intensive filming process, sharing that their microphones were on from 5:30am in the morning until the evening, sometimes even until 2am the next day during Saturday shifts.

Ash also claimed they received little support from Nine after the show, as he reflected on the mounting pressure on the show following the shock departures of Jesse Maguire and Paige Beechey.

“Last year, just over 12 months ago, we were there and the support after Block is not great,” he claimed.

‘My wife is seeing someone now and she’s doing well, but it took a while to find someone she could talk to comfortably. But yeah, there wasn’t a lot of help or support after the surgery, sorry.’

Ash then gave his candid opinion on the sudden departure of 2024 stars Jesse and Paige from the competition after they decided to quit following a series of arguments.

The controversial engaged couple, who were dubbed the “villains” this season, resigned Monday after producers had to intervene during an explosive disagreement between the two.

Ash said of the controversy that it is “difficult” to maintain your relationship under immense pressure, and expressed his support for the couple.

He also stressed that there were also tense arguments behind the scenes during the 2023 season, but that these were never televised.

“It’s hard to keep your relationship going when you’re under so much pressure. You have to be a solid unit when you start,” he said. “I think the other thing is, is [Jesse and Paige are] relatively new in their relationship, newly engaged.

“You know, they’ve probably never been put under this kind of pressure before. So, I mean, even if her mental health was a factor here, which we’re not allowed to comment on, you know, she’s probably never been through anything like this to know how you deal with it or not.

‘Leah and I went there as a solid unit when we did our season last year. But we heard that bickering earlier, during our season, that happened at my neighbor’s house, but it was never shown.

“So it’s on there and it’s happening, but it’s how it wants to be broadcast. It’s how they edit it.”

On Monday night, Jesse and Paige pulled out of the reality TV competition in a shocking decision, citing mental stress after the difficult weeks they had endured.

After an explosive argument, pProducers advised the couple to seek professional help, which led to them deciding to leave the show.

61-year-old presenter Scott Cam broke his silence on their departure and revealed Producers had a “duty of care” towards the couple and denied rumours they were “forced” to leave the show.

“We’ve always said we’re not doing anything major here, we’re just renovating,” Scott said in the video.

‘Health, wellbeing, happiness, are always at the forefront of The Block. We always make sure that the wellbeing of the participants is number one.’

“They made the decision themselves – we didn’t force them. They made the decision themselves that they wanted to go home,” he continued.

“We followed up the problem with professional care in their home state for as long as necessary.”

The engaged couple were caught arguing off-camera on Monday’s episode, but their microphones were still on.

Paige questioned her relationship with Jesse, saying, “We don’t exist.”

She angrily added, “I don’t give a damn how you feel, sort it out yourself,” before threatening to leave the show.

By 11:30 p.m. that night, their argument was so loud that it could be heard throughout the Block grounds.

At that point, executive producer Justin Sturzaker weighed in, noting that the couple had had heated arguments in the past.

“It seems like a relationship that’s getting pretty bad. Your neighbors can hear you, you know?” he told them.

Sturzaker then suggested that Paige and Jesse talk to the show’s psychologists.

“You don’t have to tell Jesse all your stuff. We have to get other people to talk to you, where you have to make a big decision,” he said.

The duo did so last weekend and announced on Monday that they had decided to leave the series.

Paige said the past week had been a “cry for help”, adding: “It was like a black hole in my head.”

Host Scott Cam wished them well, saying: “We think you should go somewhere far away from here so you can take care of yourselves.”