The Block contestants are under tight deadlines, so the last thing they need is anything holding them up. But a discovery Monday night forced one couple to drop everything.

During the renovation of their master bedroom, Tom Calleja found a suspicious substance that he knew shouldn’t be messed with.

WATCH BELOW: The Block star Sarah-Jane slams social influencers

“As soon as I saw it, I'm like, ‘Oh god, here we go, more delays’,” Tom said.

Tom's suspicions were confirmed as The Block crew identified the substance as asbestos. 

This meant he and wife Sara-Jane Wilson had to abandon the site immediately while an expert crew cleaned it out.

Tom found asbestos under the fireplace

It’s the last thing the couple needs as they rush to complete their master bedroom before the reveal at the end of the week.

However, site foreman Dan Reilly said Tom did the right thing letting the crew know about the substance.

“In this location, under the fireplace and used as formwork, it's very hard to locate. That's why we didn't find it,” Dan explained.

“Tom's done the right thing in alerting us.”

READ NEXT: All the room reveals from The Block 2022.

Despite the frustrating setback, the couple agreed with the move.

“They shut our house down, and rightfully so. Asbestos is very dangerous,” Tom said.

Sarah-Jane and Tom are under the pump to finish their master bedroom

It’s the second time crew members have had to pause construction after contestants Joel and Elle shocked the cast by leaving hours after filming began. 

Sarah-Jane had expressed her reservations about the couple the moment they arrived on the set and was not surprised by their behaviour.

“Social influencers … Some I respect obviously. Some make a huge career out of it! ... But people who just go on shows to [boost their] social media, I don’t have time for that s**t.,” Sarah-Jane complained

“Like, go get a real f**king job mate, don’t waste my time,” she said.

The cast was able to restart filming when Syndey couple Rachel and Ryan Carr were called in as replacements.

WATCH BELOW: Sarah-Jane meets the new Block couple Ryan and Rachel

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