Saturday 6 August 2022 07:16 AM The Block quitters Elle and Joel hit back at Nine amid claims the show wasn't ... trends now

Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull's close associates have hit back at Channel Nine after the couple sensationally quit The Block earlier this year.

The couple made national headlines over claims they quit the show after just 48 hours for 'p**s poor' reasons.

Elle, an influencer and tanning entrepreneur, and Joel, a retired AFL player, downed tools in April - just two days into filming - after his mother Trish fractured her neck during a fall at her home.

According to The Daily Telegraph, sources close to the couple say the pair 'believe they have been used to stir up interest in Sunday night's premiere' and claim Nine have 'stretched the truth' surrounding their exit. 

According to the publication, their 'camp' insisted there was more to the story.

'(Nine) need this season to work as there's a lot at stake,' one sourced claimed.

'Elle and Joel were the most high-profile talent on the show and they don't have them any more, so they still need to find a way to incorporate them in their promos.'

They added: 'It's clear what Nine's tactic is and, to be honest, it's working for them.'

Sources hit back at a number of claims about the pair, including that the show wasn't 'on brand' for them. 

Their 'camp' said the pair were avid fans of The Block and 'knew what they were in for' while Elle has an interior design degree. 

Sources also said Joel's mother's injury was more extensive than first thought and that she had bleeding on the brain. 

Sources alleged the pair had a meeting with Block executive producer Julian Cress before leaving the show. 

Another claim refuted by the couple's camp was they fact they found the toilet paper 'too scratchy,'

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