Just days into The Block, Jolene received a private phone call from her mum that suddenly put everything happening on site into perspective. She was ready to leave the competition and go home — until her mum made a request that changed the way Jolene approached everything that followed.

A phone call Jolene wasn’t prepared for

For Adam and Jolene, appearing on The Block had been a dream years in the making.

The cattle station managers had already applied for the show before finally earning their place in the 2026 season, where they joined four other teams renovating homes in Mount Eliza, Victoria.

But only days after leaving home to begin filming, Jolene received a call that changed the meaning of the experience almost immediately.

“She had phoned me and asked me to be off mic,” Jolene told New Idea.

Her mum, Janelle, needed to tell her something privately.

And once Jolene heard the news, continuing on The Block suddenly became far more difficult.

Her mum’s cancer had returned

Janelle had previously undergone surgery for lung cancer in 2025, which involved having a significant portion of her lung removed.

Her recovery had been slow.

Then, while Jolene was inside what she described as the intense “Block bubble”, Janelle learned that the cancer had returned in multiple places.

She was preparing to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

For Jolene, the news immediately created an almost impossible emotional pull between the opportunity she had waited years for and the person she wanted to be beside.

She was ready to pack up and return home.

Jolene was prepared to walk away

The decision seemed simple to Jolene at first.

Her mum was unwell, and she wanted to be with her.

But Janelle had a very different response.

“You need to stay there and win this thing,” she told her daughter.

It carried particular meaning because Janelle had been one of the biggest reasons Jolene and Adam were on the show in the first place.

A devoted Block viewer herself, she had encouraged the couple to apply even when they doubted whether they could do it.

Now, when Jolene was ready to abandon that dream for her, Janelle was the one telling her not to leave.

Staying did not make things easier

Jolene remained on The Block, but the phone call never simply disappeared into the background.

She admitted it became difficult to stay completely focused because part of her constantly felt pulled towards home.

With the demands of filming and renovating continuing around her, Jolene tried to maintain regular contact with her family, speaking to either her mum or her sister roughly every second day.

It meant that while viewers watched Adam and Jolene deal with budgets, deadlines, room reveals and the pressures of competition, another story was unfolding quietly alongside it.

One visit carried more meaning than viewers realised

Janelle eventually made the trip to Mount Eliza for the show’s family day.

For Jolene, simply having her mum there was deeply significant.

But making the journey was not easy.

Jolene said Janelle was struggling physically and becoming very short of breath, with the visit taking a great deal out of her.

Still, her mum was determined to make the trip.

The moment gave Jolene the chance to reunite with the woman who had encouraged her to stay when she had been ready to leave.

But Janelle won’t be there for the auction

As Adam and Jolene move towards the final chapter of their Block experience, one important person will be missing from the auction.

Janelle has told Jolene that her health means she will not be able to make the trip.

She has completed chemotherapy and radiation, but Jolene explained that further complications connected with immunotherapy have continued, including another recent hospital stay.

Janelle is still undergoing treatment.

She may not be physically beside her daughter when the house finally goes under the hammer, but Jolene has little doubt that her mum will be watching.

The Block came to mean something very different

Adam and Jolene entered The Block as experienced renovators and longtime fans hoping to make the most of an extraordinary opportunity.

They have experienced major highs along the way, including winning Kitchen Week with a standout score.

But for Jolene, the journey also became attached to something much more personal.

Only days after it began, she was faced with a reason to leave.

Instead, the person she wanted to leave for became the person who convinced her to stay.

That difficult phone call did not remove the worry waiting beyond the cameras.

But it gave every week that followed a different meaning — and turned finishing The Block into something Jolene was no longer doing only for herself.

Sources: New Idea, October 5, 2026; additional New Idea reporting on The Block 2026.