Suzi Taylor, at left, with her fellow Block contestant Yvonne Cosier. Photo / Channel 9
Suzi Taylor, at left, with her fellow Block contestant Yvonne Cosier. Photo / Channel 9
A contestant who appeared on the 2015 season of The Block Australia will appear in court today after being charged with extorting her Tinder date and holding him against his will.
Suzi Taylor, who won $349,000 (NZ$374,000) with friend Yvonne Cosier in season 11 of Nine's hit reality series, isaccused of luring her victim via Tinder and then allegedly assaulting him for money, in what is known as "honey potting."
Queensland Police said a 33-year-old man attended a home in the riverside suburb of New Farm, Brisbane just after midnight on October 30 after allegedly meeting with Taylor, 49, reports news.com.au.
She allegedly demanded money from him a short time later.
"When the man didn't comply, another man allegedly entered the room and assaulted the 33-year-old man and held him against his will," police said in a statement overnight.
"The woman also allegedly assaulted the man before the pair forced the man to undertake an online transaction.
"The pair then allegedly stole his bank card and withdrew a sum of money."
Taylor and the other man, who police said is 22, have both been charged with one count each of extortion with intent to gain benefit with threat of detriment, deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm and possessing dangerous drugs.
They are both due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today. The 49-year-old is listed under her full name Suellen Jan Taylor. During her time on The Block, Taylor was at the centre of a nude photo scandal when a passer-by took explicit photos of her posing on top of a boat in Melbourne's Docklands.
Taylor's 1991 Penthouse cover. Photo / Supplied
The former Penthouse cover model was then discovered unconscious on the set of The Block four days later during the open for inspections and had to be taken to hospital where she was later found to be suffering a severe anxiety attack.
"They've said she collapsed from 'exhaustion', but the exhaustion was also the result of non-stop partying throughout the Spring Racing Carnival," a source told Woman's Day at the time.
"If I've caused anyone any embarrassment, I totally regret it," Taylor said on The Block at the time. "I've had a lot of personal issues in my life which I suppose a lot of people do... I'm on the road to recovery and thank you so much for supporting me."
In 2016 Taylor's Block teammate Cosier revealed the pair had not spoken since the show finished, saying they "don't have that much in common."
