Melbourne’s Hampton East welcomes the return of the iconic renovation show, THE BLOCK. This new season features five fresh couples from all over Australia, ready to embark on a life-changing adventure.
The familiar face of host Scott Cam is back to introduce the new contestants: Eliza and Liberty, the sister duo from Victoria, Leah and Ash, a married couple from Queensland with three children, Kyle and Leslie, another married couple from Western Australia with two children, Kristy and Brett, the married South Australians, and finally, New South Wales’ childhood sweethearts turned married couple, Steph and Gian.
In an unprecedented move, Scott presents the Blockheads with the architectural renders of the five houses located on Charming St. The couples, amazed by the grandeur of the plans, question the feasibility of building these houses within the stringent three-month timeframe.
Venturing to Charming St, the contestants inspect the 1950s post-war houses set to be transformed into world-class homes. To decide their renovation subjects, the contestants face their first challenge – the House Decider. Tasked to create a children’s room themed around a Disney+ character in just 48 hours, they also meet their builders, all of whom are new to THE BLOCK this year.
The contestants quickly understand that THE BLOCK is no child’s play. Navigating the first week’s challenges, they grapple with a $5000 budget, making quick shopping decisions, and managing trades, all while familiarising themselves with their builders.
Hints of tension appear when Leah visits Steph and Gian’s house to borrow gap filler and gets caught sneaking around by Steph. This incident may be a sign of future rivalry.
Scott takes a tour to meet the contestants and notices the sisters, Eliza and Liberty, brought an unusually large number of suitcases to THE BLOCK, despite residing nearby in Melbourne. He also casts doubt on Steph and Gian’s design, remarking that their kids’ room resembles more an adult’s hotel room for a fun weekend away.
After an intense start, the contestants finish the House Decider challenge, visibly exhausted. The judging panel, consisting of Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze, and Darren Palmer, arrives, with Neale informing his colleagues that he won’t be available every week this season. The judging begins, and the results are mixed.
Steph and Gian, having spent $4972, face criticism for missing the brief by designing an adult-centric room. Kristy and Brett, also with a $4972 expenditure, impress with their creativity but could have pushed further according to the judges. Kyle and Leslie, having spent $4925, are praised for their efforts, but their styling is found lacking.
Leah and Ash nail the brief, spending $4992 on their room featuring handmade bunk beds. Lastly, Eliza and Liberty, the renovation novices, spend $4904 and receive fair comments for a well-executed room that needed more layers.
As episode one wraps up, Scott commends the Blockheads for their efforts. The winner of the first challenge is Leah and Ash. The anticipation builds for the next episode when we will find out which house each couple chooses.
