Returning: The Block

The Block: Triple Threat begins later this month with nine teams competing for just four places in a rundown South Yarra apartment building.

Six new teams will battle for three places on The Block, while three returning “All Stars” will compete for just one spot.

Nine premieres the series with an extended episode at 7:30pm Tuesday January 27, some 2 weeks before the start of official ratings.

Joining host Scott Cam are Shelley Craft,  judges Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, foreman Keith Schleiger and new ‘foreboy,’ former contestant, Dan Reilly.

“We are on Darling Street, South Yarra, in inner city Melbourne. The folks here live in one of the most aspirational parts of the city. This Block is a once in a lifetime opportunity and this new batch of contestants will have to work harder than anyone we have ever seen just to make it through.

“If they are lucky to make it through all that hard work they will have to lift to the next level to produce apartments for auction. I think we have learnt there is no such thing as easy money on The Block. It’s a competition to produce an apartment where you get to keep anything made over reserve and the team who makes the most over reserve pockets the $100,000 grand prize. That’s The Block. It will never be easy.

“Our Triple Threat All Stars have been here before. They know it’s a buyer’s market and what it takes to get to auction day. Our ‘newbies’ will need to go above and beyond to produce apartments that are glamorous, functional, and deliver a little unexpected magic that buyers in South Yarra expect.”

There’s quite a bit of renovation and design experience among our new Blockheads, with one team having a lot of big ideas, but zero experience. The first week of eliminations with the six new teams will show if experience counts.

The six “newbies” will be challenged with producing a bedroom in just 24 hours to survive instant elimination. The remaining five will then have two days to produce a living/dining area before another is eliminated. Then four teams will have three days to produce a bathroom before we are left with the three triumphant teams who will move into The Block.

The three successful new couples will then go head-to-head with three seasoned Blockhead teams chosen from past series. But the heat will be on the All Stars, as only one of their teams will survive the first week.

The Block Glasshouse auctions last year proved once again that The Block is the ultimate reality show. Until the hammer comes down no one knows which way it is going to go. For now the new contestants and returning All Stars will need to take it one room at a time before the big day.

Our new couples are:

Ebony (23) and Luke (28) – Busselton, WA
Siblings
Ebony is an Interior Designer and Luke is a Carpenter

Jess (31) and Ayden (30) – Gold Coast, QLD
Have known each other for 9 years, married 2008
Jess is a Sales Manager and Adyen is Cabinet Maker.
They have two children – Daughter Josie (5), Son Thomas (2)

Josh (25) and Charlotte (25) – Sydney, NSW
Dating for 5 years
Josh is a Chippy and Charlotte is a Food Stylist

Tim (40) and Anastasia (38) – Adelaide, SA
Together for 5 years, married for 4
Tim is a General Manager and Anastasia an Operations Manager
Tim – Sons, Seth (11) and Ethan (8)
Anastasia – Daughter, Taylor (12)

Brooke (21) and Aimee (27) – Melbourne, VIC
Cousins
Brooke is a Mum and Aimee is a 000 Call Operator
Brooke has a daughter, Lacey (9 months)

Jess (27) and Mark (35) – Sydney, NSW
Engaged, together for 4 years
Jess is a Property Developer and Mark a Structural Landscaper

Our returning All Stars are:

Bec (28) and George (30) – Melbourne, VIC
Together 12 years, married 5 years
Bec is a blogger and George is a bricklayer

Matt (34) and Kim (33) – Perth, WA
Together 6 years, married 1, friends for 16
Matt is an Architecture Student and Kim is a Primary School Teacher

Deanne (43) and Darren (33) – Melbourne, VIC
Together 11 years, married 9
Darren is a former AFL Footballer/Chippy and Deanne is a mother
They have two daughters – Scarlett (8) and Lily (6)

Just off busy Toorak Road in South Yarra, the 1357 sq m apartment block at 27 Darling Street is a solid, unappealing brick box built in the 1970s. Its glory days are definitely behind it and the faded star is in desperate need of a Block facelift. Teams will be set the daunting task of transforming what were once three units into one, huge, luxury, three-storey apartment.

Since it began in 2003, The Block has been a ratings juggernaut. The grand finale of The Block Glasshouse last October was watched by a massive average national audience of 3.632 million and an incredible $8,936,501 in prize money has been won since it began.