The Block 2020: meet the cast

Season 16 of The Block kicks off on Nine tomorrow.

Harry & Tash
Victoria

Harry and Tash are The Block’s first ever father and daughter renovation duo. Will it prove to be an unbeatable combination? Or will it have them both calling for mum’s help? Harry has renovation experience but he wouldn’t call himself an expert. He has renovated a bungalow as well as the family home. As for Tash, she loves a project and a good spreadsheet, but those things alone don’t build a house.

Harry 57 IT Manager
Harry was born in Cyprus and migrated to Australia at the age of four. He wears his
nationality with pride and his extended family come from far and wide for his traditional gyros on the spit. He lives with his wife Andrea (Tash’s mum) in the suburb next to Brighton. Harry hopes to have a home turf advantage as he knows the area and what the locals like. Harry has worked in IT for 38 years and loves collaborating to make large teams succeed. “When I started with the IT company I work for there were 93,000 of us working there. Now there are only 28,000, but I know how to work as a large team,” he says. “I’m in the corporate area now, looking after big clients.”

Tash, 32 Social Media and Production Management
Tash lives with her partner Brad in the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond and works on social media and production management at a PR agency. Although she hasn’t had any experience on the tools, she won’t be letting that get in her way. “With production management there are so many skills that I think will be great on The Block. I am used to working with tight deadlines and ensuring the job gets done,” she says. Tash describes herself as a very sensitive person and it appears that she is a chip off the old block, saying: “Dad and I are very similar in our nature. A lot of what you see with me, I get it from my Dad.” Tash is comfortable living with Harry as she only moved out of the family home three years ago.

Sarah & George
NSW

These self-proclaimed “mad dogs” from western Sydney are unlike anyone we’ve seen on The Block before. Together for eight years and married for three, they have a relationship built on old-school values and new-school quirk. By just being themselves, these “westies” are ready to light up the competition. Sarah and George have some solid experience. George is a tradie and they have renovated two homes. That might have given them the know-how in spades, but will the added pressure of being on The Block in the thick of it rock them to their foundations?

Sarah, 27 Teacher
Sarah’s husband George sums her qualities up perfectly: always laughing, always smiling and always positive. Sarah, a high school teacher, hopes the experience on The Block could lead her to a different career direction. With an eye for design and lots of creative ideas, perhaps The Block is the perfect sanctuary for her to find out where her passion really lies. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but I am not the same person when I’m teaching. It’s just not the dream,” she says. For a fun-loving person, Sarah admits she can be quite particular and fastidious. In the kitchen her plates are perfectly aligned, the jars are labelled, and all the glasses are spaced out equally, facing just the right way.

George, 33 Electrician
George has worked as an electrician in Sydney for 13 years. But even with that experience he admits a lot of the tradies’ tools on The Block will be quite foreign to him. Sarah describes George as a very funny character, a bit of a nerd, and unlike anyone she has ever met. On and off the worksite George is a kid at heart and a big teddy bear. George hasn’t chosen to collect things like stamps or fine wines throughout his life, opting instead for collecting rare Pokémon cards and owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He plans to make his fellow Sydney westies proud by keeping his bling and his hair fade looking “fully sick” throughout his time on The Block.

Daniel & Jade
South Australia

These hard-working farmers from 250 kilometres north of Adelaide have made four attempts to get on The Block. Now that they’ve finally made it, they are ready to grab The Block by the horns in the hope of changing the future for their family of three young kids. Daniel completed his carpentry trade in his late teens and put the skills to good use on the family farm. Jade is a highly visual person, so when it comes to design she plans on making the executive decisions. This couple have built a solid base of experience though auditioning for The Block time and time again.

Daniel, 35 Farmer / Carpenter
Being a farmer is everything to this true-blue Aussie man on the land who feels more at home on a tractor or working with animals than choosing cushions. He has been gearing up for The Block for a long time, not only by watching the show but by spending over 16 years in the building trade as a chippy. He doesn’t understand why past contestants have ever complained about things, and he is ready to enter the build with a whole lot of confidence. “I’ve watched The Block for years and always think what’s with all these whingers? Kick ’em off, put some real Aussies on,” he urges. Daniel grew up on a farm before spending much of his teen years working on properties across the Outback. The farming life quickly taught Daniel a no-nonsense approach and how to be upfront. He thinks this attitude and straight shooting will help him and wife Jade get on with it and get the job done.

Jade, 34 Hairdresser
Jade works as a hairdresser part-time during the week when she isn’t looking after their three kids. Being on the farm is something that has taken her some getting used to, but with Daniel and the children by her side she has made herself feel right at home. Going into The Block, Jade hasn’t done too much research. After years of being a fan she knows the show can change at the drop of a hat. She says: “I figure it’s like when you have an idea in your head about what dress you want to buy for a wedding, or what pair of shoes you want. You go into that with preconceived images – and it never turns out.” What Jade lacks in experience she makes up for with buckets of enthusiasm, and hopes that will be enough to get her through this mammoth task she has been dreaming of for so long.

Luke & Jasmin
Western Australia

This dynamic Perth duo, married with two young kids, are ready to school the other contestants on how to build the best house on The Block. Luke’s a chippy and Jasmin’s a teacher who knows how to keep the troops in line. They think they might have the perfect mix of skills to be the first West Australian couple to win The Block.

Luke, 35, Carpenter
Luke owns a carpentry business that he started nine years ago. In his job he does a lot of renovations and timber flooring, and with these skills under his tool belt you would think Luke is ticking all the right boxes to succeed on The Block. While he works full-time as a carpenter, Luke’s CV also includes his other successful career – male modelling. “I used to do a lot of fashion stuff when I was younger,” says Luke, who was signed to the premium agency Chadwick Models for several years. “But now it’s mainly commercial. I’ve done shoots in Bali and across Australia, but it’s not my bread and butter.” If he isn’t on the tools or looking after the kids, this Perth local can be caught catching waves on the west coast’s breathtaking beaches.

Jasmin, 36, Teacher
Jasmin is a part-time kindergarten teacher who loves being able to educate and entertain children. Although it’s kindergarten, Jasmine doesn’t let it be all fun and games. She runs a tight ship in the classroom and has no qualms about doing that on The Block too. Luke describes Jasmine as a hard-working, beautiful person and mother, saying he and the family would be lost without her. Jasmin has a very clear idea about what sort of house she wants to build on The Block, but will it all fall in her favour?

Jimmy & Tam
Queensland

These married battlers from Brisbane are ready to give The Block everything they’ve got. They’re ready to bowl over the competition to create a better life for their young daughter. Jimmy is no stranger to a worksite and has been around plenty of renovations with his plumbing work. Whereas Tam doesn’t know what a spanner is. But one thing this couple have in spades is grit and determination.

Jimmy, 33, Plumber
Jimmy is a very experienced plumber. After working his way up in the trade, he now manages large plumbing jobs, but he hasn’t forgotten how to roll his sleeves up and get his hands dirty.
Jimmy has had some experience with full scale renovation. “A mate owned a gym and we renovated that together,” he says. “I also helped with our neighbour’s bathroom, so I think I’ve got a fair idea about what I’m getting into.” Jimmy was previously a cross-fit gymnasium coach and that is where Tam came into his story. Although Jimmy has now taken a step back from his physical training, he hopes he still has the endurance to work non-stop and hard right to the end on The Block.

Tam, 31 Bar Manager
Tam is the bar manager at her local bowlo club and claims to pour the best beer in all of Brisbane. The club has been a major part of her life for as long as she can remember. She grew up there as her mum was a star player, and it was her first place of employment. She even got married to Jimmy at the bowlo! Tam is ready to pack the bowls away and have a crackerjack time on The Block. Tam might spend a lot of time behind the bar pouring schooners, but she still finds time to look stylish on a budget. A self-proclaimed op-shopaholic, Tam with her bright red hair is quite the fashionista and she’s not afraid to show it. She has always had her own unique sense of style and she will be bringing that to the suburb of Brighton as well as the renovation project. But one thing she might struggle with is sleep deprivation. “I need my sleep! I have had a child so I know what sleep deprivation is and I’m not good with it,” she explains.

7pm Sunday on Nine