The Block is an Australian reality television series broadcast on the Nine Network. The series follows four or five couples as they compete against each other to renovate and style houses/apartments and sell them at auction for the highest price.

The original series first ran for two consecutive seasons in 2003 and 2004, and was originally hosted by Jamie Durie.

The Nine Network revived The Block after a six-year absence, with a third season commenced airing on 22 September 2010, this time hosted by television personality and builder Scott Cam. Shelley Craft joined as co-host from the fourth season.

The Block has a large number of commercial sponsors and prominently features brand sponsorships regularly throughout episodes.

Format

The original format of the series featured four couples with a prior relationship renovating a derelict apartment block in the Sydney suburb of Bondi, with each couple renovating a separate apartment over a period of 12 weeks and with a budget of A$40,000. The apartments were then sold at auction, with each couple keeping any profit made above a set reserve price and the couple with the highest profit winning a A$100,000 prize. The current format is relatively the same except the series usually features five couples, it is mainly based in Melbourne suburbs and the budget is $100,000+.

The first season was filmed at Bondi and the second at Manly. The third season again took place in Sydney, in the suburb of Vaucluse. Moving to Victoria, the fourth season was filmed in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria on Cameron Street. Breaking with tradition, season four was filmed in four side-by-side houses as opposed to an apartment block of four. Season four saw television personality Shelley Craft join Scott Cam in hosting the show.

Season five began airing in April 2012. As with season four, season five has retained the four separate houses format, as opposed to four apartments in a single apartment block as in earlier seasons. Season five is again set in Melbourne, on Dorcas Street, and is set in four adjacent multi-storey town houses. Season six returned to Sydney, in Bondi, for the tenth anniversary. The program has remained in Melbourne since season seven.

The first three seasons of The Block aired once weekly for 13, 26 and 9 weeks respectively.The Block | TV Shows Online | ninemsn Video. Catchup.ninemsn.com.au.The Block | TV Shows Online | ninemsn Video. Catchup.ninemsn.com.au.The Block | TV Shows Online | ninemsn Video. Catchup.ninemsn.com.au. Since season four, the program has aired across multiple nights per week.The Block | TV Shows Online | ninemsn Video. Catchup.ninemsn.com.au.The Block | TV Shows Online | ninemsn Video. Catchup.ninemsn.com.au.

Hosts and judges + Timeline of hosts, judges and other personnel Starring Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Hosts Jamie Durie colspan="2" colspan="20" Scott Cam colspan="2" colspan="20" Shelley Craft colspan="3" colspan="19" Judges John McGrath colspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="3" colspan="8" Neale Whitaker colspan="2" colspan="16" colspan="4" Shaynna Blaze colspan="4" colspan="18" Darren Palmer colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="17" Marty Fox colspan="15" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="4" Foremen Keith Schleiger colspan="3" colspan="16" colspan="1" colspan="2" Dan Reilly colspan="4" colspan="2" colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="12"

Series overview

Combined profits Auction Season No. of teams No. of properties sold at auction After auction sales Winning prize Combined auction profit 1 2003 4 $0 $100,000 $443,000 2 2004 4 2 $155,000 3 2010 4 3 $90,000 $339,500 4 2011 4 1 $122,000 $15,000 5 2012 4 $0 $1,723,001 6 2013 4 $815,000 7 5 $1,283,000 8 2014 4 $2,326,500 9 5 $705,000 10 2015 4 $3,065,000 11 5 $2,439,000 12 2016 5 $2,835,000 13 2017 5 $1,220,000 14 2018 5 $1,880,000 15 2019 5 $2,292,000 16 2020 5 $3,232,002 17 2021 5 $2,171,968.12 18 2022 5 2 $339,000.50 $1,606,667.65 19 2023 5 4 $155,000 $2,895,000 20 2024 5 $0 $5,330,000 21 2025 5 3 $0 $649,999.1 22 2026 5 TBA TBA TBA Overall combined profit $ Including prize money ($2,100,000) $ Including after auction sales ($551,000.50) $ Notes

Returning teams Contestants Relationship Original season Returning season Combined profit Mitch Edwards & Mark Mckie Partners 15 $384,000 17 $644,444.44 $1,028,444.44 Alisa & Lysandra Fraser Twinsisters 7 $395,000 8 $616,000 $1.011m Darren & Deanne Jolly Marriedwithchildren 9 $10,000 10 $935,000 $945,000 Brad Cranfield&Dale Vine Best mates 5 $606,000&$355,000 8 $507,250 $859,625&$608,625 Dan & Dani Reilly Married $448,000 6 $220,000 $668,000 Georgia & Ronnie Caceres Married with children 13 $161,000 17 $296,000 $457,000 Phil Rankin & Amity Dry Marriedwithchildren 1 $60,000 6 $395,000 $455,000 Josh & Jenna Densten Married 4 $50,000 $275,000 $325,000 Mark Bowyer & Duncan Miller Best mates 3 $47,000 $25,000 $72,000 Brad & Dale were both contestants on Season 5, but they were with their partners (Lara & Sophie respectively). In Season 8, they returned to the show as a team. This amount of money is split between the two contestants in the team.

Season synopsis Season 1

The first season of The Block began airing on 1 June 2003 on the Nine Network, replacing Backyard Blitz and Location Location in the network's flagship time slot of Sunday at 6:30 to 7:30 pm (AEST). The season was presented by Backyard Blitz host Jamie Durie and filmed in Bondi, New South Wales, with the majority of filming being completed prior to the series airing for editing purposes.

Selected from approximately 2,000 applicants, the four couples in the season were:

Adam Thorn (aged 30) and Fiona Mills (27), a married couple from Banksia. A data analyst and former sales representative, the couple had renovated three properties prior to competing on The Block. They renovated the first ground-floor apartment (flat number one) and were widely considered the "show favourites" throughout the course of the season. Their apartment—which was the last to be auctioned—sold for $751,000 earning them the highest profit of $156,000 as well as the winning prize of $100,000. Mills appeared on the cover of Ralph while the season was airing in July 2003. Warren Sonin (37) and Gavin Atkins (35), a sales manager and public relations manager from Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales. They are the first male same-sex couple to compete on The Block. Paul and Kylie Ingram Phil Rankine and Amity Dry

The auction profits had a combined result of $.

Flat Auction spot Couple Reserve Auction result Profit Total winnings Placing spot14 Adam & Fiona$595,000$751,000$156,000$256,0001st22 Warren & Gavin$595,000$670,000 $75,000$75,0003rd31 Phil & Amity $595,000 $655,000 $60,000$60,0004th43Paul & Kylie$595,000 $747,000 $152,000 $152,0002nd

Season 2

Following the success of the first season, an expanded second season of 26 episodes, airing twice weekly, premiered on 18 April 2004. The season was again set in Sydney, although in the suburb of Manly rather than Bondi where the first season was located.

The auction profits had a combined result of $ with two properties not selling at auction.

Selected from over 18,000 applicants, the four couples in the season were:

Flat Auction spot Couple Reserve Auction result Profit Total winnings Placing spot12 Jason & Kirsten$795,000$872,000$77,000$77,0002nd23 Andrew & Jamie$790,000$868,000 $78,000$178,0001st31 Matt & Jane $795,000 $795,000 $0 $0 3rd (tied)44 Steven & Richard $800,000 $800,000 $0 $0 3rd (tied)

Two original contestants, Dani and Monique Bacha, left the program in January 2004, two weeks into the second season, when it was reported that Dani had spent six months in jail in 2002 following his conviction for a drug-related offence.Couple quit The Block. Theage.com.au (19 January 2004). Andrew Rochford and Jamie Nicholson replaced Dani and Monique Bacha.

Season 3

After a long break, the series was revived in 2010 with a set of four apartments in the upmarket suburb of Vaucluse in Sydney being renovated and Scott Cam replacing Jamie Durie as host.

The auction profits had a combined result of $ with only one property not selling at auction.

Flat Auction spot Couple Reserve Auction result Amount sold for after Auction Profit Total winnings Placing spot11 Josh & Nisha$900,000$1.105m style="text-align:center" $205,000$305,0001st22 Mark & Duncan$860,000$907,000 style="text-align:center" $47,000$47,0003rd34 Erin & Jake $910,000 $997,500 style="text-align:center" $87,500$87,5002nd43 Chez & Brenton$880,000 Passed in $970,000 $90,000 $90,0004th

Season 4

Season four saw six major changes to the format of The Block. The location has changed to Melbourne instead of Sydney. An initial elimination week sees eight couples reduced to four. Instead of a block of flats with four apartments, there are four separate houses next to one another. Contestants now have to renovate the exterior of their home, in addition to the interior. Contestants no longer work at their jobs during the week, they now renovate full time. Instead of two one-hour-long episodes airing per week, six episodes now air per week with a mix of one-hour- and half-hour-length episodes. Shelley Craft has been introduced to help host special challenges where contestants can win extra cash and prizes for their houses. A weekly episode named "The Blocked: Unlocked" was introduced. Hosted by Shelley Craft, the episode shares a personal insight into The Block transformations as the couples guide viewers through their completed rooms. It also includes behind the scenes footage and footage not seen on the main show.

Eight couples were initially selected, with four being eliminated and the other four being given keys to the houses. The four remaining teams are: Josh and Jenna – House 1 (blue) Polly and Waz – House 2 (yellow) Katrina and Amie – House 3 (green) Rod and Tanya – House 4 (red)

The winners of The Block were Polly and Waz. They made $15,000 in profit, and won the $100,000 grand prize, due to the other three couples' houses being passed in. In this finale episode, Josh proposed to Jenna, his girlfriend for five years and partner on The Block.

This was the worst auction in the history of The Block with auction profits having a combined result of $ due to only one property selling at auction.

House Auction spot Couple Reserve Auction result Amount sold for after Auction Profit Total winnings Placing spot11 Josh & Jenna$950,000 Passed in$1.000m $50,000 $50,0002nd (tied)22 Polly & Waz$840,000$855,000 style="text-align:center" $15,000$115,0001st33 Amie & Katrina $860,000 Passed in $860,000 $0 $02nd (tied)44 Rod & Tania$850,000 Passed in $922,000 $72,000 $72,000 2nd (tied)

Polly and Waz were the only couple whose property sold at auction, with the other three failing to meet their reserve prices. Following the auction, Amie and Katrina's property sold for their exact reserve amount, meaning they would not take any winnings from appearing on The Block. Also, Rod and Tania's property sold for the highest profit on The Block, at $72,000 (however, as it was after the auction, Polly and Waz are still the winners).

Season 5

This season, like season four, was also based in Melbourne, in the inner city suburb of South Melbourne with four double storey side by side terrace houses located at 401 – 407 Dorcas Street. The properties are all on separate titles with car access from Montague Street and plans approved to allow for a third story extension.South Melbourne Homes for Sale | realestateVIEW.com.au. Myhome.com.au (27 September 2011).

Eight couples were initially selected, with four being eliminated and the other four being given keys to the houses. The four remaining teams are: Dale and Sophie – House 1 (blue) Mike and Andrew – House 2 (yellow) Brad and Lara – House 3 (green) Dan and Dani – House 4 (red)

The auction profits had a combined result of $