It’s the hit renovation reality show, that has been a huge ratings winner for Channel Nine.
And despite launching in Bondi back in 2003, The Block will not return to Sydney, according to a show producer Justin Sturzaker.
‘We are embedded in Melbourne, [the] price of property is lower and councils are proactive in helping us,’ he told The Manly Daily this week.
Not returning to its roots: Despite launching in Bondi in 2003, The Block will not return to Sydney, according to a show producer. Pictured: A Bondi property that was featured on season one
Season 14 of The Block will be based in Melbourne and see the city’s 79-year-old heritage building The Gatwick Hotel transformed, after Channel Nine purchased the property for an estimated $10 million.
‘It will need a fair big of TLC inside and out,’ executive producer Julian Cress told the Herald Sun in March.
‘We’re not going to rush into it. It’s certainly a great building in a great location, so it wasn’t cheap.’
Tough laws: Host Scott Cam previously revealed there were no plans to return north, citing local government as the show’s ‘biggest problem’
The inaugural season of The Block was filmed in Sydney’s Bondi, with host Jamie Durie presenting the series.
Jamie went on to host season two, which was filmed in the beachside suburb of Manly.
Scott Cam took over hosting duties in season three, which was filmed in the affluent Vaucluse area.
Season one: The inaugural season of The Block was filmed in Sydney’s Bondi, with host Jamie Durie presenting the series
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in July, Scott said the show had received much more support from government in Victoria while Sydney counterparts deemed the show’s build not a ‘full construction zone.’
‘We need to get the council on board with us – that’s our biggest problem,’ Scott said.
He added that the show has received a much warmer reception in Melbourne since production was moved there in 2011.
‘The Victorian Government realise that we bring about $20 million into the economy…we don’t have catering, so the 150 tradies all go off-site to buy their food,’ he revealed.
Happier down south: Speaking to the Daily Telegraph , Scott said that the show had received much more support from government in Victoria and their Sydney counterparts deemed the show’s build not a ‘full construction zone’
The publication also reported that the production was fined $2000 ‘at least 10 times’ when they filmed the tenth anniversary Block All Stars series in Bondi in 2013.
Co-host Shelly Craft echoed Scott’s sentiments saying that ‘most of the production team and crew’ had since relocated to Melbourne.
Shelly added that she believed the notorious Sydney traffic congestion would also put a dampener on the show’s attractiveness.
‘There’s not a lot of excitement watching someone get stuck in traffic for six hours,’ she said.
Too slow: Co-host Shelly Craft added that she believed the notorious Sydney traffic congestion would also put a dampener on the show’s attractiveness, joking: ‘There’s not a lot of excitement watching someone get stuck in traffic for six hours’