The Block’s highly anticipated 20th anniversary series is set to hit screens this August – and speculation is mounting among fans that it could be the last.
Nine’s blockbuster, now filming on Victoria’s Phillip Island, has been rocked by shocking exits from cast members and contestants.
And the brand took a hit earlier this month after the New Zealand version was canceled before filming even started.
“The Block has been canceled in NZ… following this?” one fan wrote on Facebook.
However, a spokesperson for Nine told Ny Breaking Australia on Wednesday that there was nothing to the fan-fuelled rumours.
The Block’s highly anticipated 20th Anniversary series is set to hit screens this August – and speculation is mounting among fans that it could be the last. Pictured: Block presents Scott Cam and Shelley Craft
“Despite the speculation, the story is baseless and patently untrue. The Bloc will not be cancelled,” they said.
However, it hasn’t stopped the speculation, with one viewer writing: ‘Maybe they all know something we don’t and we’ll get it out while they can.’
“I think this might be the point of the final season?” added another fan.
Filming on Phillip Island in Victoria Nine’s ratings blockbuster is rocked by shocking exits from cast members and contestants. And the brand took a hit earlier this month after the New Zealand version was canceled before filming even started. Pictured: a view of the grounds of The Block on Phillip Island
Realty.com.au reported Monday that rumors about The Block’s longevity began after judge Neale Whitaker announced earlier this month that he would be leaving the show, leaving the cast devastated.
Neale confirmed he will no longer be a regular at the hit. Last year he took on a limited role as a judge to support his partner David as he faced serious health problems.
Meanwhile, the fan favorite is expected to make guest appearances in the upcoming season alongside judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and newcomer Marty Fox.
Realestate.com.au reported on Monday that rumors about The Block’s longevity began after judge Neale Whitaker announced he was leaving the show earlier this month, leaving the cast devastated. In the photo: Channel bought the former resort last year.
The acclaimed interior designer’s departure comes after Keith Schleiger, aka Foreman Keith, confirmed he will also guest star in the new series.
The reality star, 50, revealed he made the tough decision after deciding the long travel times to Philip Island for filming would keep him away from his two daughters.
And the show suffered another setback just a few weeks into filming when a few contestants quit.
The 20th anniversary season suffered another setback just weeks into filming when a few contestants dropped out. In the photo: The Block’s location for 2024
It comes after residents living around The Block construction site raised complaints about the impact of filming on the tourist destination.
Locals say the series has lost its value after causing what residents call ‘traffic chaos’ on and around the Phillip Island construction site.
The iconic spot 90 minutes from Melbourne is famous for its fairy penguins.
Pictured: Scott Cam, a longtime Block host
On Friday, Ny Breaking Australia watched as huge rigs brought palm trees to the construction site, which is located in a former Cowes resort on a narrow street called Justice Road.
“There is no justice this way,” said one weary resident.
‘It has been chaos here for months. We can’t wait for them to go.’
Construction workers descended on the site in February, causing an endless parade of traffic for some residents along a road also used by busloads of tourists heading to the nightly penguin parade.
One resident told Ny Breaking Australia the traffic problems were mainly caused by large trucks carrying The Block’s building materials being forced to queue along the street.
They could wait in line for up to three hours, locals said, because there was only one entrance in and out of the building where the houses were built.
The trucks often stood idle on the road for hours as their engines spewed fumes into the air, residents claimed.
A company owned by Channel Nine bought the property, the Island Cove Villas, late last year for a whopping $9.5 million.
Ny Breaking Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.