The Block NZ
The Block NZ is a New Zealand reality television series based on the popular Australian series The Block. The first season premiered on Three on 4 July 2012.
| The Block NZ | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality |
| Created by |
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| Presented by |
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| Judges |
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| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 417 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Aaron Dolbel[2] |
| Production locations |
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| Running time | 60 – 120 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. International Television Production |
| Release | |
| Original network | Three |
| Original release | 4 July 2012 – present |
The show is hosted by former New Zealand cricketer Mark Richardson and Shelley Ferguson,[1] while Peter Wolfkamp serves as site foreman. It follows four couples as they compete against each other to completely renovate, room by room, four neighbouring houses in Auckland,[5][6] and then sell them at auction. Each couple keeps any profit made on the house, and the winner receives a bonus cash sum.[6]
The current main sponsors are paint manufacturer Resene, car manufacturer Suzuki, flooring retailer Flooring Xtra, and fast food chain Subway. Throughout seasons 1–2, car manufacturer Mazda was also a main sponsor, but for season 3, the sponsorship was awarded to car manufacturer Honda.[7] Other previous sponsors include Bunnings Warehouse, BP's Wild Bean Cafe, AMI Insurance and Pita Pit.
The series premiered in Australia on 9Go! on 12 August 2012.
The eleventh series, which was set to air in 2023, will be postponed to 2024 due to a "challenging house market" and the dismal results of the 10th season.[8][9] House Rules NZ was produced in its place.
Development
The show was initially announced on 24 February 2012, when a casting call went out[10] and saw over 1,000 couples apply.[11] The four couples selected for the first season were announced on the official Facebook page on 17 June 2012.[12]
Hosts and judges
| Starring | Season | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Richardson[1] | Host | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shelley Ferguson[1][13] | Judge | Host | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jason Bonham[14][15] | Judge | Judge | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Peter Wolfkamp[16] | Site foreman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shannon Ryan[1] | Host | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Victoria Bidwell[17] | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stewart Harris[17] | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Janice Kumar-Ward[18] | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jeremy Hansen[18] | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Gascoigne[13] | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fiona McLeod | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paul Izzard | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bernadette Morrison[14][15] | Judge | Judge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kristina Rapley | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lizzi Whaley | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chris Stevens | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ann-Louise Hyde | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lauren Mirabito | Judge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series overview
| Season | Title | Location | Episodes | Originally aired | Result | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | People's Choice Award winner | Winning team | Winning profit (NZD) | Total profit | |||||
| 1 | 2012 | Takapuna, Auckland | 20 | 4 July 2012[19] | 6 September 2012 | Not awarded | Libby & Ben Crawford | $157,000 | $237,000 | |
| 2 | 2013 | Belmont, Auckland | 31 | 26 August 2013 | 4 November 2013 | Pete & Andy | Alice & Caleb Pearson | $181,000 | $261,000 | |
| 3 | 2014 | Point Chevalier, Auckland | 49 | 26 August 2014 | 18 November 2014 | Jo & Damo | Alex & Corban Walls | $227,000 | $307,000 | |
| 4 | Villa Wars | Sandringham and Three Kings, Auckland | 40 | 29 September 2015 | 6 December 2015 | Cat & Jeremy | Brooke Thompson & Mitch Davies | $190,000 | $290,000 | |
| 5 | Girls Vs. Boys | Meadowbank, Auckland | 46 | 29 May 2016 | 14 August 2016 | Dyls Cossey & Dylz Guitink | Sam Cable & Emmett Vallender | $380,000 | $480,000 | |
| 6 | Side X Side | Northcote, North Shore, Auckland | 49 | 25 June 2017 | 17 September 2017 | Andy Murdie & Nate Ross | Andy Murdie & Nate Ross | $31,000 | $131,000 | |
| 7 | On Point | Hobsonville, Auckland | 49 | 8 July 2018 | 30 September 2018 | Amy Moore & Stu Watts | Amy Moore & Stu Watts | $69,500 | $169,500 | |
| 8 | Firehouse | Kingsland, Auckland | 48 | 17 June 2019 | 8 September 2019 | Sam Whatarangi & Ethan Ordish | Lisa Ridout-Gordon & Chris "Ribz" Gordon | $50,000 | $150,000 | |
| 9 | 2021 | Point Chevalier, Auckland | 48 | 14 June 2021[20] | 14 November 2021 | Dylan & Keegan Crawford | Tim Cotton & Arthur "Arty" Gillies | $660,000 | $760,000 | |
| 10 | Redemption | Orewa, Auckland | 37 | 18 July 2022 | 9 October 2022 | Maree & James Steele | Chloe Hes & Ben Speedy | $4,000 | $104,000 | |
Profits
| Season | No. of teams | No. of properties sold at auction | Winning Prize | Average auction profit | Combined auction profit1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012 | 4 | $80,000 | $58,000 | $232,000 | |
| 2 | 2013 | 4 | $74,750 | $299,000 | ||
| 3 | 2014 | 4 | $111,250 | $445,000 | ||
| 4 | 2015 | 4 | $100,000 | $158,250 | $633,000 | |
| 5 | 2016 | 4 | $245,250 | $981,000 | ||
| 6 | 2017 | 4 | $16,250 | $65,000 | ||
| 7 | 2018 | 4 | $51,362.50 | $205,450 | ||
| 8 | 2019 | 4 | 2 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| 9 | 2021 | 4 | $537,500 | $2,150,000 | ||
| 10 | 2022 | 4 | 2 | $1,025 | $4,100 | |
| Overall combined profit | $5,060,450 | |||||
| Including Prize Money ($840,000) | $5,900,450 | |||||
- ^1 The combined auction profit excludes the winning prize money
Returning teams
| Contestants | Relationship | Original season | Returning season | Combined profit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn & Ben Alexandre | Married | 3 | $40,000 | 10 | $0 | $40,000 |
| Chloe Hes & Ben Speedy2 |
Friends | 7 | $11,500 & $57,000 |
10 | $104,000[21] | $63,500 & $109,000 |
| Maree & James Steele | Married | 3 | $147,000 | 10 | $100 | $147,100 |
| Stacy & Adam Middleton | Married | 8 | $0 | 10 | $0 | $0 |
- ^2 Chloe and Ben originally appeared on the same season, however in separate teams. They returned to season 10 as a team.
Season synopses
Season 1
The first season of The Block NZ premiered on 4 July 2012 and ended on 6 September 2012. It is set in the Auckland suburb of Takapuna.
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Rachel & Tyson | $798,000 | $798,000 | $0 | $0 | 4th |
| 2 | 2 | Sarah & Rich | $806,000 | $870,000 | $64,000 | $64,000 | 2nd |
| 3 | 1 | Libby & Ben | $804,000 | $961,000 | $157,000 | $237,000 | 1st |
| 4 | 3 | Ginny & Rhys | $794,000 | $805,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | 3rd |
Season 2
The second season of The Block NZ premiered on 26 August 2013 and ended on 4 November 2013. It is set in the Auckland suburb of Belmont.
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Alice & Caleb | $945,000 | $1.126m | $181,000 | $260,000 | 1st |
| 2 | 4 | Alisa & Koan | $948,000 | $1.014m | $66,000 | $66,000 | 2nd |
| 3 | 1 | Pete & Andy | $925,000 | $952,000 | $27,000 | $27,000 | 3rd |
| 4 | 2 | Loz & Tom | $922,000 | $947,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 4th |
Season 3
The third season of The Block NZ premiered on 26 August 2014 and ended on 18 November 2014. It is set in the Auckland suburb of Point Chevalier, the first time the Block was held outside of the North Shore.
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Quinn & Ben | $1.325m | $1.335m | $10,000 | $10,000 | 4th |
| 2 | 2 | Maree & James | $1.325m | $1.472m | $147,000 | $147,000 | 2nd |
| 3 | 1 | Alex & Corban | $1.325m | $1.552m | $227,000 | $307,000 | 1st |
| 4 | 4 | Jo & Damo | $1.325m | $1.386m | $61,000 | $61,000 | 3rd |
Season 4
The fourth season of The Block NZ premiered on 29 September 2015. It is set on the boundary of the Auckland suburbs of Sandringham and Three Kings.[3] The title for the fourth season was The Block NZ: Villa Wars.[22]
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Jamie & Hayden | $1.175m | $1.335m | $160,000 | $160,000 | 2nd (tie) |
| 2 | 2 | Sarah & Minanne | $1.149m | $1.272m | $123,000 | $123,000 | 4th |
| 3 | 4 | Cat & Jeremy | $1.160m | $1.320m | $160,000 | $160,000 | 2nd (tie) |
| 4 | 1 | Brooke & Mitch | $1.160m | $1.350m | $190,000 | $290,000 | 1st |
Season 5
The fifth season of The Block NZ premiered on 29 May 2016 and is set in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank.[23] The title of this series is "Girls vs Boys", with two of the teams being made up of females and the other two made up with males.[24] It has netted the highest combined profits of $981,000.[25]
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Niki & Tiff | $1,170,000 | $1,320,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | 4th |
| 2 | 3 | Dyls & Dylz | $1,190,000 | $1,341,000 | $151,000 | $151,000 | 3rd |
| 3 | 2 | Emma & Courtney | $1,210,000 | $1,510,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | 2nd |
| 4 | 4 | Sam & Emmett | $1,230,000 | $1,610,000 | $380,000 | $480,000 | 1st |
Season 6
The sixth season premiered on 25 June 2017.[26] It is set in the Auckland suburbs of Northcote, North Shore.[27] The title of this series is "Side X Side", as each of the houses were large 4-storey townhouses, the largest houses in terms of floor area in The Block NZ. It had a combined profits ($65,000), and it also saw the first time a house did not meet reserve, but got the highest bid on the re-sell.[25]
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ling & Zing | $1,299,000 | $1,300,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 4th |
| 2 | 2 & 5[lower-alpha 1] | Andy & Nate | $1,219,000 | $1,250,000 | $31,000 | $131,000 | 1st |
| 3 | 3 | Julia & Ali | $1,229,000 | $1,242,000 | $13,000 | $13,000 | 3rd |
| 4 | 4 | Stace & Yanita | $1,251,000 | $1,271,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | 2nd |
Season 7
The seventh season premiered on 8 July 2018. It is set in the Auckland suburb of Hobsonville. The title of this series is "On Point".
| House | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Claire & Agni | $920,000 | $950,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 3rd |
| 2 | 1 | Ben & Tom | $930,000 | $987,000 | $57,000 | $57,000 | 2nd |
| 3 | 4 | Chlo & Em | $910,000 | $921,500 | $11,500 | $11,500 | 4th |
| 4 | 3 | Amy & Stu | $940,000 | $1,009,500 | $69,500 | $169,500 | 1st |
Season 8
The eighth season premiered on 17 June 2019. It is set in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland. The title of this series is "Firehouse", as the contestants are renovating apartments in an old fire station.
| Apt | Auction spot | Couple | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Stacy & Adam | $1,480,000 | $1,480,000 (after auction) | $0 | $0 | 2nd |
| 2 | 1 | Lisa & Ribz | $1,290,000 | $1,340,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 | 1st |
| 3 | 2 | Ethan & Sam | $1,390,000 | $1,390,000 | $0 | $0 | 2nd |
| 4 | 4 | Sophia & Mikaere | >$1,600,000 | $1,600,000 (after auction) | $0 | $0 | 2nd |
Season 9
The ninth series premiered on 14 June 2021. It is the second season to be set in the Auckland suburb of Point Chevalier. Production began in 2020 but was paused for 13 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28]
| House | Auction Spot | Team | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4th | Connie & Rach | $2,270,000 | $2,692,000 | $422,000 | $422,000 | 4th |
| 2 | 3rd | Meg & Dan | $2,222,000 | $2,700,000 | $478,000 | $478,000 | 3rd |
| 3 | 2nd | Dylan & Keegan | $2,155,000 | $2,745,000 | $590,000 | $590,000 + Suzuki Jimny | 2nd |
| 4 | 1st | Tim & Arthur | $2,165,000 | $2,825,000 | $660,000 | $760,000 | 1st |
Season 10
The tenth series of The Block premiered on 18 July 2022. It is set in the Auckland server of Orewa, and features contestants from previous seasons.
The series was won by Chloe & Ben, however it is the current lowest auction to date as they only went over the reserve by $4,000, then Maree & James by only $100, whilst the other two teams homes were passed in and received nothing, making only a combined profit of $4,100.[29] After the auction, TSB New Zealand (sponsor of the series) gifted Quinn and Ben, Maree and James & Stacey and Adam with $10,000 each for the hard work and failing to achieve a profit.[30]
| House | Auction Spot | Team | Reserve | Auction Result | Profit | Total Winnings | Placing spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2nd | Quinn & Ben | $1.199m | Passed in | $0 | $10,000 | 3rd= |
| 2 | 4th | Chloe & Ben | $1.141m | $1,145,000 | $4000 | $104,000 | 1st |
| 3 | 3rd | Maree & James | $1.152m | $1,152,100 | $100 | $10,100 + a Suzuki Vitara JLX[31] | 2nd |
| 4 | 1st | Stacy & Adam | $1.148m | Passed in | $0 | $10,000 | 3rd= |
Notes
- House was passed in as the reserve was not met the first time, and then went back to auction after fourth auction was complete.
References
- "The Block NZ's photo". Facebook.com. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
Big news – the hosts of The Block NZ have been announced! We've got sports star turned broadcaster Mark Richardson as the show host and the gorgeous Shannon Ryan will join him as the challenge presenter. Bring It On!
- Smithies, Grant (25 June 2017). "The Questionnaire: The Block NZ's Aaron Dolbel". i.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- "The Block gears up for Auckland inner-city sites". The New Zealand Herald. 19 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
- "The Block 2016: The 'secret' location is out". 22 February 2016.
- Hallahan, Marnie (31 May 2012). "Bargains on The Block". North Shore Times – via Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- "About The Block NZ". tv3.co.nz. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- Springall, Lesley. "The Block NZ – leveraged to perfection". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- Thomson, Lucy (30 November 2022). "House Rules NZ coming in 2023 as The Block NZ postponed due to 'challenging' housing market". Newshub. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- Hawkes, Colleen (30 November 2022). "The Block NZ is postponed due to 'challenging housing market'". Stuff. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- "TV3's The Block searching for contestants". newshub.co.nz. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- "The Block NZ contestants revealed". 3news.co.nz. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- "The Block NZ photo". Facebook.com. 17 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
The Block has finally come NZ and we're thrilled to announce the teams! Meet Sarah & Rich from Hamilton, Libby & Ben from CHCH & AKL, Ginny & Rhys from New Plymouth and Rachel & Ty from Wellington! Who will nail it? The Block NZ, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4th July on TV3. C'Mon now!
- "Meet the new Block NZ judges". Stuff. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
- "Home".
- "The Block NZ 2017: Judges revealed". Newshub.
- "Home".
- "Lights, camera... DIY". 27 May 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- "Q&A with The Block NZ Judges". tv3.co.nz. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- "The Block NZ contestants revealed". 3 News. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- Hawkes, Colleen (11 June 2021). "What we really don't want to see on The Block NZ". i.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- divided between each other for $52,000
- "The Block NZ Villa Wars". 10 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- "CONTESTANT SEARCH: The Block NZ 2016". tv3.co.nz. TV3. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- "The Block NZ: Girls Vs Boys". Newshub.
- "Social media lashes out at two attempts to sell winning Block house". The New Zealand Herald. 17 September 2017. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- "The Block NZ's Mark Richardson reveals what's different about this year's show". i.stuff.co.nz. Stuff. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- "The Block NZ heads to the North Shore". Newshub. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- Hawkes, Colleen (7 May 2020). "Coronavirus: The Block NZ postponed till 2021 due to Covid-19". i.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- Hawkes, Colleen (9 October 2022). "Shock on The Block NZ: Chloe and Ben win at auction amid tears and disappointment". i.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- Sadler, Rachel (11 October 2022). "The Block NZ: TSB giving three losing teams $10,000 each". newshub.co.nz. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
- as votes by the viewers