Season Five of LEGO Masters Australia, Grand Masters, has truly brought the grandeur hinted in its apt title. In the 2023 season, eight previously-competing LEGO Masters teams face off for the Grand Masters title, aiming to defend their crowns or vie for redemption.
Unfortunately, with such a large pool of talent, this makes series’ judge Ryan ‘The Brickman’ McNaught’s job a whole lot harder. More detail-oriented than ever, as led by host Hamish Blake, challenges will take the contestant’s builds to a whole new level.
WATCH: LEGO Masters Season Five Trailer. Article continues after video.
With one team elimination each week, we recap who’s left the series…
Ryan and Gabby
Ryan and Gabby were just short of making it to the Finale of Grand Masters. During the ‘Carousel’ challenge, the teams were tasked with building a merry-go-round character that could replace one of the horses.
Unfortunately, the duo had a bit of trouble with their butterfly build, with the model coming up too small.
Due to this, they admitted it was fair for Brickman to send them home, “I don’t think it’s an unfair decision,” Ryan said.
Speaking to 9Entertainment, Gabby said it was a privilege to return to the show, “To build with such incredible people and incredible builders… I think we’ve made some of the best things we’ve ever made together.”
Andrew and Damian
Just shy of Grand Final week, best buddies Andrew and Damian were sadly eliminated from Grand Masters. Taking a big gamble in the ‘Cliffhanger’ challenge, while earning one of Hamish’s bonus points for build length, Brickman determined their space-themed piece didn’t quite meet his aesthetic expectations.
Reflecting on their loss, the team said, “Our only regret is we didn’t leave on a build we are proud of, but sometimes things just don’t work out no matter how hard you try,” they shared with their Instagram followers.
In spite of this, the pair say they’re “super proud” of what they’ve accomplished and they look forward to continuing their LEGO-building passion together.
David and Gus
Season 3 LEGO Masters winners David and Gus were unsuccessful in taking home the crown this season. The fan-favourite duo received a tearful good-bye from Brickman; “I’m so sorry. You guys are amazing LEGO builders, you really are,” he said, choking back tears.
In spite of the massive loss, felt by all competing teams, David admitted to 9 Entertainment, “On top of our list coming into Grand Masters was to feel that joy again of being amongst great LEGO builders and challenge ourselves to build the best things we could build.”
While their ‘Dock Heist’ build wasn’t their best work, the team will be remembered for their epic builds, particularly their work for the ‘All In’ and ‘100 Years of Disney’ challenges where they received two consecutive wins.
Sarah and Henry
Sarah, winner of LEGO Masters Bricksmas, and Henry, winner of LEGO Masters Season 1, joined forces as the only team with two trophies under their belts. In spite of this, amongst stiff competition, they were unfortunately the second team to be eliminated from the series.
The final challenge they participated in, ‘All-In’, required builders to make a functional obstacle course where a single ball would travel between each build by means of a singular pipe. Each team’s build had to act as an entry point at the low level and exit point at the high level. With each team successfully transporting the ball through the course, Brickman focused on the story of each model as judging criteria.
Spending time on the technical aspect of their build, Sarah and Henry ran out of time to focus on their story. It was because of this that their ‘putt-putt’ model was the cause of their elimination.
WATCH: Sarah and Henry eliminated from LEGO Masters. Article continues after video.
The emotional elimination brought Brickman to tears with Henry telling 9Entertainment, “We pulled out all stops. We built like we’d never built before. It’s the hardest technical challenge ever on LEGO Masters history, so you can’t feel bad when you’ve emptied the tank and you’ve got nothing left.”
“There’s probably a ton of people that would love this experience once, and we’ve got to do it multiple times and meet a whole bunch of new people that are going to hold a special place in my heart,” he continued.
Trent and Kale
The series’ wildcard team, Trent and Kale, were the first Grand Masters pair to be eliminated. Falling short in their respective seasons, the competitors were a newly-formed duo.
It’s their ambitious Superman build, however, that led to their exit. The Theme park challenge, which required contestants to create a functional coaster, failed to meet The Brickman’s standards. Acknowledging the impressive appearance of their creation, it was its lack in functionality that missed the brief.
WATCH: Kale and Trent speak on their LEGO Masters exit. Article continues after video.
Reminiscing on their experience, Kale told 9Entertainment, “Here’s the thing, sure, we might be going home but I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun.”
