It’s only week two of The Block, but already this season is shaping up to be the most chaotic one yet!
New Idea hears the Charming Street worksite was thrown into turmoil when popular judge Neale Whitaker unleashed some pointed remarks about the way his upcoming sabbatical was addressed on air.
WATCH NOW: Neale Whittaker reveals he won’t be returning to The Block. Article continues after video.
Neale has been a mainstay on The Block since season three.
However, ahead of the new season premiere, the interior design expert announced he was scaling back his duties this year.
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Neale explained he needed to spend time caring for his ill partner David. Yet this vital information was cut from the final edit – and Neale wasn’t happy about it.
Taking to Instagram, long after the premiere aired, Neale appeared to slam the show’s editors and producers in a lengthy post.
“There’s nothing more frustrating than an unexplained decision or an incomplete narrative – especially where health and family are concerned,” he wrote.
Neale continued that he’d shared his reason for leaving with his fellow judges, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, in an “emotional conversation for all of us. Unfortunately, those important reasons didn’t make the cut…”
Neale concluded by explaining he intends to return to The Block full-time for the show’s 20th anniversary season next year.
However, New Idea’s insiders are now wondering if he could change his tune, given the disrespectful way the producers chose to edit his farewell speech.
On top of this, a war seems to be brewing between Shaynna and host Scotty Cam.
In a radio interview on Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie, Scotty seemingly agreed with the hosts’ assessment the blockheads are listening to the judges less and less.
“People are running their own path because they’re very savvy with design these days … they go ‘Listen, we’re not worrying about winning. We’re going to just play for the end game,’” Scotty said.
We’re told Scotty’s words most likely didn’t go down well with Shaynna.
“It’s a pretty disrespectful thing for him to say when you think about it,” says a source.
Meanwhile, in a recent promotional interview, long-time co-host Shelley Craft appeared to go rogue by slamming last year’s controversial contestants, Sharon and Ankur.
While careful not to name the duo, in a discussion about the ideal qualities of a team, Shelley said, “I always thought my best team would be an accountant and a HR manager”, appearing to reference Ankur who is an accountant.
Yet she then called their casting “an absolute f–ing disaster” and the “worst team”.
Additionally, Shelley surprisingly lifted the lid on the show’s casting process, revealing contestants were selected based on “characters” rather than building experience.
The latest remarks by the on-screen talent about the behind-the-scenes mechanisms of the show would undoubtedly be raising eyebrows at Channel Nine.
“Marty is too mean”
New judge Marty Fox could become persona non grata at house 5 if he’s not too careful.
The real estate agent has some harsh words for sisters Eliza and Liberty during this Sunday’s full studio reveal – but they’re not having a bar of it!”
“We were always pretty disappointed with Marty’s feedback,” the pair tells New Idea exclusively.
“Marty’s comments were typically brutal and without constructiveness. This process wasn’t a game to us, we took it very seriously – so when the judges provided super negative commentary, it was truly heartbreaking. And sometimes it felt unjustified.”
