It’s only been a couple of weeks since My Reno Rules aired on Channel Seven, and fans have been vocal about how it compares to its rival, The Block.
While the winners of the Channel Seven show will pocket the $1 million prize, and contestants on The Block usually take home the profits above the reserve price, comparisons have been made since the show was announced last year.
Each week, contestants on both shows unveil rooms to three judges, and some of this week’s reveals on My Reno Rules got everyone talking.
When confessed “Maltese terriers” Emma and Michelle unveiled their bathroom, judge Julia Green said it was “one of the worst bathrooms” she had ever seen.
But it wasn’t just that room that rubbed fans the wrong way.
“Looking at the reveals tonight..Is it just me or are they absolutely awful?” one viewer wrote on social media. “They look like they have been slapped together and brown wood…no luxury at all! Someone will win $1 million, I cannot see any justification to give someone that amount of money for such ugly work!”
Others also took issue with the scores, saying they did not reflect the feedback contestants received. Despite their controversial bathroom, Emma and Michelle’s study saved them, and they ended up with a score of 21.5 out of 30.
Fans have also been quick to compare the reveals to The Block, which has been on our screens for more than 20 years.
“The judging seems very off, and the scores are terribly inconsistent,” another vented. “Their rooms, although nice, are nowhere near the calibre of The Block.“
“To watch The Block and then watch My Reno Rules is really like comparing a luxury new house build to a clean-up before the landlord inspection on Monday,” another wrote.
Another viewer took to social media to express their dislike of the show’s format, where contestants are tasked with unveiling several rooms each week.
“The format for the show isn’t working. Seven days for three rooms. I’ll stick with The Block (though I’ll still watch to see what happens!)” they wrote.
Another fan claimed there is little difference between the two shows because they both have three judges, drama and disagreements.
One of the judges is Neale Whittaker, who was famously a judge on The Block for 13 years.
“It’s a Channel 7 take on The Block,” one fan said, with another adding that it was a new take on the network’s former show, My House Rules.
Even though there is a group of fans who are struggling with the show, others have loved it.
For host Dr Chris Brown, he said one key difference between the shows is the outcome.
“We’ve seen it in other renovation shows – where people walk away a bit disappointed,” he told our sister publication TV Week. “I don’t feel like that’s going to be the case this time.”
While The Block has not aired yet, the 2025 auction will go down as one of the worst in history, because of its unrealistic reserve price and two teams leaving heartbroken without selling their homes.
