Long-running The Block judge Neale Whitaker has sensationally jumped ship from Channel Nine to Channel Seven to star in their upcoming renovation reality series My Reno Rules.
In an announcement shared by the network on August 15, the style guru said he was “thrilled” to be heading the expert judging panel alongside buyer’s agent Simon Cohen and interior design expert Julia Green.
“I’m thrilled to be joining a show that will truly redefine renovation TV. Along with Simon and Julia, I get to share my experience with a new generation of Aussie renovators in one of my favourite cities.”
“I can’t wait to see the creative and innovative ideas our teams bring to the competition,” he added.
Neale was a judge on The Block from 2010 to 2023; however, after 13 years and 17 seasons, he formally quit the show in 2024.
He had already scaled back his involvement in 2023 to care for his partner, David Noavk-Piper, who was in poor health.
Neale isn’t the first The Block personality to jump ship from Nine to Seven, after it was announced in July that his business LMCT+ would be the principal sponsor of My Reno Rules.
“LMCT+ has always been about changing the lives of everyday Australians, so when this opportunity came up with Seven, it just felt right,” he shared in a press release when the news was first announced.
While Channel Seven has yet to confirm a premiere date for what they’ve described as a “life-changing” series, it will air sometime in 2026 on Seven and 7plus.
You can read more about My Reno Rules here.
