While we’re still getting over the shock that was last year’s auction results – with two couples failing to sell under the hammer and another team taking out the biggest profit the show has ever seen – The Block is back again for another season.
Five new sets of contestants have picked up the tools and got to work on five authentic 1950s dream homes on the rather aptly-named Charming Street in Southeast Melbourne’s Hampton East.
Along with the new faces, familiar ones are set to return, with Scott Cam and Shelley Craft back to host and site foremen Keith and Dan ready to crack the whip again. The judging panel will have a new addition this year, but one that is still recognisable from previous seasons.
And although Cam hopes to avoid the dramas of previous seasons by sharing the build schedule from day dot, as fans know, in a high-pressure environment anything can happen.
The Block Australia 2023: Meet the teams
Eliza & Liberty
For sisters Eliza, 37, and Liberty, 34, it was the excitement of getting out of their comfort zones that saw the duo sign up for the show.
Originally from Adelaide but now both living in Melbourne, the girls admit the monotony of the same daily routine motivated them to take the plunge.
“We are both single, in our mid-thirties, and nothing is holding us back,” Liberty, who is a producer at an advertising agency, has shared. “Everything has just aligned.”
WATCH BELOW: Meet Eliza and Liberty from The Block 2023
With zero renovation experience, it’s a brave move for the pair, but Eliza insists that what they lack in skill they make up for in determination.
“We have no renovation experience, so we’re slow off the mark,” the personal assistant explains to WHO. “But we’re sponges, so we listen to feedback.”
Leslie and Kyle
For Perth couple Kyle and Leslie, their dream of making it on The Block has been almost a decade in the making.
After making the first round of auditions when they originally applied over eight years ago, the pair have continued to give it a crack countless times.
WATCH BELOW: Meet Kyle and Leslie from The Block 2023
And while they’ve kept busy, welcoming two boys and completing their own renovations, Leslie, 34, tells WHO, “It’s just sort of always been in the back of our minds.”
While firefighter Kyle, 36, was ready to throw in the towel, education assistant Leslie “convinced him one last time” and the rest, they say, is history!
Leah and Ash
As one of the more experienced couples on this year’s season, Leah, 31, and Ash, 38, are ones to watch out for.
The Brisbane couple run their own business and have completed several house flips, including their own.
“We’ve done renovations before, we’ve run our little building company back up in Queensland, so we came in thinking we could do this … [but] it is way harder than we had ever anticipated,” Leah tells WHO.
WATCH BELOW: Meet Leah and Ash from The Block 2023
With three little ones at home, the couple are used to being busy. And while they’re both not afraid to express their opinions, when it comes to the final decisions, Leah usually comes out on top.
“We bicker like a husband and wife do,” Ash jokes. “And the wife usually wins.” But it’s their down-to-earth nature that will see them win over fans.
“We’ll probably be pretty relatable to people,” Ash adds.
Steph and Gian
High-school sweethearts Steph and Gian may be the youngest couple on this year’s The Block at just 27, but they definitely shouldn’t be underestimated.
Steph is actually the first architect to ever compete on the show, so she brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, while Gian works in finance, meaning he’ll keep the couple’s budget on track.
WATCH BELOW: Meet Steph and Gian from The Block 2023
“I think I’m a dreamer, and Gian is definitely the realist,” Steph admits to WHO.
The couple have also just finished their own renovation, something that inspired them to audition.
“We’ve obviously been watching The Block for many years, but we never really thought to go on The Block because we’d never really gone through a renovation together,” Gian explains.
“So when we came on the other side of that, we were like, let’s give it a crack.”
Kristy and Brett
Last season’s country “tree-change” was a challenge-and-a-half for contestants and with some disappointing final auction results, it would be enough to put anyone off applying for the show.
But not Kristy and Brett! The Adelaide couple were avidly watching the series when they decided they had to apply.
WATCH BELOW: Meet Kristy and Brett from The Block 2023
“I don’t actually know why Gisborne made us want to apply,” Brett, 34, jokes to WHO.
The safety adviser has a trade secret he hopes will give the pair a leg up. And while project manager Kristy, also 34, has a competitiveness that may ruffle feathers, the parents-of-two insist they’re not afraid to be themselves.
“We just stick to who we are and we’ll see that out the whole way,” Brett adds.
The Block premieres Sun., Aug. 6 at 7pm on Nine and 9Now