If you’re watching The Block and thinking, ‘Hang on, haven’t I seen that guy before?’, You’re not imagining things.
Spence Thomson is back on the renovation site as a Block All-Star, but this time he’s not renovating a place of his own. Instead, he’s stepping in to help Tayla while her dad and building partner Rick takes some time away from the competition to recover from his knee injury.
It’s been eight years since Spence last competed on the show, and plenty has changed since then. Here’s everything you need to know about the Block All-Star now joining Tayla in House 5.
Who is Spence from The Block?
Spence Thomson is a carpenter and builder who competed on The Block in 2018 alongside his wife, Kerrie Charter.
The couple took on the Gatwick apartments in St Kilda, Melbourne, bringing plenty of renovation experience with them. Spence specialised in high-end architectural work, while Kerrie worked as a nurse.
Their experience quickly made them a team to watch, with the pair taking a sophisticated, high-end approach to their apartment. Before appearing on the show, one of their renovations in Park Orchards, Victoria, had even featured in Grand Designs Australia magazine.
How did Spence go on The Block?
Pretty well, as it turns out. Spence and Kerrie’s high-end approach paid off during kitchen week when they scored a perfect 30/30 from the judges.
The pair then made it all the way to auction, where they finished as runners-up. Their apartment sold for $2.85 million, against a reserve of $2.435 million, giving them a huge $415,000 profit. They went first at auction and briefly held the lead before another team eventually overtook them.
What happened to Spence after The Block?
After The Block, Spence and Kerrie eventually moved on from their Barossa Valley life. The couple had relocated from Victoria to the Barossa in 2015, where they bought a 17-hectare property and settled into a quieter life before signing up for the show.
After finishing as runners-up, they returned to South Australia. By the end of 2020, however, they had decided to sell their Barossa farm and start their next big project.
The couple bought 120 acres of land in Mia Mia, rural Victoria, where they began building a fully off-grid “forever home”. The project was designed around sustainability, with solar power, harvested rainwater and extensive tree planting all part of the plan.
For Spence, it was another major building challenge. Despite having more than 30 years of experience in the industry, he admitted the off-grid project was unlike anything he’d tackled before.
So while his Block days were technically behind him, it seems Spence never really stopped building.
Why is Spence back on The Block?
Now, eight years after his original stint, Spence has returned as an All-Star — but he’s got a very different job this time around. With Rick forced to take a step back while he recovers from his knee injury, Spence has joined Tayla to help keep House 5 moving.
And, let’s just say, Spence has his hands full.
Tayla has already faced plenty of criticism this season over how ‘little’ she’s been doing to help her dad on site, with viewers questioning whether she’s pulling her weight or not.
Now, with Rick out of action and an experienced Block builder by her side, the question is whether Spence will be helping Tayla bring her vision to life, or end up doing the heavy lifting himself.
Either way, we’re expecting House 5 to get very interesting.
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