Awkward reason why The Block's Neale Whitaker doesn't watch every episode

The Block fans were pleasantly surprised during Tuesday night’s episode when former judge Neale Whitaker returned to the reality show to critique the teams’ hallways. The interior designer, who was a permanent fixture on the show from 2010 to 2022, announced earlier this year that he was stepping back from the series to be with his partner David as he battled “some serious health issues”.

While he’s now appeared in two episodes this season, judging both the Hallway Challenge and the Surf Club Renovation Challenge, Neale tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he hasn’t been watching every episode of The Block this year. In a rather awkward turn of events, he admits he’s been tuning into the current season of The Voice on the Nine’s rival network, Channel Seven.

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“I’ve watched some of [The Block]. I don't watch it all the time, but I sort of dip in and out of it and I do keep abreast of it through social media,” he shares. “This year I've been dividing my loyalties between The Voice and The Block. I am quite addicted to The Voice, that’s another show that I absolutely love.

“I’m allowed to admit to that!” he adds with a laugh. “I’m Switzerland now, I'm mutual territory. I can admit to that. But I'm pretty passionate about that too. So Sunday nights, there's a bit of a competition between the two. A bit of channel hopping, a bit of channel surfing.”

What does Neale think of this year's season of The Block?

Despite not watching every episode, Neale says he is “very impressed” by the standard of work this year’s teams have been producing.

“One thing I did notice in all my years on the show was how incredibly high that bar got raised each season,” he remarks. “When I was first judging the show with John McGrath, we used to think that was incredible. And it was, but when you put it alongside what those contestants achieve now, it is absolutely mind-blowing. It really is.

“The standard, the quality of build, the quality of interior design, the quality of construction, the vision, if you like, that those young couples have, and also the understanding of the market, is really quite phenomenal.”

Neale adds the biggest difference between contestants then and now is that they “took more risks” during the early seasons of The Block.

“Whereas these days, I think everyone is much more focused on the ultimate prize and the demands of the market,” he details. “We’re all so much more real estate savvy these days than maybe we were then. I don't know whether any of the contestants would be attempting a crime scene room [like Matt and Kim did in 2013] these days.”

Would Neale Whitaker ever return to The Block as a full-time judge?

Neale, who recently teamed up with Gro Urban Oasis for his first-ever kitchen and dining collection, admits that it was “bittersweet” returning to The Block as a guest star this season.

“It was lovely to be down there. I would have actually been there three times, but I was overseas on one of the occasions when they wanted me to go down, so I was only able to do two,” he reveals.

“I will always feel like a member of The Block extended family after such a long time with the show. Not being part of it on a regular basis, obviously, is a strange feeling, so it's nice to still be involved. It was a part of my regular life for such a long time that I think it will remain with me for a very long time to come.”

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When asked if he’d ever like to return to the renovation series as a full-time judge, he says he’s “open-minded”.

”Who knows what the future holds,” he remarks. “I'm in a very nice stage in my career where projects come along, like this beautiful project with Gro Urban Oasis. Things sort of come along into my life and it's lovely.

“I'm quite philosophical these days. I kind of know what my priorities in life are, I know what I love doing, and that's kind of my attitude towards life. So it's kind of que sera, sera, what will be, will be. I'm open-minded about what the future holds.”

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