The Block announces last-minute change to the show: 'Very challenging'

The Block fans were thrilled last year when they were given the chance to meet the cast and check out the finished houses at the public Open Day. While viewers have been eagerly awaiting for the event to return this year in Phillip Island, it’s now been announced that it won’t be going ahead.

The show’s co-creator and executive producer Julian Cress confirmed this week that there won’t be a public Open Day for season 20 due to logistics and facilities.

“Phillip Island has one bridge in and out,” he explained to TV Tonight. “It’s not a place that you can do a big public event without an immense amount of planning and logistics.

“Just ask anybody on Phillip Island what it’s like when they have the Moto GP. So it’s not possible for us to do a full public Open Day like we’ve done previously.”

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Julian went on to say that producers will organise a smaller event “for our friends on the island who supported the show from the get-go”, but fans across Australia will unfortunately miss out.

“We can’t open it up to people coming from around the country because they just wouldn’t get on and off the island. Logistically, it would be very challenging,” he added.

The Block held a public Open Day in East Hampton last year before the auction, however, there wasn’t one in Gisborne in 2022 due to similar site issues. Covid also prevented the Open Day from going ahead in 2020 and 2021.

What else is different this season?

Another major change to this year’s season of The Block is that there will be no ‘re-do room’ where contestants are given the chance to fix any mistakes they made in a room of their choice.

This is likely because this season’s houses are so much bigger than previous seasons, which is why they had to complete their hallways last week in addition to their office and rumpus rooms.

“The houses are too big and we haven’t got enough weeks, so you’re just gonna have to squeeze the hallways in between,” host Scott Cam told the contestants.

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Instead, the teams will spend the final week of the competition renovating a space in the communal clubhouse. Courtney and Grant will tackle the spa while Maddy and Charlotte have the BBQ area, Kylie and Brad have the games room, Kristian and Mimi have the cinema and kitchenette, and Ricky and Haydn have the alfresco area.

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