Scott Cam reveals why The Block 2025 is different from previous seasons
The laidback host has declared this year's five teams the best crew he's ever seen in his 19 years at the helm of the Channel 9 reality series.
'Over the years, there've been some great contestants, but as a collective group, these have been my best,' Cam says.
'I think they've worked really hard, which I love. And resilience is a really important thing to me, and lack of complaining.'
In recent years fans have accused the series of being more soap opera than renovation show, amid cheating scandals, nasty bickering and mean girl bullying. But for Cam the behaviour which has grated on him the most is the whingeing.
'The complaining annoys me because I've worked hard all my life, and when I was a young bloke, I worked like a Trojan. And so, I could have done this,' he shrugs.
'This lot worked really hard with a great deal of resilience, and they were good to the crew.
'That's the other big thing. They had a few blues with each other. So, it's not boring. But it's justified. And they were just good to everybody.'
Co-host Shelley Craft agrees, saying the teams' positivity was a welcome reprieve after previous seasons.
'This year there are a bunch of very mature contestants,' she said.
'They've got their heads screwed on. I believe they're here with all the right motivations, and that made for a good show.'
Accepting that everyone deals with stress differently, Craft pondered: 'But why are you here if you're going to be miserable?'
'I understand there'll be moments of that, but ultimately, you sign up for this, so get the most out of all the experiences.
'And obviously renovation is one thing, but there are so many great things that we do along the way that are once in a lifetime opportunities.
'So, you just want everyone to be in that frame of mind when they're coming in. It can be very hard to maintain for 12 weeks. I understand that. But these guys did it, and it made our job so much fun, and we felt so lucky.'
As a longtime fan of The Block who has auditioned for previous seasons, Gold Coast contestant Alicia is grateful that she didn't make the cut until this year.
'Look, there's always going to be a little bit of drama,' she says.
'We're all here for our own reasons and our own purposes. There's absolutely drama, but at the end of the day, I feel like we were very cohesive as a group and we all love and care about each other.'
South Australian hairdresser Mat, who is renovating his property with his best pal Robby, says fans would often stop him on shopping trips to ask: 'Please tell me there's no bitching' or 'please tell me there's no bullying'.
'And I was like: 'Nah, there's none of that!'
In the pressure cooker of reality TV, tempers did flare on occasion, but Mat says 'there was never drama detrimental to any friendships or relationships.'
The group became so tight knit that they hired a house together for their last night in Daylesford so that they could all be under the one roof to celebrate.
'And when we told the judges, Darren (Palmer) nearly fell off his chair,' Mat laughs.
'He was hitting Shaynna (Blaze)'s arm in shock [that we all got along] and she was just [incredulous] going: 'You're lying?''
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
35 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Aussie presenter Grace Hayden returns serve on nepo-baby critics
When you're the son or daughter of a famous figure and start to make a name for yourself, nepotism claims are going to be following close behind. Grace Hayden knows that all too well. The daughter of Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden, Grace has been shining brightly on her own path for several years in the media ranks. Despite that, social media criticism can be seen far and wide anytime she appears on a television screen. The 23-year-old knows that some doors have been opened thanks to her dad, but how she's reached this point in her career hasn't been a simple stroll in the park … she's put in the hard yards and is now crafting her own journey. 'I am somewhat living in dad's footsteps, but I feel like I'm creating and paving my own path while still respecting dad's legacy,' Grace said to 'I'm just doing it my own way. I think that's the most important thing is making it my own. And you know what people want to say about nepotism all the time, right? And yes, I'm going to own the fact that yep, it opens doors for sure. 'But you do have to work really hard to stay in a job … It doesn't matter if you're a child of someone or you're a partner of someone, you still have to work bloody hard to earn your stripes in anything you might do.' And she has a simple message to those who will continue to sit back and paint her with the nepo-baby tag. 'I say thank you and move on,' she said. 'I just don't see it as a hate comment. I'm like, you can call me a nepo-baby, go for it. Thank you for saying that to me because I am one of the most competitive people of all time. 'I grew up as an athlete myself playing every sport under the sun, I was sports girl of the year most years at my school in Brisbane. 'I just loved it so anything that people give me a challenge on, I'm like, you know what? Game on. And that's the perfect name of my podcast Game on with Grace. 'It's like I love a bit of a competition. I love a challenge. So, if people want to give me hate comments, go for it.' In today's day and age, social media backlash has become an all too common occurrence with hate comments flooding in at a rapid rate. Having grown up on the world's stage, Grace was brought up with one simple mindset that she continues to maintain throughout it all. 'Keep your family close. Your family know who you are. Your friends know who you are. The rest don't matter,' she said. 'As long as you're checking in with the people that you care about and that care about you and they're giving you honest feedback … which definitely in my family and my mates that's definitely an open door in terms of criticism. 'But it's always you know those people that you lean on rather than listening to the white noise 'Not every single person is going to like you in this world. And you know what? I'm okay with that. 'As long as my family know who I am and my friends know who I am and they can sense check me. I'm right.' Grace's media career continues to go from strength to strength and it reached new heights behind the launch of her podcast with US streaming service Willow. The biweekly series will see her host candid conversations with athletes and artists. The latest venture comes after she worked for broadcaster Star India throughout the Indian Premier League. She has also featured as a fashion expert and roving reporter with Channel 7's horse racing coverage, and she worked alongside her father with the Disney-Star network during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. In January this year she joined digital sport platform Racing X as the new face of the Hong Kong-based international racing content operation. After making her network debut with Channel 7 in 2022, Grace's star is on the rise with her new venture the latest stepping stone as she quickly becomes one of the most popular presenters in Australian sport.

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Disappointed': Ryan ‘Fitzy' Fitzgerald called out on-air over fan interaction
A national radio star was awkwardly caught off guard on Nova's Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie today after a listener called him out live on-air. Ryan Fitzgerald, better known as Fitzy, was exposed by a listener this morning after she called up during a segment about celebrities refusing to take pictures with fans. It turns out Fitzy had previously rejected her when she politely asked if she could snap a picture with him years ago. 'Did a celebrity refuse a photo when he was talking about now being a dad and how different it is? And people come up to him all the time, and obviously they want a photo … Joanne... who said no to the photo?' quizzed Wippa. Joanne then shared her story, recalling when she had met Fitzy at a party and had decided to pluck up the courage to ask him for a picture. But sadly, the interaction didn't go quite as well as she had hoped. 'Oh well I was a fan of his for ages... this tall, handsome man, and we were at a party, and I asked him if I could have a photo, and he said, No! 'What! Who was it?' insisted Wippa, to which Joanne bluntly replied: 'Your friend, Fitzy!' Shocked that his name was mentioned, a confused Fitzy questioned whether Joanne was joking at first. 'Give me a break. I'm always accommodating Joanne, are you serious?' insisted the radio star. 'I'm serious...' she laughed. 'You were probably a bit hungover at the time as we all were...' 'This was ages ago, we were both at the same function place in Terry the party finished we were all the foyer Williams said yes to a photo with us but you made up for it in the end.' Fitzy then interjected: 'How did I make up for it? Because I'm really disappointed in myself!' Joanne insisted it was all water under the bridge in the end as she eventually ended up getting a picture with the radio star on another day. 'Because I got a photo with you both when Wippa used to have his running club at Hyde Park!' she said.

ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Special Event: Kangaroo Island Film Preview
Following debut acclaim at Adelaide Film Festival, 'Kangaroo Island' is now set for cinematic release. Be one of the first to see the locally shot film starring Erik Thomson at ABC Radio Adelaide's exclusive special event screening. Join us as we roll out the red carpet for ABC Radio Adelaide listeners to enjoy this new Australian drama with free double passes to win. Hosted by Weekends presenter, Deb Tribe, the event will include a preview screening of 'Kangaroo Island' and a 1-1 conversation with special guests: Director Timothy David and writer Sally Gifford. Hear first-hand from the film makers some of the many behind the scenes stories from the film set. Tune in to ABC Radio Adelaide Weekends on Saturday 2 August as Deb Tribe features Kangaroo Island. Tune in to ABC Radio Adelaide on Saturday 2 August as Deb Tribe features Kangaroo Island. Listen out for the cue to call and get ready to call in. 2 tickets for you and a friend to attend the 'Kangaroo Island' Special Event on Tuesday 12 August at 6.15pm at Palace Nova Cinemas, Rundle Street City. 2 tickets for you and a friend to attend the 'Kangaroo Island' Special Event on Tuesday 12 August at 6.15pm at Palace Nova Cinemas, Rundle Street City. Special Event includes preview screening, plus panel discussion with the film makers, director Timoth David and writer Sally Gifford. This is one not to be missed! Starring Rebecca Breeds ( Clarice ), Erik Thomson ( Packed to the Rafters, After Taste ), Adelaide Clemens ( The Great Gatsby ), and Joel Jackson ( Runt ), 'Kangaroo Island' is a character-driven story that blends familial tension with the rugged beauty of its namesake location. It tells the story of Lou Wells (Breeds), a former Hollywood rising star now broke, lost, and directionless. When Lou is gifted a plane ticket by her estranged father Rory (Thomson), she returns to her hometown on South Australia's Kangaroo Island. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Timothy David and features a screenplay by Sally Gifford. Beautifully shot on location on Kangaroo Island and in Adelaide, this is your chance to see this new homegrown drama before the general cinema release across the country. Now we're talking Adelaide! Weekends with Deb Tribe Saturday mornings 6am – 10.30am. Tune your radio to 891AM, listen live online at or download the ABC listen app and take us with you, so you don't miss out. And for more chances to win, subscribe to ABC Adelaide's free newsletter; arriving straight to your email every fortnight with regular ABC Radio Adelaide updates, local stories, presenter news and great giveaways. Click on the link below to subscribe: Terms and Conditions