Latest news with #TheBlock
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
How Adrian Portelli's exit will affect The Block 2025
Scott Cam won't miss Adrian Portelli on auction day. The Block host believes the billionaire businessman's decision to retire his paddle after spending more than $27 million on eight houses will simply pave the way for families to get back in the bidding at long last. 'I won't be nervous about that at all,' Cam said of Portelli calling it a day after dominating the previous two auctions. 'You know we might not get ridiculous prices but we're going to give mums and dads the opportunity to buy one of these houses. 'And we're going to get families the opportunity to buy one. Or holiday houses for people. It's going to open it right up. We want these homes to go to families. They eventually do when Portelli buys them, but this way we cut out the middleman. Let's just get them to the families.' Portelli broke records in 2024 when he snapped up all five Phillip Island properties for more than $15.03 million. The combined total of $5.43 million in winnings also made it the most lucrative auction day for contestants in the show's history. The richlister is now hoping to sell the entire Phillip Island complex to a single buyer after failing to offload the resort in a December lottery. In the previous year, Portelli earned the nickname 'Lambo Guy' when he rolled up to the Gisborne auctions in a yellow Lamborghini and bought three out of five houses for a combined price of $12m. For Cam, with or without Portelli, auction day is always a nerve-racking affair. But he's confident all five houses will draw a crowd this year. 'It's a very trying time for Shelley (Craft) and I,' Cam explains of the unpredictability of auction day. 'It's the only day we get nervous. We want them to win. We never set anyone up to fail. We want them to make money. And they've worked hard, and they deserve it. Actually, sometimes people don't deserve it, but this year, they do.' Victorian contestant Em admits that while she's 'a little worried' to not have Portelli bidding this year, she feels confident in what she and husband Ben have built. 'I think we've created a beautiful house. So, I think there'll be a buyer out there that'll be very interested in this house,' she says. Her South Australian neighbour and fellow contestant Robby agrees, adding: 'With Adrian Portelli not buying houses, it opens it up for everyone. 'Before, when there's some big buyers in the room and Adrian's in the room, they think they have no chance. This might bring it back to how it used to be.' As for Shelley Craft, she isn't certain we have seen the last of the mysterious Portelli, who, history has shown, always enjoys the element of surprise. 'We haven't heard from Adrian, so who knows whether he will be here or not,' she smiled. 'He said he's not coming … but who knows.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It can get out of control': Why The Block is getting back to basics
This season marks 15 years since tradie-turned-Gold-Logie-winner Scott Cam took over the reins to present the renovation reality smash The Block. When he came on board in 2010, the show had been revived after a six-year absence from the small screen and Cam could never have predicted how big it would go on to become. 'I knew it was an iconic show,' says Cam. 'The reason it rested was because of the real estate market at the time. When it was coming back, I was very privileged to be asked to host the show. Of course, I didn't think it would go for another 19 seasons.' The Block returns this month with its 21st season, including its 1000th episode, and continues to up the ante. The upcoming outing marks the first time teams will be building homes from scratch that are all designed with identical layouts. 'Each room is exactly the same to the millimetre, so it's a really even playing field this time around,' explains Cam. 'It makes [the contestants] bring their design A-game to stand out from each other, which is good for the viewers because there's some great stuff going into the rooms. They had to really innovate.' Cam says he believes the constant reinvention by The Block team is a key factor as to why the series has remained popular for so many years. 'We do have to come up with new ideas all the time to freshen up the show. I've been very lucky for its longevity, but I think the longevity just goes to show that we do mix it up, and we keep delivering good old-fashioned family viewing that Mum, Dad and the kids can watch together.' Loading After last year's controversial 'flirt-gate' scandal – in which comments made by a married contestant caused his wife to walk off the show – Cam says this season's new crop of contestants sees a back-to-basics approach to casting. 'I believe we probably had a little bit too much drama last year,' reveals Cam. 'But we don't orchestrate that, we try to manage it. It sometimes gets out of control because of the personalities. Some people say they get a bad edit, but we actually soften those people in the edits, which they don't realise. 'Look, I think that this year is a very different series. We get back to the grassroots of building and designing and great competitive spirit. We all had a good time, contestants, crew, production.'
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘It can get out of control': Why The Block is getting back to basics
This season marks 15 years since tradie-turned-Gold-Logie-winner Scott Cam took over the reins to present the renovation reality smash The Block. When he came on board in 2010, the show had been revived after a six-year absence from the small screen and Cam could never have predicted how big it would go on to become. 'I knew it was an iconic show,' says Cam. 'The reason it rested was because of the real estate market at the time. When it was coming back, I was very privileged to be asked to host the show. Of course, I didn't think it would go for another 19 seasons.' The Block returns this month with its 21st season, including its 1000th episode, and continues to up the ante. The upcoming outing marks the first time teams will be building homes from scratch that are all designed with identical layouts. 'Each room is exactly the same to the millimetre, so it's a really even playing field this time around,' explains Cam. 'It makes [the contestants] bring their design A-game to stand out from each other, which is good for the viewers because there's some great stuff going into the rooms. They had to really innovate.' Cam says he believes the constant reinvention by The Block team is a key factor as to why the series has remained popular for so many years. 'We do have to come up with new ideas all the time to freshen up the show. I've been very lucky for its longevity, but I think the longevity just goes to show that we do mix it up, and we keep delivering good old-fashioned family viewing that Mum, Dad and the kids can watch together.' Loading After last year's controversial 'flirt-gate' scandal – in which comments made by a married contestant caused his wife to walk off the show – Cam says this season's new crop of contestants sees a back-to-basics approach to casting. 'I believe we probably had a little bit too much drama last year,' reveals Cam. 'But we don't orchestrate that, we try to manage it. It sometimes gets out of control because of the personalities. Some people say they get a bad edit, but we actually soften those people in the edits, which they don't realise. 'Look, I think that this year is a very different series. We get back to the grassroots of building and designing and great competitive spirit. We all had a good time, contestants, crew, production.'
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Small plates and an intimate space in the Seaport
The backstory: Chef Charlie Foster and restaurateur Kristin Canty focus on sustainable agriculture, eschew GMOs and trans fats (no seed oils here), and embrace organic food at their Seaport restaurants and Adelita and Woods Hill Table in Concord; some of their ingredients come from the Farm at Woods Hill in New Hampshire. That approach continues to play out here, but The Block is focused more on socializing and sharing plates. Advertisement Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe What to eat: Start with plates of charcuterie made with pork from the farm. There's Parisian jambon, anise-studded finocchiona, and more, served with olives and other accompaniments. Then move on to Foster's small plates, adventurous with a light touch: pig's ear tots; tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips; lobster and 'nduja pierogies. The aging program (both meat and fish) is a centerpiece of the menu, and it's on full display: Look at that gorgeous salmon hanging in the glass case, bright orange flesh against silver scales! Foster uses the technique to play with texture and flavor in dishes such as dry-aged beef carpaccio and salmon belly crudo. Pommes souffles are the fanciest potato chips you ever had, hollow puffs fried in tallow and topped with caviar. Surf clam ceviche with coconut leche de tigre is The Block's version of chowder, a short rib panino its steak and cheese. There are a few larger steaks, chops, and fish dishes on the menu; dessert includes pastry chef Kasey Geremia's vanilla soft-serve sundae with strawberry-rhubarb compote. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up Tuna crudo with cherries, aji amarillo aioli, and squid ink tapioca chips. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Advertisement What to drink: There's a succinct cocktail list that builds from a tequila-based Cilantro Spritz to the Block Party, a flight of three different martinis. The wine list focuses on organic, biodynamic, and sustainably produced selections. Zero-proof options are plentiful. Pastry chef Kasey Geremia's sundae features vanilla soft-serve and strawberry-rhubarb compote. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe The takeaway: The Block at Woods Hill is a verdant jewel box of a space, from the dark green marbled bar to the striped shirts and aprons worn by the staff. It feels soothing and botanical; a floral mural decorates one wall. It's the kind of place where you meet a friend for a snack, then wind up staying for dinner. 300 Pier 4 Boulevard, Seaport, Boston. 617-861-4268, . Charcuterie plates $22-$33, small plates $9-$30, large plates $56-$88, desserts $9-$14, cocktails $16-$20. The aging program is a centerpiece of the menu at The Block at Woods Hill. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Devra First can be reached at
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Block 2022 competitors Dylan and Jenny's house back on the market
A Gisborne house transformed on The Block's 2022 season by contestants Dylan and Jenny has hit the market with a $4.3m price tag. The five-bedroom pad at 225 McGeorge Rd shocked viewers when it passed in for $4.075m, below the $4.08m reserve, during the season's televised auctions. Records show that after being relisted with a $4.08m-$4.4m asking range, the house eventually sold for $3.9m in December that year — a hefty $180,000 below its prior reserve. The property, set on 5.3ha and featuring a 40m-long hallway, outdoor wood-fired pizza oven, hot tub and heated pool, is one of the least successful homes in The Block's history. Apart from Queenslanders Jenny and Dylan, the only other contestants who earned zero dollars from their renovated home's sale were sisters Amie and Katrina. They starred in season four and oversaw the upgrade of a Richmond abode that sold for $860,000 after initially being passed in. In season nine, two sets of competitors – ex-Collingwood and Sydney player Darren Jolly and his now-former-wife Deanne, plus Queensland's Michael and Carlene – earned just $10,000 each from the sale of their respective Prahran properties. Evans Realty Group's Kirrily Evans said the Gisborne residence's current owners, a family who enjoy having their adult children and grandchildren visit, had significantly enhanced the property's outdoor area across the past two years. The owners have relocated a small self-contained house, that was previously near the dam, closer to the pool where it serves as guest accommodation. In addition, they added stone steps and a path leading from a balcony to the pool, extensive landscaping, a cubbyhouse, in-ground trampoline and a seating area near the pizza oven and a barbecue kitchen. Ms Evans said that if Jenny and Dylan had enough time to install the extra outdoor features when filming The Block, it could have potentially helped them to achieve a sale at the time. But she added that Block contestants were always under pressure to have their projects completed to a tight schedule. Ms Evans said the enhanced outdoor area would be a major drawcard for buyers. 'I have no doubt interest will be strong and people will be keen to see the improvements that have been made,' she said. She described the house as 'a beautiful country retreat' that could be completely off-grid thanks to a 50kW solar farm with a battery and generator backup, geothermal heating and cooling, triple-glazed windows, 250,000 litres of water storage and underfloor heating in the bathrooms. The property offers uninterrupted views of Mt Macedon and Red Rock to the north, a seven-star energy rating, wraparound veranda and an open-plan living area. 'It would suit many people including families and anyone seeking a treechange,' Ms Evans said. A main kitchen fitted with Smeg appliances connects to a butler's pantry and catering kitchen, laundry and mud room. In the main bedroom there's a dressing room, gas fire and an ensuite with a freestanding bath. Ms Evans said the owners were selling with plans to possibly move closer to the coast, as their grandchildren 'missed the beach'. The house that Block host Scott Cam renovated on the show's 2022 season sold for $3.75m in December 2024. None of the other homes from that season have changed hands since selling under the hammer when the program originally aired. The Block's latest season is now filming in Daylesford.
