All the Goss from The Block 2022 Tree Change Season Before its August Premiere

The Block 2022 Tree Change Season is not fair off landing, and as always I’m eager to get stuck into the weekly room reveals. 

Before the new series starts though, I thought it best I compile all of the news, goss, and need-to-know facts about this year’s bigger-than-ever Block season.

I’ve done all of the reading from all of the outlets so you don’t have to. And below, I’ve gathered the best bits from around the web so you can stay across all things Block before its August premiere.

Image above via The Block Shop.

1. The Honest Block Recaps Are Back, Right Here!

If it’s one thing you can count on, it’s that the TLC Interiors Blog is the place to get honest Block recaps each Sunday night. I shouldn’t call them recaps, actually. They’re more weekly design critiques from someone who’s working as an interior designer in the real world every day.

I’ve been doing them on this blog for years as the unofficial, unpaid, and in-pyjamas fourth judge. I like to think of my role as the voice that represents you, the viewer; saying all of the things you’re thinking when you watch (and sometimes scream at the telly) that the judges don’t comment on.

These weekly critiques have gained quite a following, so you can rest assured that in 2022 I’ll be back to talk design wins and sins with you each reveal – no holding back.

You can check out last year’s Block recaps here.

Follow TLC on Instagram here to stay across the weekly recaps.

2. The Block 2022 is Having a Tree Change

While every series since season four was filmed in metro Melbourne, The Block 2022 is going bush. This time around, the show is being dubbed ‘Tree Change’ as contestants transform country homes in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges.

Gisborne is the suburb this year’s teams have been spending months filming from. The town is located about 54 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, filled with tree-lined streets and home to a number of rural homesteads.

Being more remote is certainly going to leave contestants needing to plan their design and decorating well ahead of time. With Gisborne having a fraction of the retailers Melbourne metro does, last-minute styling top-up shops may be near-impossible.

3. The 2022 Series Promises to be the ‘Biggest One Yet’

Now, a lot of reality shows make these sorts of outlandish claims, but The Block isn’t wrong here. This season really does look to be the biggest one yet with the teams each taking on a massive 10-acres each to renovate on.

Executive producer of The Block, Julian Cress, spoke to Midland Express about just how huge this season is going to be.

“Nothing has been attempted on this scale anywhere in the world in television. It’s pretty epic to be able to do it,” he said.

4. Scott, Shelley and The Judges are All Returning

A staple since season three, Scott Cam is back to head up The Block 2022 once again. He’ll be joined by Shelley Craft, who has been with the series since season four.

Foreman Keith and Dan are also back to help contestants through their tree-change builds.

Neale, who has been with The Block since season three is back too, along with Shaynna Blaze (a regular since season five), and Darren Palmer, who joined as a permanent judge season six.

When Neale spoke to TLC Interiors recently, he addressed to the most common misconception about The Block: that contestants don’t really do the work.

“Well, as someone who has spent ten years sitting in a chilly make-up trailer on damp Melbourne Sundays waiting for Scotty to shout ‘tools down’, let me put it on record once and for all that what you see on TV is ABSOLUTELY what happens,” he said.

5. A Team Has Already Quit

Retired AFL star Joel Patfull and his influencer fiance Elle Ferguson were set to be one of five teams competing in the 2022 series, but pulled out just days into filming.

As reported by Midland Express, Scott Cam explained that their departure caused a lot of havoc for the show’s production.

“We put a lot of time and money into the start of our show and then we had to rejig the whole thing: promos had to be re-shot, it was a lot of angst on our part when they just departed the way they did,” he told the publication.

Elle Ferguson cited family reasons for exiting the show on Instagram.

6. A Neighbours Star is Also a Contest on the Series

34-year-old actress and former Neighbours star Sharon Johal will compete on The Block 2022 Tree Change series with husband Ankur Dogra.

The soap star played Dipi Rebecchi on the recently-axed TV series for four years from 2017 to 2021. She is also a lawyer, writer and presenter, now adding reality TV star to her CV.

Website 9Now reported that Shelley Craft said there will be teams you’ll love and hate this series, “and that will change throughout the series as always” so time will tell which camp Sharon and Ankur fall into.

7. The Show Starting Filming Earlier this Year

The Block 2022 season began production back in late March and is expected to wrap up filming in the coming weeks. Contestants are almost finished with their builds.

Shelley Craft told Midland Express that potential buyers were already looking at the almost-completed properties, and that there’s a “real excitement in the air”.

Sheds and landscaping will be the last reveals to take place on the 2022 series before final judging takes place ahead of the auctions.

8. Scott Cam is Renovating His Own Property This Year

It’s unclear why Scott Cam is doing this, but numerous media outlets (and the show’s own promos) have revealed that alongside The Block 2022 contestants, host Scott Cam is renovating his own home on the show too.

I’ll be watching closely as this unfolds. It’s unclear if the home will be judged or scored, or how it’ll play into the show’s storyline this season, but stay tuned as more news comes to hand.

9. Covid Wreaked Havoc on the Series

Website realestate.com.au reported that one of The Block 2022 contestants had been diagnosed with Covid during the first few weeks, delaying initial filming by a week. Fortunately it didn’t push back the start date of the series, and things got back to normal fairly quickly.

Shortages in building supplies post-Covid have also been an issue for the series during filming, as has getting trades to work on the homes.

The show’s own Instagram page was open and honest about these challenges.

“We desperately need help completing the current series of The Block, Tree Change. Carpenters, cladding crews, skilled labourers, trade assistants. Wages, casual, subbies, we won’t discriminate. Immediate start, 5 weeks to go. Location: Gisborne Victoria.”

10. The Block 2022 Season is Set to Debut in August

Given we’re already in the second-half of 2022, and given that most major TV networks don’t want their shows to run into the December low-ratings holiday period, it tracks for the show to land in August.

The season has started airing in August for the last four years and in 2022 it seems to be repeating its recipe for success.

The first challenge looks to be a house-picking challenge to see which contestants want which block of land to renovate on.

We’ll see you for all The Block 2022 weekly reveals, recaps and critiques right here each week on the TLC Interiors Blog!

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