A longtime Nine star who made headlines just weeks ago for defecting to Seven is now suddenly back on the show that made him a TV star.

A former Block star made a surprise cameo on the show during Wednesday’s episode – just weeks after his defection to a rival network was made public.

Longtime The Block judge Neale Whitaker, who quit the role last year, had a special guest appearance on the show this week to judge a challenge.

While his appearance was been filmed months ago, it comes hot on the heels of his move to the Seven Network, where he’ll soon be seen as a judge on the rival reno show My Reno Rules.

Consider this Whitaker’s Block swan song, then – and he didn’t hold back during what will likely be his final appearance on the show.

Neale Whitaker, back on The Block for likely the last time before moving on to Seven.
He was there to judge this week’s challenge, which saw each team complete their own individual bathhouse room at Hepburn Spa, near this year’s Block site in Daylesford.

Whitaker couldn’t believe WA Han and Can’s over the top effort, likening it to a “crime scene.”

“These type of bathrooms need to be a very quiet experience. This is the complete opposite: Everything in here is jarring,” he said.

“There’s too much going on in here… you can not relax in here. It’s a mess, and it’s everything a spa experience shouldn’t be.”

Han and Can were aiming for tranquil day spa but landed on “crime scene.” A bath full of wee probably didn’t help with judging.
Spoiler alert: Han and Can do not win the challenge, with QLD couple Sonny and Alicia taking out the win – and with it, a $260,000 caravan they can offer up alongside their house to prospective bidders come auction day.

In mid-August Whitaker was announced as one of the judges on Seven’s upcoming rival home renovation show, My Reno Rules.

He had served as a judge on The Block since its third season back in 2010, but announced in May last year that he was leaving the show.

Neale gets a warm welcome from Shelley Craft and Scott Cam.
The announcement came after the NSW-based interior design expert earlier scaled back his on-air commitments in 2023 to spend more time with his long-term partner David while he battled ill health.

Whitaker’s new role on My Reno Rules means he’s the second former Block personality to have a key role in the show: The Block’s serial buyer Adrian Portelli, who bought all five houses at last year’s Block auctions, announced recently that he’d joined My Reno Rules as the show’s principal sponsor.

Announcing his departure from The Block last year, Whitaker said it had been “such a privilege to be part of Australia’s most iconic TV show for an unbelievable 13 years – unbelievable to me, anyway.”

Real estate agent Marty Fox stepped in to replace Whitaker, joining longtime Block judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer.