Neale Whitaker will appear alongside Adrian Portelli on the upcoming reality show.

My Reno Rules' Adrian Portelli and Dr Chris Brown / The Block's Darren Palmer, Scott Cam, Shaynna Blaze and Neale Whitaker.

The Block’s Neale Whitaker is joining Channel 7’s new renovation series My Reno Rules. Photos: Channel 7 / Instagram

He’s been a much-loved part of The Block since its revival in 2010, but Neale Whitaker surprised fans on Friday morning when he announced that he’s officially leaving the reality show to join Channel 7’s rival renovation series. The style icon will appear on the judging panel for the upcoming competition program, My Reno Rules.

Neale, who also hosts Love It or List It Australia alongside Andrew Winter, will be joined by top buyer’s agent and Luxe Listings Sydney star Simon Cohen, and the founder of Greenhouse Interiors, Julia Green. He shared in a statement from the network that he is “thrilled” to be joining a show that will “truly redefine renovation TV”.

“Along with Simon and Julia, I get to share my experience with a new generation of Aussie renovators in one of my favourite cities,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the creative and innovative ideas our teams bring to the competition.”

Neale announced in May last year that he was stepping back from his long-term role on The Block to be with his partner, David, as he battled “some serious health issues”, but would still make guest appearances. He spoke openly about his decision to leave the series with Yahoo Lifestyle at the 2024 Logie Awards in August, admitting that it was “time to move on”.

“Oh gosh, it was a big decision, but it was something that I had to do for my personal life,” he shared. “After 13 years, it kind of felt like the timing was right. I gave it my best shot for all those years, and it was time to move on.

“It’s always going to have a very special place for me, that show, always. And I think if I’m honest, I’ll always feel like an honorary member of the show – I don’t know whether they’ll approve of that, but that’s how I feel.”

My Reno Rules' Simon Cohen, Neale Whitaker, and Julia Green.

Neale will appear on the judging panel alongside Simon Cohen and Julia Green. Photo: Channel 7

My Reno Rules is a brand-new renovation competition hosted by Dr Chris Brown and sponsored by Adrian Portelli, the billionaire who purchased all five homes on The Block 2024.

Channel 7 announced the new series last month, describing it as “a brand-new renovation competition that’s raising the stakes and flipping the script with two epic twists set to transform the lives of everyday Aussies”.

They said: “My Reno Rules sees four hardworking teams of Aussie battlers going head-to-head, breathing new life into two neighbouring rundown houses in a picturesque Melbourne suburb. Their mission? To transform these properties into breathtaking homes for the chance to win life-changing prize money to secure their own futures.”

The live grand final will then see two lucky Australians receive a call telling them they’ve both won a newly renovated, fully-furnished multi-million-dollar home.

 

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While the announcement came just days before The Block’s twenty-first season premiered, host Shelley Craft told Yahoo Lifestyle she wishes Adrian all the best in his new venture.

“I was like, ‘Oh, there he is!’,” she shared about her reaction to the news. “I was wondering, if he was leaving us behind, where was he going to publicise his next venture? So when I saw him pop up with that, I was like, ‘Oh, there you go, that’s great’.

“Obviously, his business has an incredible model of lotteries for different things, whether it’s jet skis or homes or caravans. The way he’s going about this, good luck to them.”

Shelley’s comments echo those of Scott Cam, who told Yahoo Lifestyle in 2023 that he wished Dr Chris Brown all the best with his rival renovation series Dream Home, which was cancelled after one season.

“Stay off my turf, Browny!” Scott joked. “Chris is a great mate of mine, and good luck to him.

“Competition is healthy, and if his show rates reasonably well, that means that people are still interested in this style of television. As soon as they stop watching other shows or our show, then that’s the end of that style.”

He went on to say that he’d never wish “bad luck” on anyone making TV because he knows firsthand how hard it is to do, adding: “We don’t want them to beat us, of course, if they go head to head, but we don’t want them to dismally fail. I know what it’s like.”