It’s about time!

He’s the interior design expert who graced screens as a judge on The Block since 2010 – until, in 2023, he announced he was stepping back from the show.

Since then, fans have been begging him to return.

So they were delighted when he returned to judge the bathhouses the Blockheads were tasked with renovating, at Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa.

And he did not hold back.

“I haven’t said this for a very long time, but this is a crime scene,” he said about Han and Can’s bathhouse.

“You could not relax in here. If you got into that bath, you’d take one look up and you’d want to get the hell out of that bath,” he continued.

“It’s a mess and it’s everything that a spa experience shouldn’t be.”
The contestants were excited to see Neale! (Credit: These images were originally published on nine.com.au/the-block)

Why did Neale Whitaker leave The Block?

Neale revealed that the decision was made after his partner of 20 years, David Novak-Piper, battled some “very serious health issues”.

He was then replaced by Marty Fox.

“The best news of all is that David is making a great recovery, and I’m looking forward to returning to The Block full time for the show’s 20th anniversary season in 2024,” Neale said at the time. It was a prophecy he would be unable to fulfil.
Neale Whitaker judged on The Block with Darren Palmer and Shaynna Blaze. (Credit: These images were originally published on nine.com.au/the-block)
In May 2024, Neale returned to social media, after The Block began filming on Victoria’s Phillip Island.

“We all hoped that by this year I would be able to return full-time to the show, but life doesn’t always run to schedule,” Neale wrote.

“David gets stronger with each passing month, but my decision remains to be at home as much as possible.”

In a later interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Neale hinted that the decision to quit The Block was permanent, telling the publication 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 said and, indeed, he was not named as a judge in 2025.
Neale Whitaker pictured with partner David Novak-Piper. (Credit: Instagram)

Who is Neale Whitaker’s partner?

Certainly, Neale’s enduring love for the hair and make-up artist he met at a charity cabaret show in Sydney remains steadfast.

In a previous interview with The Wedding Series, Neale described his love of David’s “honesty and vulnerability”.

“David wears his heart, his soul and his emotions on his sleeve. I had never met anyone so raw and so complex,” he explained.

“I do believe that opposites attract, but I also believe that similarities are what really bond. I think you can over-think why people are attracted to each other. At the end of the day, we just were. Like most people, David and I don’t live a perfect, Instagram life. We disagree often but fundamentally there’s respect, understanding and love.

“We both know who each other is, and what we’re looking for in life. We often know what the other is thinking before we say it. We sometimes take different paths but the destination is always the same.”

When asked what made a strong and lasting relationship, Neale pointed to “trust, honesty, respect, patience, humour, kindness, empathy – and shared values”.

“Dogs, laughter and chardonnay,” he added. “Accepting that like anything worthwhile in life, relationships have to be worked at.

“There are easy bits and difficult bits and bits that make no sense at all. There is no script to a relationship and no handbook. It’s all intuitive.”
Neale Whitaker has shared details of his new life with fans. (Credit: Instagram)

What happened to Neale Whitaker?

Since he left the juggernaut, he has jumped ship to Channel Seven, as a judge on the network’s upcoming show My Reno Rules.

He also gave fans an insight into his new life away from the cameras in a poignant Instagram video shared in July 2025.

“It’s funny, when I was younger, Saturday was that day that you look forward to all week. I guess it was the same for all of us,” he started.

“Saturday for me especially when I lived in London was all about shopping. Didn’t feel like I’d had a weekend unless I went shopping,” he admitted. “Clothes. Pair of shoes. CD – remember those. Didn’t matter how poor I was either because that’s what credit cards were for, right?”

Neale said that when he moved to Sydney it was a different ritual.

“It’s when I used to hang out with my new tribe,” he said. “Bars, clubs, restaurants, getting wrecked on a Saturday night because, hey, that was what Sunday was for. Recovery. My God we had fun though.

“These days, well let’s just say it’s a different story,” Neale continued. “Weekends are pretty much about silence. Peace. Quiet. Serenity. Just me. David. The dogs. And golden hour.

“Life changes right?” the star concluded.

Neale has also been hosting Love It Or List It since 2017.