Many former contestants have “refused” to return to The Block 2024 for the All-Stars twist, causing major casting “struggles”.
This year, 22 Blockheads from across seasons will return for one episode to lend a hand to this year’s teams.
However, sources told Daily Mail Australia that many big names turned down the offer.
“They only managed to go back as far as 2012 [when] signing up previous Blockheads,” one production insider dished.
“The early season’s participants were not interested in returning… There will be no appearances from the first four seasons contestants. That’s a pretty disappointing omission when you look at this being a 20th birthday celebration.
“The returning contestants aren’t the most exciting. It’s clear they just made do with what they had.” Eep!
The source added that it was strange to have an All-Stars twist without fan-favourites.
“Dale and Sophie came fourth in their series in 2012,” they said. “The couple are hardly stand out personalities in the overall run of the renovation series. You would expect to see Gav and Waz or Amity Dry, surely.”
Because they struggled to cast popular contestants, The Block producers were “forced to pivot” from the idea of running an All-Stars season, instead opting for an All-Stars feature on the 2024 season.
Why former contestants didn’t want to return to The Block 2024
The insider then explained that Nine “struggled” to cast popular contestants because the show isn’t what it used to be.
“The feeling was allegedly mutual from the alumni features between 2003 and 2010. The show has changed a lot since back then,” the source continued.
“It’s no longer as much about the renovation, it is more about the drama that goes on between the houses. I don’t even think the early contestants would work in the format that is still one of Channel Nine’s biggest success stories.”
One team of former Blockheads, who chose to remain anonymous, shared the same opinion, telling the outlet: “The show isn’t what it once was and most contestants don’t keep up with it.
“Once you’ve seen how the show’s made, it feels more like revisiting trauma rather than revisiting a cherished memory.”
Another source claimed that the past couples were “happy living their best lives under the radar” and didn’t want to be in the spotlight again.
Meanwhile, some of the couples from earlier seasons seem to be more happy living their lives without the stress of appearing on reality TV again. And fair enough!
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