The Block’s biggest reveal? Scott Cam’s massive salary.

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Well, folks. The Block is kicking off the drama for another whirlwind season.

With the teams well and truly into the swing of things, tensions are brewing behind the scenes of The Block between a number of contestants. And we've got all the gossip you need to know.

Watch the trailer for The Block 2025. Article continues below.

As The Block hits its stride in a big way, we're keeping tabs on the latest news — and of course, all the DRAMA.

All The Block 2025 gossip you need to know.

Scott Cam's salary has leaked and… oh my.

According to The Australian, the Channel 9 host is currently on a $2.4 million annual salary, and based on Yahoo Lifestyle's calculations, this would translate to $48,000 per episode.

Umm okay, wow.

Cam is one of the highest-earning hosts on Australian TV, joining the $2 million club alongside other popular TV personalities Karl Stefanovic and Hamish Blake.

We have reached out to Channel 9 for comment on The Australian's claims.

The Block contestants' salaries are a whole different story.

Curious how much the actual Blockheads are paid for their three months of daily TV entertainment in comparison? Eek, don't get your hopes up.

A contestant on the 2022 season, Sarah-Jane, previously claimed in an Instagram Q&A that contestants were paid "$100 a day," which would mean a mere $700 a week each or $1,400 per week per couple.

The Block's Sarah-Jane and Tom. Image: Nine.

A 2023 contestant, Ash, also confirmed this figure in an appearance on Triple M Breakfast with Margaux, Marto and Dan. "You get a little bit of pocket money a day. I think it was around $100 per person per day," they said.

The Block typically takes place over 12 weeks, so this means that each contestant is paid roughly $8,400 for filming a whole season.

Sadly, this amount is in line with most other reality TV show salaries, which typically pay contestants a salary between $70 and $150 per day.

Of course, The Block contestants do have the possibility of making thousands of dollars if their finished home sells at auction, plus the winning team gets a cheeky $100k prize, but it's still a bit of a gamble.

Back in 2014, The Block Sky High contestants Bec and George wrote on a Facebook page that contestants were paid living expenses, but noted "This barely covers all the bills for your life you leave behind as well as eating everyday," they wrote.

"Yes we can win money and it's a gamble at auction BUT we also put our lives on hold for six months and work bloody hard for that money."

The likelihood of the properties selling for a high figure was arguably increased by the presence of billionaire Adrian Portelli, but in 2025, he departed the series. Sorry, teams.

What happens to The Block after Adrian Portelli?

In a move that will likely have the new Blockheads on edge, Adrian Portelli has officially confirmed he won't be returning to The Block to purchase any homes this season.

Adrian is one of the most well-known buyers on the show — having dropped $31.68 million over the years on different properties. But it was last season on Phillip Island where he really made a mark: he spent $15.03 million to buy all five houses.

It was argued that Adrian had 'rigged' the auction by simply spending the most on his favourite team's home… perhaps! But it also meant every single contestant walked away with a whole pile of money; more than most Block teams in the history of the show.

Now, he's stepping away.

The entrepreneur said he didn't want to "overstay his welcome" and chose to "go out with a bang" in 2024.

Does this mean the contestants are in for a rude shock come auction day, when they have to sell to "everyday people" over billionaires? Hosts Shelley Craft and Scott Cam aren't too worried.

"I'm sure our contestants would love him to be there [this year]. He has quite a remarkable habit of bidding well over reserve, and of course, some of our contestants have had life-changing experiences, because Adrian was there on auction day," Shelley Craft told Mamamia ahead of the premiere.

"I think for production, we're thrilled that there will be some new bidders there. We're excited that there might be some other people who didn't stand a chance to bid against a billionaire, to actually get a hold of one of these beautiful homes," she continued.

Last year's winners were 'hand selected' by Portelli. Image: Nine.

It's important to remember that selling 'above reserve' and walking away with riches is not a promised thing to all teams on this show. The only certainty is that the team who 'wins' will take home $100,000 in prize money.

As for the contestants being nervous about walking away with nothing — financially — Shelley says the new Blockheads will walk away with valuable life experiences. Even if they come up empty-handed in the auction.

"I tell [the contestants] until I'm blue in the face, and Scotty does too, we remind them throughout the series, that if you're open to opportunities, and if you're open to the experience with a broad mind, a lot comes post-The Block — besides the money. There are life experiences here that will define who you are moving forward. And to me, that's worth all the money in the world anyway. But it's very hard when you think you're gonna get a million bucks on the day."

Scotty also told Real Estate he "won't be nervous at all" come auction-day because he thinks these properties are worth every penny.

"They're great investments," Shelley told Mamamia.

"If you were a property investor and you weren't looking at a Block house, I'd be wondering what on earth you know about the industry... they're great investments, and we've seen that through the resale of the [houses] over the years."

Shortly after our chat with Shelley, it was announced Adrian had signed a deal with Channel 7 to join their new series, My Reno Rules. But for now, all eyes are on The Block and the upcoming season set in Daylesford.

Will the new homes sell? Probably! But I'm sure the contestants will be a little bit nervous — more than any team last season — come auction day.

Adrian Portelli vs Scott Cam.

In a new twist, a source 'close to production' has claimed that tensions were 'brewing behind the scenes' of The Block in 2024.

According to the source, billionaire bidder Adrian Portelli and host Scott Cam did not seem particularly chummy once the cameras stopped rolling.

"He gave them the biggest TV moment of the season and barely got a thank you," the source told The Daily Mail.

It seems the relationship hasn't improved on Adrian's side since then, either, as he recently called Scotty a "clown" and announced he was moving over to Channel Seven's reality series, My Reno Rules.

"Scott genuinely thought they were on good terms," a source told The Daily Mail. "Scotty Cam is renowned for being friendly on camera but keeps to himself off-set. It's rubbed some people the wrong way over the years."

For what it's worth, Scott has not commented on the rumours.

Mat and Robby set the record straight on why Han and Can were 'uninvited' from a group dinner.

The divide between Han and Can and the rest of the teams seems to be only widening on The Block.

In a recent episode, the couple said they weren't invited to a group dinner held by Mat and Robby.

But in a chat with Yahoo Lifestyle, the boys claimed that some important context was omitted from the episode: they said the girls were discouraged from coming because Robby's young son, Brooks, was in attendance, and they didn't want him to catch the women's sickness.

"I can tell you right now, there is 100 per cent no 'exclusion scandal' at all, that was blown out of the water," Mat said.

"The girls were kindly uninvited not to come because they and every workman on their side was so sick that we didn't want to run the risk of us getting sick or baby Brooks, or the pregnant lady [Emma]."

The WA couple have been on the outs all season. Image: Nine.

Mat didn't hold any ill will towards the women. "They were so sick. They'd worked themselves into the ground, and they were vulnerable, but they got themselves sick," he said.

"It's just about social awareness. Like, if I was sick, as sick as they were, I would just say, 'Hey guys, I'm sitting this one out'."

In an interview with Mamamia, Han and Can acknowledged there was a bit of friction between the teams in the early weeks, admitting to feeling 'isolated' during this time. But the vibe is expected to shift soon.

"It was never about not wanting to be included, it was just a necessity," they said.

"Once we built up our team of trades and found more balance, things definitely improved. We were able to spend more time with the others and we built some really special friendships."

Foreman Dan caught Han and Can lying in security footage.

Oop! In a dramatic turn of events, House Two contestants Han and Can found themselves at the centre of yet, another scandal after being caught on security cameras.

Foreman Dan grew suspicious that the women were improperly disposing of leftover paint. This was especially concerning, given the location where the build is happening. "We've got springs everywhere. We don't want to be contaminating our soil near the springs," Dan said, referring to Daylesford's mineral springs.

Foreman Dan suspected the couple of pouring the paint onto the ground in their yard, a violation of the show's rules and a potential environmental hazard.

When confronted, Han denied the act and suggested a tradesperson had done it, but the security footage clearly showed Can emptying her paint on the ground. Awkies!

"Why lie? Why would you lie about it?" Dan vented. "They've washed out paint on the ground, they've lied to me, and they're not taking ownership."

Can apologised to Dan but didn't seem super remorseful in her confessional. "It's the first time that I have been caught and told off, and it'll be the last time," Can said with a smirk.

You can read our full interview with Han and Can here.

The Block's first cheating scandal is here.

On last week's episode of The Block, a cheating scandal was heavily teased with a countdown to the feud — specifically 'X hours to The Block fallout' — playing throughout the episode. Real subtle, guys!

So who is involved? Sonny and Alisha reckon Han and Can have copied one of their designs.

"F**k it, today is the day The Block changes," Alisha is heard ranting as she heads over to confront Han and Can in a clip.

"Either your tiler has squealed or your builder has squealed because I don't think you guys have come up with the idea," she tells the WA couple.

In a confessional, Can said they were 'blindsided' by the confrontation. "We didn't copy House 4 at all!" she said when asked about the cheating claims.

Image: Nine.

In their own confessional, Sonny says that they were trying to play "an honest and good game", but added "Game on, moles," directed at the ladies.

In a later scene, an even more baffling moment goes down. "If we win, you can have the caravan," Han bizarrely offers Alisha and Sonny over dinner.

Mat believed this was an admission of guilt. "If someone accused me of committing something I didn't do, I would fight to the death to prove I was innocent." Ooft!

This isn't the first time that the couple have been accused of some suss behaviour. Han has been known to enlist the help of her father on multiple occasions to get his advice on their build.

In one conversation, it sounded like Han's dad was drawing the couple's floor plan for them.

"My dad, he's always got a really good opinion — as in he knows building code — so I always just like his opinion on certain things and whether it works or not," she said.

"I'll just draw what I've got here," her dad said in one phone call.

Foreman Dan wasn't happy about Han roping in her dad to do the work. "She's asked her dad to draw it up instead of her drawing it up, so I'm confused why that's happened," he said.

"I did draw it," Han insisted at the time. "I just like him to look at it."

On the 2023 season, Steph and Gian faced swift backlash from their fellow teams after getting guidance from Steph's builder dad.

This season will bring the 'biggest scandal we've ever seen.'

The Block is promising its most explosive season yet — they promise this every year. But in 2025, two hairdressers from Queensland might just be the ones to deliver it. Season 21 is about to give us what producers are calling "the biggest scandal the show has ever seen", and all eyes are on best mates Robby and Mat — two self-proclaimed "reno rookies" who are about to shake things up in Daylesford.

Both Robby and Mat are professional athletes — one with a football background, the other a figure skater — which means they know exactly what it takes to win under pressure.

"We obviously have a very big secret," Robby teased the cameras.

What's the secret? We don't know, at this point, but if their confident smirks and competitive backgrounds are anything to go by, it's clearly something that could turn the entire competition on its head.

"We're about to take over The Block," the duo said. "Game on moles."

A new twist for The Blockheads.

Scotty has confirmed the 2025 season will see all contestants building their homes from scratch for the first time ever.

In some seasons past, the purchased homes have been so dilapidated that the cast may as well have been building from the ground up — but they still had bones to work with. Now, we're building all the way!

This will clearly add an extra layer of stress to the build, as these regular people attempt to pull off the impossible: complete a new build in a designated timeframe, in a small town. Which brings us to the location.

The Block 2025 filming location.

The new season was filmed in the Victorian country town of Daylesford, a 90-minute drive from the Melbourne CBD. Nine purchased an allotment not too far from the town's centre.

Daylesford is a picturesque (and very popular) region thanks to its stunning natural beauty and charming town centre. And if you're thinking it sounds familiar, you're right!

The Block was slated to film in Daylesford in 2024, but pulled out of the region due to local community backlash. After a dispute involving the state planning minister and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Nine moved the 20th season to Phillip Island.

Now, they've ironed out the details and filmed the new season earlier this year.

Daylesford is a picturesque country town in Victoria. Image: Getty.

"So after a lot of wrangling back and forth, the plans that we submitted to the council in Daylesford were finally approved a couple of months ago, so we've decided we're going to go there," executive producer Julian Cress told TV Tonight of the decision to return to the country.

"We're going to do the show that we wanted to do [last] year and we're really excited about [it] because we think off the back of this kind of 'seachange' series that we're doing in Phillip Island, Daylesford is just a beautiful country town. It's the number one weekend destination in Australia. So again, I think it's a town that will resonate with a lot of viewers and as a backdrop for The Block, it's absolutely stunning and the community there is wonderful."

Cress told TV Tonight there was "one person" in a town of 10,000 residents who opposed the first attempt at filming, but claimed all was well when the cast and crew rolled into town to film the 2025 season.

The Block 2025 designs are giving fans déjà vu.

It's not the first time The Block has taken its drama to the countryside, with contestants renovating farmsteads in the 2022 season filmed in the Macedon Ranges.

An insider has told The Daily Mail that the new homes created this year are a little bit too similar to those built in the 'Tree Change' season.

"Honestly, the style and finish of the homes are nearly identical to what we saw in [the 2022 season]," they told the publication. "Same vibe, same tones, same country-chic energy."

But honestly? The same could be said for about 80 per cent of the rooms delivered each week on The Block, where the contestants all share similar visions in the hopes of enticing the right kinds of buyers.

Either way, it's always a fun watch to see the teams bringing their plans to life.

The Block airs Monday to Wednesday, 7:30pm and Sunday, 7pm, on Channel Nine and 9Now.