Meals, Curfews & Filming Secrets — Your Most-Asked The Block Questions Answered

The Block is widely known for being one of the most entertaining renovation shows on television. As it enters its 19th season on Australian screens, it promises to set a new standard of house makeovers, room reveals and of course, some juicy drama between the contestants and tradies thrown in for good measure.

The 2023 season of The Block has returned to Melbourne for filming, where five teams are tasked with transforming 1950s family homes into contemporary houses ready for auction.

But like any other reality TV show, there are parts that we don't get to see, leaving us all wondering what happens beyond the long hours on set and the judges scoring each room.

We spoke to Channel 9 to get answers to some of the burning questions we've all had about The Block.

In order to get a true feel for the place and to keep cracking on with renovations, all contestants actually stay on 'The Block' and there is no alternative accommodation.

This means that cast members might have to rough it out under the stars at the early stages of the renos, regardless of rain, hail or shine.

Cast members on The Block are supplied with prepared meals from the food delivery service, Lite N Easy. They are also encouraged to light up the barbecue on their supplied Webers.

Cast dinners are also a highlight of filming, where host Scott Cam will cook or host a BBQ for everyone. After judging on a Sunday at Scotty's HQ, all cast are provided with professional catering. The Block likes to support local catering initiatives like FairFeed for the big group dinners.

Filming can be 24/7, with Blockheads filmed around the clock when there is a busy storyline. Production has a crew that works at all hours, including an overnight producer that ensures not one bit of renovating, or drama, is missed.

As per The Block's rules, no power tools are allowed to be used after 6pm. If a team breaks that curfew, it's up to Foremen Keith and Dan to decide what penalty is put in place, and could even mean a few hours' shut down.

There are no power tools after 3pm on a Saturday, and no power tools on a Sunday or public holiday at all, in order to respect the neighbours.

When they are filming, all cast members must have their microphones switched on. Essentially, this is from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep when they are physically at 'The Block'.

As avid viewers of The Block would know, the contestants almost always seem to be on the go. However, they can have some downtime, and often they will do something simple like go to the pub for dinner with their castmates when they get a chance.

We're told that it's such an intense three-month experience, that the cast members don't get much time off.

All contestants are given 'Block phones' and are allowed to download their social media or any other apps they need during filming. They're allowed to communicate with family and friends, and usually do this via phone calls or FaceTime.

This really varies depending on what's happening in each episode. Sometimes an episode might take one day to film, while at other times it might be two or three. It all depends on the storylines that develop.

The producers work across all the houses so there isn't a single producer assigned to a particular house or couple. 

If a house doesn't sell at the auction finale, it's then put on to the market for a hopeful eventual sale. This was the case last year on The Block: Tree Change, when Adrian Portelli bought Sharon and Ankur's house in Gisborne a couple of weeks after the initial auction.