Scott Cam is one of the instantly recognisable faces on television. Known to viewers and contestants alike as ‘Scotty’, the 62-year-old has hosted The Block Australia since 2010. He’s going to have his work cut out for him on the newest season, which one contestant calls “the biggest season ever”. We caught up with Scottyy during a recent trip out to New Zealand, as the twentieth season of The Block Australia launches on our screens.
Welcome to New Zealand Scotty! Have you visited New Zealand before? What do you notice about the buildings here compared to Australia?
I’ve been to New Zealand a few times over the years, but the last time for pleasure was 25 years ago. Now it’s all work. [Auckland] does feel like an Australian city: I’ve seen some nice weatherboard places with verandas, which reminds me of Melbourne. But I rang my wife and said we should holiday here, because I’d be so much more relaxed. I don’t get recognised which is a massive change to Australia. I just went to get a sandwich in the supermarket and nobody said hello to me…it was brilliant. If I walk into a supermarket at home the whole place is staring at me and maybe 30 to 40 people saying hello.
My very good mate Hamish [Blake, host of Lego Masters] has got a house over here down in Queenstown. I’ve been down that way once and it was beautiful. So I’m going to pitch that we holiday down there. I’ve got a farm in Mudgee in New South Wales – maybe we can house-swap.
We’re very big fans of The Block Australia here – especially now our own Block New Zealand has been cancelled.
We did hear about that. The Daily Mail Australia, as you know, likes to twist things. So they published a big headline saying ‘The Block Cancelled!”… of course hiding it was The Block New Zealand. I had people in the streets running up to me crying asking what had happened! But that [cancellation] was a real shame because we love other franchises being successful.
So, we’re into the twentieth season of The Block Australia. Fans of this show span generations – much more so than any other home reno show. What is it about The Block Australia in particular that strikes such a chord with both Aussie and Kiwi viewers?
I think what we try to create is family viewing. That’s what I had growing up: there was always a show where we all got together to watch in the TV room. There was no pressing pause, you had to be in your seat when it started! From what we gather, that’s what happens with our show. Families are getting together in front of the telly to watch The Block and I love that.
We’ve only had the first few episodes here so no spoilers – but we have gotten a little glimpse into some of the tears and fights in future eps. By all accounts, this season is a doozy. What can Kiwi blockheads expect from this season?
Even we, as a production company, were taken aback by what happens this season. By weeks four and five, there’s one pretty traumatic situation. Then there is another situation that snowballs and festers until it comes to a crescendo in the last few weeks of the series. It goes mental. I was asking everyone: ‘What the hell is going on?’ – and that’s after doing 20 seasons. I was ringing my wife during filming saying, ‘This is out of control’. Some of the behaviour from the cast of this season was so unacceptable, I had to pull them up, even off-camera.
I don’t know how clued into modern dating terminology you are but a big thing is ‘red flags’: warning signs when dating a new person that might hint at bad behaviour down the line. Are there any red flags that immediately jump out when a new team arrives on The Block?
100 per cent. I’m sometimes perplexed about how some of those teams get through the interview process, but people are very good about putting on a persona when they want something. We get 40,000 couples entering every year so for some of them, this is their dream job and it’s a pathway to other things– fame and Instagram. You’re going for your dream job so you’re going to tell a few fibs in the interviews. But once they’re on and a little pressure builds up, it hits the fan. And red flags are popping up all over the show.
The breakout star of the last few seasons is, of course, your rescue kelpie Frankie. How is she handling her newfound fame?
She’s just got her first paid gig! My daughter works in media and set up the dog’s Instagram. Well, she just got paid to promote a flea collar! [laughing]. By the way, I bought the flea collar first. We’ve got a house down the south coast with lots of paralysis tics and they said this one lasts eight months. So I bought it. Then the company contacted my manager and said [Frankie] is wearing our flea collar on TV and we’d love you to tell the story about it.
Well, that’s a trusted influencer.
I’m starting a new renovation in January on our house down the coast. And we got a bill for our new bathroom and laundry tiles and it came to the same amount as the flea collar deal! I messaged the family group chat and said, “The dog just paid for the tiles!”
Talking of renos, we’re coming into summer here in Aotearoa, a time when many Kiwis might be tackling renovation jobs, garden projects etc. Are there three tools that every amateur blockhead should have in their arsenal?
- A nail bag: You need to have a nail bag on to look the part. My dad used to say, “if you’re not a good cricketer, look like one”. So have all the gear. A nail bag has your gear covered in it: your tapes and hammers, a couple of chisels… stuff like that
- A budget book: That’s the best tool of all time. Get quotes, put them in it, and stick to your budget. Because if you run out of money halfway through, you’re buggered.
- A bench. Bring everything up to waist height. I see a lot of DIY people on their knees cutting stuff on the ground. And that is just madness. The first thing an apprentice would do on every job is build a bench. Put it in the corner somewhere. Bring everything up waist height, save your news, save your back.
The Block Australia screens 7pm Mon to Wed and 7.30pm Sundays on Three, streaming on ThreeNow.
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