Long-time judge Neale Whitaker stepped back from the 2024 season of The Block, and now he’s explained the reason behind his choice.
After over a decade as a judge, Neale announced in May that he won’t be returning for the 20th season. He shared the sad news on Instagram and said that he’s prioritising spending time with his partner David, who’s unwell.
During an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle at the 2024 Logies, Neale elaborated on why he decided to leave the popular reality TV show.
“Oh gosh, it was a big decision, but it was something that I had to do for my personal life,” he said.
“After 13 years, it kind of felt like the timing was right. I gave it my best shot for all those years, and it was time to move on.
Will Neale Whitaker return to The Block?
Earlier this year, Neale confirmed in a statement that he’s “permanently” handed his role over to Marty Fox.
However, he hinted that he’ll still be attached to The Block in some way.
“It’s always going to have a very special place for me, that show, always,” he told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“And I think if I’m honest, I’ll always feel like an honorary member of the show – I don’t know whether they’ll approve of that, but that’s how I feel.”
Who are The Block 2024 judges?
The Block 2023 saw newcomer Marty join Neale, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer as the judges.
Marty and Neale judged alternative weeks while Shaynna and Darren were full-time The Block judges.
With Neale making the decision to step back from his judging gig, Marty has become a full-time judge.
“I’ve handed my judging sheet permanently to Marty Fox (who stepped in so brilliantly last season) and I know he will have a blast with Shaynna and Darren as I did for 17 seasons,” Neale said in the Instagram post he published in May.
“It’s been such a privilege to be part of Australia’s most iconic TV show for an unbelievable 13 years – unbelievable to me, anyway.”
Here’s to hoping it won’t be too long until we see Neale back on our screens.
The Block airs on Sundays at 7pm and Mon – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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