The Block viewers have slammed the renovation series for going ‘woke’ after reports emerged Channel Nine considered an ‘all gay’ cast for the 2025 Daylesford season.
Producers eventually nixed the idea, but chose to honour the LGBTQIA+ history of the regional Victorian town with a gay pride theme on the first day of filming.
Now, critics have lashed out at the series on Facebook for its attempts at inclusion, with some saying the show ‘has gone to the dogs’.
‘Go woke go broke,’ one person wrote.
‘Finally, the last nail in the coffin for this s***show,’ another added.
A third commented: ‘This show has gone to the dogs.’
The Block viewers have slammed the renovation series for going ‘woke’ after reports emerged Channel Nine considered an ‘all gay’ cast for the 2025 Daylesford season
‘Just when you you think the show can’t get any lower they come up with this rubbish,’ yet another said.
Despite the wave of backlash, some fans rushed to the defence of Nine and praised producers for celebrating Daylesford’s ‘inclusive history’.
‘Not sure what the fuss is about really. Vive la [sic] difference! Daylesford is a beautiful and friendly place, so it should be a good series,’ one wrote.
‘I love Daylesford and it’s fitting to acknowledge its long history of being a welcoming place to all. Good decision by the producers,’ another commented.
One user said: ‘They’re in Daylesford, so why not celebrate pride and the town’s inclusive history? Best of luck to all the contestants.’
‘Love this show! The Block always acknowledges and respects the communities it merges with. Can’t wait to watch this series located in Daylesford!’ yet another added.
In images obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia on Friday, the next line-up of cast members could be seen happily displaying their LGBTQIA+ pride.
While an ‘all gay’ cast for the 2025 season was recently debunked, the series still gave a nod to Daylesford’s rainbow history on day one of filming.
Producers eventually nixed the idea, but chose to honour the LGBTQIA+ history of the regional Victorian town with a gay pride theme on the first day of filming. Pictured: host Scott Cam
This year’s contestants donned their most colourful looks for the occasion, with one all-women team stealing the show in their bright yellow and pink cowboy hats.
The pair, who are reportedly this year’s lesbian couple, were all smiles as they waved rainbow flags and donned colourful feather boa’s while arriving on a pride float.
It comes after reports revealed producers of The Block considered an ‘all gay’ cast for the 2025 season as a tribute to the history of Daylesford.
The tiny rural getaway, which is 112km from Melbourne, is the location for this year’s hit renovation show and is well known for its LGBTQIA+ ChillOut Festival.
An insider told Daily Mail Australia a lesbian couple have already been signed on as one of five teams this year.
‘In fact, not only was inclusion on Channel Nine’s mind, but an all gay series was on the cards at one point,’ claimed the source.
‘This is the second time the reality series has had two women on the show—Julia Treuel and Sasha Wright-Neville in 2016 were in fact the first lesbian couple.’
Meanwhile, couple Gavin ‘Gav’ Atkins and Warren ‘Waz’ Sonin became fan favourites during the first season in 2003.
Now, critics have lashed out at the series on Facebook for its attempts at inclusion, with some saying the show ‘has gone to the dogs’
Despite the wave of backlash, some fans came to the defence of the show and praised producers for celebrating Daylesford’s ‘inclusive history’
However, the source said ‘official plans’ for an all gay season were abandoned for a few reasons.
‘When it comes down to it, shows like these don’t really work to “stunt cast”. Including an all gay cast,’ they said.
‘The reality is that Channel Nine, nor any other network, wouldn’t cast like this for fear of alienating audiences.
‘It would be fun in theory, and it would be quite colourful and rewarding, but you run the risk of alienating some audiences.’
Meanwhile, a Daylesford advocate commented ‘inclusion’ should have been a priority on The Block in 2025.
‘It would seem to be a massive oversight to not cast someone among the queer community or a Daylesford based run of the show with such strong ties dating back decades,’ they said.
‘It was groundbreaking to have Gav and Waz on TV at 6:30pm in the first season in 2003.
‘So it is not new for The Block, but this year but they did have a special reason for including the LGBTQIA+ community.’
Daylesford, meanwhile, is listed on the Visit Gay Australia (VGA) site as the ‘gay capital of regional Victoria’.
Among its attractions for the LGBTQIA+ community is the ChillOut Festival which is considered as ‘Australia’s number one Queer Country Pride Festival’.
The VGA also claims Daylesford is a favourite getaway for members of the queer community.
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