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Producers of The Block considered an ‘all Gay’ cast for the 2025 season as a tribute to the ‘Queer history’ of Daylesford.
The tiny rural getaway, which is 112 km from Melbourne, is the location for this year’s hit renovation show and is well known for its LGBTQIA+ ChillOut Festival.
An insider tells Daily Mail Australia that 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.
Producers of The Block considered an ‘all gay’ cast for the 2025 season as a tribute to the ‘Queer history’ of Daylesford
The tiny rural getaway, which is 112 km from Melbourne, is the location for this year’s hit renovation show and is well known for its LGBTQIA+ ChillOut Festival. Pictured: Daylesford
However, the source says that ‘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 queer cast,’ they said.
‘The reality is that Channel Nine nor any other network would 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 that ‘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 LGBTI+community.’
An insider has confirmed exclusively to Daily Mail Australia that a lesbian couple have already been signed on as one of five teams this year. Pictured: Julia Treuel and Sasha Wright-Neville in 2016 were in fact The Block’s first lesbian couple
Meanwhile, couple Gavin ‘Gav’ Atkins and Warren ‘Waz’ Sonin became fan favourites during the first season in 2003
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 that Daylesford is favourite getaway for members of the Queer community.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.
It comes after The Block’s 2025 season hit a serious snag recently which has caused production to be delayed, claims an insider.
An exclusive industry source told Daily Mail Australia that filming was set to commence in Daylesford in February but has now been pushed back.
Production on the popular Channel Nine reality renovation series is now reportedly delayed until March.
And the reason for the hold up? Our source revealed that producers are less-than-enamoured with the crop of contestants who applied for the show’s 21st season.
Daylesford 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’. (Pictured)
They claimed casting producers have been in crisis meetings with Nine executives this week because they are so far unhappy with the presented line-up for 2025.
‘There are desperate measures being made to get the show right for the next series,’ the source said.
‘There has been a noticeable absence of what Channel Nine were interested in showcasing later this year.’
The source said Nine was interested in attracting ‘older and wiser’ contestants for 2025, in a bid to move away from on screen drama that has become a fixture on the show in recent seasons.
Much of the 2024 season was dominated by the controversial ‘flirtgate scandal’ involving married couple Brad and Kylie Baker, and their co-star Mimi Belperio.
Daly Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.
While viewers may think they have already seen it all on the drama-packed reality TV show, the 2025 season will be injecting another never-before-seen twist.
Contestants will have to build their luxury homes completely from scratch in a new plot line that is sure to inject even more tension into the already time-pressured and stressful builds.
In a huge challenge, the 2025 contestants will be required to complete the shell of a five-bedroom floor plan, including a study, living area and a garage.
The properties will also include other lavish amenities including a covered outdoor area and a heated swimming pool.
The documents, which were submitted by Group Architects, also suggest that the five homes will be near-identical two-storey eco friendly developments.
Daylesford was set to be the site of The Block’s 2024 season, however production was eventually moved to Phillip Island following a planning dispute.
