The Block

Sunday, 7pm, Nine

It’s been a bumpy ride these past few seasons of The Block. Almost a year on from last year’s auction, two of the deluxe Daylesford homes renovated on the show are still languishing on the market. To make matters worse, Sonny and Alicia’s second-place home, which sold for $3.06 million, netting the contestants $120,000 in prize money, has recently been re-listed — ouch.

Turns out forking out $3 million-plus for a home that fronts on to a main road and backs on to a new housing estate wasn’t up everyone’s alley. Contestants Emma and Ben, and Perth couple Han and Can walked away with a big, fat nothing — a devastating result.

All this came off the back of record results the year before. Billionaire investor Adrian Portelli forked out a whopping $15.03 million in a single afternoon in 2024 to buy all five Block houses, later giving them away through his company.

Portelli famously paired with Seven for this year’s My Reno Rules, so it looks doubtful he’ll be back on a rival network offering up fistfuls of cash for the houses — the pressure will be on for this year’s Blockheads to bring the goods as they renovate this year’s five luxury two-storey homes.

Nine purchased the 1.35ha development site in ritzy Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula for $11 million. The land has been carved into two precincts: “Uptown” — Houses One and Three (they boast bigger land sizes), and “Downtown” — Houses Two, Four and Five, which are further down the slope, and have panoramic views.

You can’t underestimate just how sought-after Mount Eliza is for buyers, and given each of the homes has a water view — a first for any Block properties —they are sure to lure plenty of interested parties, though let’s be real here, the property market isn’t exactly thriving right now.

Either way, it will be fascinating to see where this season heads — I’ll be watching eagerly.

The Voice

Sunday, 7pm, Seven

And we’re back! The Voice is returning for another year, with coaches Kate Miller-Heidke, Melanie C, Ronan Keating and Richard Marx back for a second stab at the crown. This year Dance Monkey extraordinaire Tones And I is also joining as a mentor — just how she fits into things remains to be seen (a huge twist has been hinted at, so you’ll want to watch to find out what that is). Looking forward to seeing the talent they unearth.

The Traitors Australia

Tuesday, 7.30pm, Ten

In the first episode, new host Gretel Killeen is wheeled out in a black coffin. She emerges wearing a bloodied wedding dress and it’s the first introduction to the show this year’s contestants — all Aussie reality TV alumni — get. It’s unhinged, and ridiculous, and hilarious … and pretty much sets the scene for what is shaping up to be a great season. The first episode gets off to a cracking start and I can’t wait to see more.

Ted Lasso

Wednesday, streaming on Apple TV Plus

It looked like Ted Lasso was donezo after season three — by all accounts, the cast and crew were well and truly ready to move on. But what a difference a bit of time makes: creator Jason Sudeikis realised he wasn’t done playing Ted, and this season’s storyline was born. It sees his character return to coach AFC’s women’s team — a genius narrative tool that enables things to move on beautifully. Can’t wait for you to see this one.

Monsters Of God

Friday, streaming on HBO Max

Remember when we all lost our minds over the craziness that was Tiger King? The creators are back with another bonkers series — and they might just have one-upped themselves in the weirdness stakes. This one is all about a network of odd-bods obsessed with smuggling rare, exotic reptiles. Filmmaker Eric Goode stops at nothing to explore this warped world, covering decades and continents in his quest to dive a little deeper. Strap in — this five-parter is a wild ride.