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The Block’s much anticipated 20th anniversary series is set to hit screens in August – and speculation among fans is mounting it could be the last.
Now filming on Phillip Island in Victoria, Nine’s ratings blockbuster has been rocked by shock exits from cast members and contestants leading to rumours the long-running show could be axed next year.
The brand also took a knock earlier this month after its New Zealand iteration was cancelled before filming even started.
‘The Block has been cancelled in NZ… will it follow here?,’ one fan recently asked on Facebook.
‘Maybe they all know something we don’t are are getting out while they can,’ another said.
‘I think this might just be the last season full stop?’ asked another fan.
Realestate.com.au reported on Monday that rumours about The Block’s longevity started after judge Neale Whitaker announced he was quitting the show earlier this month, leaving the cast devastated.
Neale confirmed he will no longer be a regular on the hit. He took on a limited role as a judge last year to support his partner, David, as he faced serious health challenges.
The fan favourite is however expected to make guest appearances on the upcoming season alongside judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and newcomer Marty Fox.
The acclaimed interior designer’s exit comes after Keith Schleiger, aka Foreman Keith, confirmed his role would be scaled back to a guest part on the new series.
The reality star, 50, revealed he made the difficult decision after deciding the long commute times to Philip Island to film would keep him away from his two daughters.
And the show suffered yet another set back only weeks into filming as a couple of contestants quit.
A Nine spokesperson on Wednesday told the Daily Mail Australia there was nothing in the fan-fuelled rumours.
‘Despite the speculation, The Block is not being cancelled,’ they insisted.
Meanwhile, residents living around The Block’s building site have complained about the impact of filming on the tourist destination.
According to locals the series has worn out its welcome after causing what residents have called ‘traffic chaos’ in and around the construction site on Phillip Island.
The iconic spot 90 minutes from Melbourne is famed for its fairy penguins.
On Friday, Daily Mail Australia watched enormous big rigs carting palm trees into the construction site, which is positioned in a former Cowes resort along a narrow street called Justice Road.
‘There’s no justice along this road,’ one weary resident said.
‘It’s been chaos along here for months. We can’t wait ’til they rack off.’
Construction workers descended on the site in February, sparking what for some residents seems like an endless procession of traffic along a road also used by busloads of tourists en route to the nightly penguin parade.
One resident told Daily Mail Australia the traffic issues were mainly caused by large trucks carting The Block’s building supplies being forced to queue along the street.
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They can be lined up for up to three hours, locals said, because there was only one entrance in and out of the property where the homes were being constructed.
The trucks often idle on the road for hours on end with their engines spewing fumes into the air, residents claimed.
A Channel Nine-owned company purchased the site, the Island Cove Villas for a whopping $9.5million late last year.