Exclusive: Neale Whitaker Shares His True Thoughts on Leaving Nine for Seven

Neale Whitaker Returns to TV as a Judge on New Show

Neale Whitaker is making a return to television as a judge on Channel Seven’s new show, My Reno Rules, after stepping away from The Block to care for his partner. The show features four teams competing to renovate two Melbourne homes, with the winners taking home a property plus $100,000 in prize money.

Neale has no hard feelings about moving to a rival network and is also juggling a personal renovation project in Berry, NSW. For Neale, returning to TV as a home renovations judge was all about the timing. In 2023, he stepped away from his role on The Block after 17 seasons to care for his long-term partner, David Novak-Piper.

“Had the request to be a part of My Reno Rules come through 18 months ago, I probably would’ve said ‘no’,” Neale tells New Idea. “But then when I was asked, I was very flattered [they] wanted me to be a part of it.”

My Reno Rules premieres on Channel Seven this week. Thankfully, David’s health is now “very much improved”, so Neale felt ready to go back to work.

But in addition to the new show, Neale is also tackling a personal home renovation project at the moment. He and David are actually in the middle of a house move when New Idea catches up with him! “We recently sold our larger property, on the NSW South Coast and have now bought a new home, right in the centre of nearby Berry,” Neale explains. “We’ll be renting a sweet little cottage while the renovations are done, but we hope to move into our new place in six months.”

Having just purchased a new property himself, Neale is excited to help make the same dream come true for two Australian families on My Reno Rules, who will win the two homes on the show.

Four teams of two will breathe new life into the run-down lodgings in Melbourne. The winning contestants will take home $100,000 in prize money. Adrian Portelli and Neale’s fellow judges, Simon Cohen and Julia Green, are also involved in the project.

“In the current financial climate, I think that giving away two homes is a wonderful thing,” he says. Neale also enjoyed working with My Reno Rules’ host, Dr. Chris Brown. He shares that Chris “brings a sense of humour to the show”.

But, after spending so long at Channel Nine on The Block, does it not feel a little strange for Neale to work on Seven’s new rival home reno show?

He insists it’s “not a problem” and expects his Block pals Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, Shelley Craft and Scott Cam will all be supportive. “We don’t see each other a lot because everyone is busy, but we all worked together for so long, I would think that there would be a complete understanding that I would be doing new work when I was able,” Neale says.

“Australians cannot get enough of home renovation shows, so if there is more than one successful program in the genre, then that’s a good thing!”

It’s undoubtedly a busy time for Neale, who also hopes that Love It or List It Australia, his Foxtel series with Andrew Winter, will be renewed for another season. And now that all is well on the home front, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I really love what I do,” he adds with a warm smile.