Mark Richardson And Shannon Ryan Head Back to the Block

Monday 1 July, 2013

Mark Richardson And Shannon Ryan Head Back to the Block

Sports-star-turned-broadcaster Mark Richardson, and FOUR Live presenter, Shannon Ryan are heading back to The Block to host the second season of TV3’s top-rating renovation-reality show.

With four brand-new teams gearing up to renovate four new houses, Mark and Shannon are getting their boots on for a ‘blocktastic’ 2013 season.

Host Mark Richardson says: “It is such an awesome experience to be part of a project of this nature, let alone what was the biggest TV show of the year.

“It was so much fun last year, well for me at least – I can’t speak for the teams!”

Mark believes the 2013 ‘Block’ houses have even more potential than last year’s, and is predicting a big payday for the winning team. However, he’s not planning to pick up a hammer himself.

“The Block NZ inspired me so much last year that I did the demolition on my own bathroom renovation. Never again! That one room took me longer than our teams get to do an entire house,” he says.

With series one under her tool belt, challenge host Shannon Ryan is looking forward to getting back into the pressure-cooker of The Block NZ weekly challenges.

“The drama and surprise involved make hosting the challenges really exciting,” she says.

“I’m expecting the 2013 couples to be even more creative and competitive than last year. Game on!”

TV3 is also delighted to announce that Bunnings Warehouse, Mazda, Kiwibank and Wild Bean Cafe, foundation partners for the hugely successful premiere season of The Block NZ, are back on board in 2013.

The Block NZ is produced by Eyeworks Television for TV3. To find out more, visit www.tv3.co.nz/theblock. and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/theblockTV3.

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For further information please contact:

Megan Stuart
Senior Publicist – The Block NZ
021 855 622
MeganStuart@mediaworks.co.nz

ABOUT THE BLOCK NZ

The Block is one of the biggest reality formats in the world, with a compelling blend of real estate dreams and high-stakes drama that has made it a global phenomenon.

In 2012, the first season of TV3’s hit renovation-reality show turned the contestants into household names and saw winners Libby and Ben walk away with an amazing $237,000. Kiwis embraced the show from the start, and 15,000 ‘block-a-holics’ visiting the Open Homes and 1,099,400 New Zealanders tuned in during the two-hour finale which was broadcast LIVE on TV3. (5+ cume reach).

The Block NZ was voted ‘Best Reality Contest’ in TV Guide’s Best on the Box Awards and Julie Christie was named Best Director for the show last year at the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards.

Season one of The Block NZ also won the approval of the country where the format originated with series screening on the Go! and Nine Networks in Australia. Endemol Worldwide Distribution, who concluded the original format deal on behalf of the Nine Network Australia, are the international distributors of The Block NZ.

The 2013 edition of The Block NZ will again see four New Zealand couples compete to renovate four dilapidated houses in an upmarket suburb – room-by-room, week-by-week, challenge-by-challenge – and sell them at auction for the highest price. The contestants literally live and breathe their DIY project for the duration of the shoot, living on site in The Block NZ houses.

Once the four teams have been selected, there are no further eliminations. The winning team is decided by the toughest judge of all, the real estate market. All four teams receive profits from the sale of their house at an auction, broadcast LIVE on TV3. The Block NZ crown going to the team whose property sells for the most over reserve, and they take home an additional cash prize of $80,000.

Producers received more than double the number of entries they received in 2012 for the upcoming 2013 series.

The New Zealand series is produced by Eyeworks Television for TV3. Foundation partners are Bunnings Warehouse, Mazda, Kiwibank and Wild Bean Café.

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