Scott Cam and Shelley Craft.
The Block judge Marty Fox has unleashed a pint-sized critic on this season’s contestants, revealing his eight-year-old son Fred was “harsher” than the experts during kitchen week.
The surprise guest stepped onto set on Sunday, working a full day behind the scenes before delivering blunt verdicts on the high-stakes builds.
“Absolutely he’s harsher,” Fox said.
“He’s not on the payroll, so he just says whatever he feels. It was fantastic.”
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Fred wasted no time forming opinions, declaring he preferred House 1’s kitchen over House 2’s after inspecting the spaces up close.
When asked why, he pointed to layout and styling, questioning why furniture had not been better positioned within the room.
Fox declined to reveal his own verdict ahead of the episode airing, but hinted his son was not far off the mark.
“Freddy knows a good kitchen,” he said.
Marty Fox with son Fred, who spent a full day on The Block set and proved to be a tougher critic than the pros. Picture: Instagram/martyfox
Fred Fox got a behind-the-scenes look at kitchen week and wasted no time delivering his own unfiltered judging calls. Picture: Instagram/ martyfox
Kitchen week is the most demanding stage of the competition, requiring contestants to complete a main kitchen alongside a butler’s pantry, powder room and even lift installations under intense time pressure.
Fox said this year’s kitchens had set a new benchmark for the show.
“By a mile,” he said.
“There’s been no kitchen benchtop that has uninterrupted views of Port Phillip Bay in a precinct surrounded by multimillion-dollar homes.
“It was phenomenal.
“We’re talking five metre long kitchen benches. That’s a substantial kitchen bench.”
Fred Fox was invited onto The Block set by the Nine team, where he was mic’d up and put to work alongside the crew. Picture: Instagram/martyfox
Behind the scenes, Fred was integrated into the production crew, helping manage audio equipment and run memory cards between departments during filming.
“They mic’d him up, gave him a boom and really integrated him into the team,” Fox said.
Despite his age, Fox said his son had developed a sharp eye for detail from growing up around property.
“Fred’s only eight years old and he’s in his ninth bedroom,” he said.
Marty Fox with fellow judge Darren Palmer on set during The Block 2026 kitchen week in Mount Eliza. Picture: Instagram/ martyfox
Marty Fox said watching son Fred step up on a professional set was one of his proudest moments. Picture: Instagram/martyfox
“He picks up on detail that you wouldn’t expect a kid to pick up on.
“When he’s talking about materials and saying words like palette and doesn’t like the styling of something or questions why they’ve put a plate of pears on the kitchen, you just laugh.
“Not many eight-year-olds would say that.”
WHITEFOX founder and Block judge Marty Fox used the experience to teach son Fred the value of work, respect and earning his own money. Picture: Instagram/martyfox
Fox paid his son $10 an hour for the day, with Fred opting to only be paid for the time he worked on set rather than travel.
“I said, ‘That’s the right answer. However, because you’re so honest, I’m going to pay you for the travel,’” Fox said.
“He got 100 bucks.”
It comes as questions continue to swirl around The Block’s 2026 cast, with Nine yet to officially confirm the line-up despite multiple contestants already being identified.
Contestants tipped to appear on The Block 2026 are already drawing attention as filming continues in Mount Eliza. Picture: Supplied
News Corp Australia has previously revealed this year’s teams are expected to include South Australian pastoral pair Jolene and Adam Wagner, Western Australians Rosco Wilson and Lisa Dunbar, Brisbane renovators Courtney Kain and Sevilay Keser, Gold Coast couple Chantel Green and Wyatt Randall and Victorian father-daughter duo Tayla and Rick Peroomal.
Photos circulating online appear to show several of this year’s teams together in work gear following filming, including Jolene and Adam Wagner, Rosco Wilson and Lisa Dunbar, and Courtney Kain and Sevilay Keser.
Notably absent from the image were Green and Randall, as well as Tayla and Rick Peroomal.
With the show returning to a prestige Mount Eliza market where homes are expected to push into the $5m range, the mix of contestants is likely to play a critical role in whether buyers connect with the finished product.
Nine has not confirmed the final cast. The Block will air later this year on Nine and 9Now.
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