Kiwis on social media calls for 'The Block NZ' series to be scrapped after shock result

The outcome of The Block NZ has left Kiwi fans outraged on social media with calls for the show to axe future seasons.

Last night's winners, Chloe Hes and Ben Speedy, may have sold their terrace house for more than their fellow competitors, but at $1.145 million, it reached just $4000 above the reserve.

That's the smallest winning profit in the show's ten-year history, and a harsh reflection of the change in the Auckland housing market, notes OneRoof editor Owen Vaughan.

For the rest of the season 10 competitors, some walked away with nothing for their efforts on the three-bedroom terraced houses in Orewa: one sold at reserve, one reached just $100 above the reserve, and one house sold at a loss. The teams only get to pocket what the property sells for above the reserve.

The auction results have incensed fans on social media with commiserating comments flooding the show's Facebook page.

"This is horrible for all that hard work ..." wrote one.

"Such a sad sad show ... can't even really be happy for the winners ..." commented another.

Others said they were "gutted" for the contestants and thought it was "Rats*** they did all that work for nothing. The reserves are way too high."

While Hes and Speedy also walked away with $100, 000 as winners of the show, their $4000 profit margin is in stark contrast to previous years where, at its height, season nine saw contestants Tim and Arthur pocket $760,000 on their Point Chevalier property.

While Vaughan points to last season's homes being sold "at the height of the boom, before all the credit dried up, interest rates skyrocketed and inflation became a major headache", former fans of the show say they won't be tuning in again.

"I think it's time they stop making this program in NZ those guys did all the work and walk out with nothing," wrote one.

Another said they'd already given up on the series: "I stopped watching this show after watching teams put their lives on hold to walk away with absolutely nothing to show for their hard work. That's not okay ..."

Stacy Heyman and Adam Middleton are one of two couples who walked away with nothing. While their house sold at the reserve price of $1.148m, Quinn and Ben Alexandre made a loss, selling for $39,000 below their $1.199m reserve.

Of their outcomes, one fan wrote: "Feel so sorry for the two couples that didn't reach the reserve. They deserved to come out with something for putting their heart and soul into it rather than just tv ratings."

Another said couples out their considering entering The Block in future would " ... have to be crazy mad ... considering what these poor guys went through. Who wants to sacrifice seeing their family, taking time off work and slogging your guts out to come away with nothing. Nah ... it's done it's dash I reckon."

Meanwhile, Season 11 looks to be in the works with a casting call currently listed on Three Now's The Block website.

And last week the Herald reported that new documents show the TV programme's foreign-owned producers have gained permission to buy a block of coastal land at Waiake on the North Shore, 18km north of the city centre.

The 1042sqm section on 850 Beach Rd overlooks the waters of Browns Bay and Rangitoto Island.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.