Tensions have emerged on Nine’s long-running renovation series The Block after reports that host Scott Cam was paid about $2.4 million, prompting insiders to say other on-screen talent are unhappy at the disparity.
According to a Daily Mail article that cited Woman’s Day, the revelation of Cam’s reported salary has left judges and other contributors feeling shortchanged. The story said judge Shaynna Blaze earns roughly $60,000 to $90,000 a season, Darren Palmer makes about $50,000 to $60,000, and that judge Marty Fox initially offered to appear “for free” to be on the show.
The reports quote an unnamed insider who told Woman’s Day that many of the show’s personalities were unaware of the scale of Cam’s pay packet and that the disclosure had “thrown the cat among the pigeons.” The source said that while judges attract criticism online and bring “credibility and star power,” their reported pay packets are small compared with Cam’s figure.
Cam, 62, has co-hosted The Block since 2010 and remains a prominent face of the series. The article also said Channel Nine values Cam and co-host Shelley Craft and would seek to keep them on the program while audiences continue to watch. A separate insider told the publication that Cam’s “good-natured attitude” makes him a pleasure to work with and that he feels grateful to remain part of the program.
Darren Palmer, 46, has been associated with the series since 2010 and became a permanent judge in 2013, the article said. Shaynna Blaze has been part of the show since 2012 and was initially engaged on a casual day rate, according to the report. Marty Fox debuted as a judge in 2023; the report quoted a source saying Fox told cast-mates his appearance was worth roughly $250,000 in promotion for his Whitefox property business.
Channel Nine did not provide comment to the Daily Mail, which reported it had reached out to the network. The outlet said the salary figure for Cam was revealed last month and described him as one of the highest-paid presenters in Australia.
Season 21 of The Block, filmed in Daylesford, recently premiered. The series has been a ratings staple for Nine for more than a decade, and production and talent arrangements have periodically drawn public attention as contracts are renegotiated and the show evolves.
The reports of pay disparities follow ongoing scrutiny of reality television pay and talent contracts across Australian television. The claims in the Daily Mail story were attributed to Woman’s Day and unnamed insiders; The Block producers and Channel Nine have not issued detailed public breakdowns of hosts’ and judges’ pay in response to those reports.