HGTV’s “Rock the Block” is back, and it’s ready to ROCK.
And this time, it’s veterans vs rookies!
HGTV says season six is going BIG– with bigger houses and bigger challenges! And a few new twists.
This season, the block is a neighborhood just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, where four teams will renovate identical modern properties that boast mountain views, soaring interior spaces and the largest backyards in series history.
And they’ll each get a cool quarter-of-a-million bucks to do it!
HGTV Veterans Take on ‘RTB’ First-Timers
For the first time ever, season six is pitting two teams who have been around the block a time or two against rookies who are the new kids on the block. Wait, those ARE the veterans.. hold on, let me explain.
Get out your scorecards. Here are the teams.
The Veterans:
Team One: Their fans are already called “Blockheads,” so these vets have a bit of a leg up in that regard. Jonathan Knight (Farmhouse Fixer) and his New Kids on the Block bandmate and brother Jordan Knight make up team one for the veterans. Even though Jordan is technically new to the block, he did help his brother in his Camp Revamp property flip and earns vet status by default.
Team Two: Alison Victoria (Windy City Rehab) teams up with Season 4 champion and high-end designer Michel Smith Boyd (Luxe For Less). If it’s true that the “third time is the charm,” then Alison Victoria is a shoe-in. She competed in the first two seasons of “RTB,” winning the kitchen competitions each time but failing to secure her name on the street sign.
The Rookies:
Team Three: Married home reno pros Chelsea and Cole DeBoer (Down Home Fab) will get a chance to show their stuff.
Team Four: House-flipping experts Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama (Renovation Aloha) will bring an aloha vibe to the mountain town.
Ty Pennington Returns As Host
Another veteran will be helming the show. Craftsman and design expert Ty Pennington returns as host. And he’s here for it. “I have the best seat in the house to the toughest home renovation competition on television,” says Ty on the HGTV “Rock the Block” landing page. “And for the first time on Rock the Block, returning veteran teams will clash with rookie teams who have something to prove. They’ll test their skills and push their limits for not only bragging rights but, more importantly, to leave a legacy on the block.”
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for “Rock the Block” season 6 episode 1, (April 14, 2025). Do not read ahead if you do not want the winner of this episode spoiled.
Two-Hour Season Premiere Features Main Living Areas
The two-hour season premiere sees designers taking on the huge task of renovating not only their home’s kitchen, but dining and living areas as well.
In a new twist this season, each episode’s judges will tour the finished spaces without the competitors present. The judges will only find out whose house they saw after they’ve given their assessments.
Episode one’s judge is television host and best-selling author Bobby Berk (Queer Eye). Berk takes on the monumental task of judging not one, but three main living areas in each home.
The show starts with Ty Pennington introducing the teams to the town of Grantsville, just outside Salt Lake City. Aerial views show wide open space with mountains in the background. Each of the four houses comes with a one acre lot. Each has a current market value of $750,000.
In the first few minutes of the show, Ty unveils “Rock the Block’s” first ever scoreboard. It turns out when one of the rookie teams wins, it’s a win for both sets of rookies. And the same goes if a veteran team wins. Both teams will benefit with rewards.
Then Ty drops another bombshell. Not only are the teams renovating three spaces- they only have seven days to do it!
Let the Renovations Begin!
Alison and Michel set out to blend his modern glam vibe with her love of all things vintage, and quickly find common ground in their kitchen design. It turns out they share a favorite color: green. And that sets the tone. The pair agree on a budget of $110,000 of their $250,000 over all budget, but admit to each other they’ll probably go over budget.
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama are featured next. The “Renovation Aloha” designers immediately decide to maximize the connection to outdoors by blowing out a wall and installing massive bi-fold doors in the kitchen. Their big plans start adding up though, and they realize they need to stick to a $100,000 budget to avoid a “rookie mistake” of using up too much money on the first challenge.
Next up, the Knight brothers, with Jonathan missing his design partner Kristina. But the brothers get in the groove, with Jordan calling for a giant arched window to show off the mountain views. The brothers set a much lower budget for their three-room reno- just $65,000.
Chelsea and Cole DeBoer of “Down Home Fab” are last but not least, planning a black kitchen and two arched glass doors to bring the outside in. The self-described “risk takers” also go low on the budget, setting a cap of $65,000.
Less Than Halfway Through the Premiere, Ty Drops a Design Surprise
About 45 minutes into the premiere episode, the sound of a helicopter fills the air.
It’s the teams’ first “design surprise”– a ski chalet they’ll have to strip down and repurpose. The teams will have to move fast to grab something that works with their planned designs.
All the teams grab wood and metal before Cole goes into self-described “beast mode,” jumping in a forklift and tearing the chalet down.
Veterans Band Together to Trick the Rookies
The Knight brothers, Alison and Michel decide to mess with the rookies by telling them they know who the judges will be. Alison tells the two couples that Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg will be showing up to assess their kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms.
The two veteran teams seem to form a “Survivor-style” alliance, recognizing that if either team wins, they’ll both get at least an extra $1,500 for the next challenge.
Four Very Different Vibes Greet Judge Bobby Berk
The Knight brothers went with a modern farmhouse design. While Alison and Michel go with “refined rustic.”
Chelsea and Cole DeBoer’s design style is labeled “cowboy contemporary” And Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama go with “moody modern.”
But judge Bobby Berk has no idea whose design is whose.
Berk starts in the Knight brothers’ kitchen, though of course he doesn’t know that. Berk loves the modern farmhouse design, but dings the brothers for having too many pendant lights. But he’s feeling the brothers’ choice to install an arched doorway in the dining room. He also praises Jonathan and Jordan’s choice to install wood beams on the ceiling.
Next up is Chelsea and Cole’s “cowboy contemporary” design. Berk immediately declares that this kitchen feels much larger than the last. But he doesn’t like the shiny vent hood.
The banquet in the dining room is a win for the couple in Berk’s opinion. Berk also has good things to say about the living room design. But he feels like the living room’s arched glass doors should have been a foot taller.
Bobby and Ty then move on to Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama’s house. He loves the pass-through window, but says the pair used too many materials in the kitchen, making it too busy.
He also dings them for the placement of the dining room and says the new floor plan “made it feel smaller.”
Then it’s Alison and Michel’s turn. Bobby is blown away by the green kitchen with its ten burner stove. But he thinks the green sink is a bit too much. He also criticizes the pantry’s shallow cabinets.
The pair’s massive glass doors in the living room get a “wow” from Berk. And he praises the simplicity of their fireplace.
Now, it’s time to decide.
The Final Verdict: Who Wins the First Challenge of Season Six
Ty surprises the designers with a big reveal of Berk coming out from behind a garage door.
Berk shares his opinions on each design with the teams- the good, the bad and the ugly. Everyone gets plenty of praise, and a few criticisms of their choices. Some are well-received, others not so much.
Then it’s time to announce the winner, who will pocket an extra $3,000 for next week’s challenge.
And the winner is… Alison and Michel! Alison Victoria maintains her record of never losing a kitchen challenge on “Rock the Block.” She’s three for three.
And that means fellow veterans Jonathan and Jordan Knight will get an extra $1,500 for next week’s challenge as well.
How to Watch Season Six of ‘Rock the Block’
New episodes of “Rock the Block” will air on HGTV every Monday night at 9:00p.m. ET. Each episode will be available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+ beginning April 15.
Next up, episode two on April 21 will see the teams race to finish the rest of their first-floor spaces. HGTV stars Jasmine Roth and Mina Starsiak-Hawk are episode two’s guest judges.
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