Scott Cam opens up about hosting and renovating at the same time for The Block 2022

As a big fan of the bush and historic homes, Scott Cam was thrilled when he found out The Block was going regional for the 2022 season.

Ahead of arriving at the site in Gisborne, Scotty had an idea of how big it was from an aerial shot he was shown, but nothing could prepare him for just how super-sized the scale was this year.

“When I got there, it was next level with our infrastructure works. We had five bridges across the creek that run through the middle of the property, and causeways and things like that,” he told 9Entertainment.

“The infrastructure was really amazing, what we did with the civil works. There were roads in, and the power and the storm water coming off – incredible. So, it was a mammoth task and, incredibly, we got it done.”

• The Block 2022 listings are now live, and updated weekly. See them here.

Which is why Scotty describes The Block site this year as a “village”.

“All we need is a post office, a church and a school and we’re covered, I reckon. And if someone can knock that up sometime soon, we got ourselves a Camsville or Blockville,” he joked.

It’s not only the size of the build that’s bigger in Season 18, Scotty’s role on The Block has also expanded.

For the first time ever, Scotty is also renovating a home at the same time as the contestants. As soon as he heard the original homestead was on the site of the new Block he was keen to give it a makeover.

To ensure he could do both the build and hosting duties, Scotty called in a team of plasterers, carpenters, plumbers and electricians to help him renovate, just like the teams do with their renos.

“I did the designing and the overseeing, the project management and some of the work. We ended up with a fantastic home and restored the original cottage back to its former glory, plus a modern extension out the back with a country feel. So, it was an absolute ripper,” he explained.

But pulling double duty on The Block is hard work, even for an experienced pro like Scotty.

“I was doing 13-hour days and it was pretty exhausting, and I only had about 10 days off in three months. So it was tough at my age too – I’m too old for that. The hosting duties are quite extensive, so I was taken away from the build, but I had a great team behind me… There’s just so much to do all the time.”

On top of the huge scale of the build, Scotty and the teams also battled with supply issues and tradie shortages, as did the building industry as a whole.

This added another challenge to The Block but was one Scotty and the contestants took in their stride.

“That impacted us dramatically but that was everybody all around Australia, it wasn’t just us,” he admitted.

“So, we never wanted to cry foul on that, because everybody was going through it… we just knuckled down…. we can’t shy away from that and we have to accept it.”

As for The Block’s focus on the tree change trend that Australians embraced during the coronavirus pandemic, Scotty thinks the Macedon Ranges location chosen for The Block this year is spot on.

“Gisborne, where we are, is the perfect tree change joint. I live in Port Melbourne and it took me 35 minutes door-to-door from Port Melbourne to Gisborne, and to me, that’s the perfect tree change,” he said.

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This article was originally published by Nine.com.au. Reproduced with permission.