Rock the Block is officially back for season 6! And, while it's one of HGTV's most popular shows (season 5 garnered 13.6 million viewers), fans tend to have one gripe: the judging process. But this year, the network made a major change to the rules, and we're very excited to see how it pans out.
Each week, an HGTV celebrity joins the cast to tour the homes and determine the winner. In past seasons, the designers have accompanied the judges as they evaluate their work, and give their input and explanation of decisions. Season 6 is very different.
This time, judges are tasked with evaluating the houses on three criteria: overall design, added value, and creativity. But, as the teams learned in the first episode, all of the judging will be blind. Returning host Ty Pennington explains the twist: "The judges will not know whose home they are touring and judging."
Over seven episodes, Bobby Berk, Jasmine Roth, Mina Starsiak Hawk, Jonathan Scott, Ray and Eilyn Jimenez, Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis, and Kim Myles will be on hand to judge the work of the teams. Ty teased the new judging procedure on Instagram back in November, telling fans, "There were some changes made. I think you’ll be happy 🤗"
Ty told Country Living that he's in favor of this change. He said, "You're just looking more at the beauty of the design instead of who you think it came from. And I think it's fantastic. It's the best way to judge, in my opinion."
Rock the Block returned on April 14 on HGTV, so viewers can decide for themselves how they like the new judging process.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
