Ty Pennington Reveals Which ‘Rock the Block’ Season 7 Contestant Is ‘Hell Bent’ on Winning [Interview]
Go big or go home.
HGTV’s Rock the Block is back for season 7, and contestants are betting that their show-stopping renovations of luxurious Las Vegas homes will win over the discerning expert judges, including Bravo’s Lisa Vanderpump and network stalwarts Drew and Jonathan Scott.
Ty Pennington says some ‘Rock the Block’ pairs are like ‘oil and water’
“Vegas was sort of like the other celebrity on the show,” host Ty Pennington told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “You have to just raise the bar in so many ways.”
On this season of the competition series, HGTV stars team up with celebrities to makeover sprawling Sin City mansions – all on a budget of $275,000. The cast includes Scott McGillivray and Brooke Hogan; Taniya Nayak and Drew Lachey; Mina Starsiak Hawk and Vernon Davis; and Kim Wolfe and Chelsea Meissner. Those unexpected pairings, along with some Vegas-themed challenges, produce some surprising results.
“I love it because a lot of times it’s like oil and water, but somehow they find a way to work together,” Pennington said. “Which is the most difficult thing is in design, working with somebody else who has completely different taste than you.”
You can’t play it safe if you want to win ‘Rock the Block,’ Pennington says
All the contestants bring their own vision and their own experience to the competition.
Hogan, who runs her own design business in Nashville, has “no filter,” Pennington said.
“She also has been going through a tough time because she lost her dad [wrestler Hulk Hogan],” he continued. “And so she goes through that rollercoaster of emotion during this entire process. But she’s also incredibly funny and incredibly passionate about what she does.”
Then there are the true wild cards, like the “multi-talented” 98 Degrees member and Dancing With the Stars winner Lachey.
“Drew Lachey was working heavy machinery,” Pennington said. “He’s working heavy machinery. He’s literally doing landscaping with a backhoe. You don’t really learn that on tour singing in front of thousands of people in Tokyo.”
Meanwhile, Starsiak Hawk is on a quest for redemption after a disappointing showing on Rock the Block Season 1.
“[She] was on the original season of Rock the Block, but lost every single room. And so she is hell bent on not losing again,” Pennington said.
Finally, there are Wolfe and Meissner, who draw on their experience as top-tier Survivor players to show that they have what it takes to triumph on Rock the Block.
“These women can survive on an island where most masculine men have cried and asked to be sent home,” he said. “So imagine these two not only know how to survive, but they know how to design really well.”
What will it take for contestants to emerge victorious this season? Not holding back is key, Pennington said.
“What I love about Rock the Block is that it’s the one show where you can’t just be safe,” he shared. “You’re not going to win by playing it safe. You have to push the boundaries. Because I think, yes, some people are looking for safe when they’re looking to buy a home. But also, that visual wow factor, when you walk in the front door, that’s what sells a house. And I think there’s so much of that visual wow on this season.”
“This is a big season,” he added. “I think viewers are going to love it.”
Rock the Block premieres April 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. Episodes also stream on HBO Max.
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