⁠"Vets versus rookies" Rock the Block host Ty Pennington reveals Season 6 twist

HGTV's renovation competition, Rock the Block, has returned for its sixth season with a fresh twist and a breathtaking Utah backdrop. Host Ty Pennington couldn't contain his excitement about the new season's format, telling "Extra":

"Season 6 of 'Rock the Block,' it's big. We've got bigger houses, bigger lots, we've got some great teams."

The most intriguing change this year? A veterans versus newcomers dynamic. Pennington shared:

"It's vets versus rookies. Veterans means you've been around the block a time or two, the rookies have never been on the block."

Among the returning competitors, New Kids on the Block members Jonathan and Jordan Knight are back to try their hand at home renovation glory once again.

The premise remains consistent with previous seasons: four teams compete to add the most value to identical properties within a limited budget. A different location is renovated every week, and after six grueling weeks, one team wins and gets their name permanently displayed on a street sign.

For these designers, the expansive Utah terrain offers a breathtaking canvas, but it also poses unforeseen difficulties that have already started to influence the competition in the season premiere.

Rock the Block host Ty Pennington reveals what to expect from Season 6

While the $250,000 budget constraint puts pressure on Rock the Block competitors, Pennington revealed an even more surprising obstacle: unpredictable weather conditions. In an April 2025 interview with TV Insider, Pennington identified weather as the element most likely to surprise viewers.

"Honestly, one day it's 70 degrees and lovely and the next it's 22 degrees and feels like 16 below. It's Utah and the weather changes daily," Pennington explained.

The premiere episode of Rock the Block showcased this meteorological rollercoaster, with teams scrambling to adapt renovation schedules around sudden temperature drops and unexpected precipitation. The weather has already influenced design choices, with several teams pivoting their plans to accommodate Utah's unique climate patterns.

Beyond weather challenges, the six-week timeframe creates immense pressure. Pennington, who has extensive design experience himself, empathizes with competitors' frustrations when creative visions collide with practical limitations.

"Any design show you do on television, when you have big ideas and the question is can you pull it off in the time you have," the host shared with TV Insider.

Explaining:

"I'm someone who really understands that. You've got your sights and hopes of doing something really huge. You get everything you want delivered in time to pull off that incredible thing. Sometimes you have to settle."

The veteran teams displayed their experience advantage in the premiere by efficiently planning around potential delays, while rookie teams learned tough lessons about supply chain management and contingency planning.

The veterans-versus-rookies format has already created fascinating dynamics, as evident in the first episode. The Knight brothers leveraged knowledge from their previous appearance, while other returning competitors demonstrated seasoned approaches to budgeting and resource allocation.

Meanwhile, rookie teams introduced innovative design concepts and unconventional approaches that surprised both judges and competitors. This creative tension between experience and fresh perspective has generated compelling television, according to Pennington.

"I think the way to really find out what an artist is capable of is to take them out of their comfort zone, throw them in the middle of a desert, and say, 'Create the best work you've ever done,'" Pennington told PopCulture.com in April.

Pennington explains why he loves the format

The Utah setting provides Rock the Block contestants with unprecedented opportunities. Pennington emphasized the expanded scale in his PopCulture.com interview:

"This season is big. It's bigger lots, bigger houses, bigger views — I mean, the setting could not be more beautiful than the state of Utah."

Each property sits on four acres, significantly larger than previous seasons, allowing for ambitious outdoor features and dramatic landscaping possibilities. The homes themselves offer more square footage, giving designers expanded creative canvases.

Despite the challenges – or perhaps because of them – Pennington considers Rock the Block his favorite HGTV program. The unique combination of identical starting points with wildly different outcomes showcases pure design talent.

"'And you have the exact same supplies, materials, and square footage as everybody else. Now show us your best work.' And so that's why ['Rock the Block'] is my favorite show on HGTV," Pennington explained.

The Rock the Block host believes the authentic stress and problem-solving on display create compelling television. Suggesting the transparent portrayal of design challenges makes the show resonate with audiences, Pennington asked rhetorically:

"Do you want to share the drama or do you want to compress it and sweep it under the rug?".

As the season progresses, viewers can expect escalating competition between veterans and rookies, continued weather-related challenges, and impressive transformations of the Utah properties. With one team already making a strong impression in the premiere, the race for renovation supremacy is officially underway.

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You can catch Rock the Block Season 6 every Monday at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV, with episodes available to stream the next day on Max and Discovery+.