Mitch and Mark slam judges after winning The Block: ‘You need an expert’

Mitch and Mark had the last laugh at auction after consistently low scores from the judges. Now, they want a big change to the judging panel.

Block winners Mitch and Mark have come out swinging against the show’s judges after being pummelled with harsh feedback during the season.

Speaking to Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa on Monday, the series favourites admitted they gave up listening to the criticism during their build, insisting that the judges “aren’t good predictors of success”.

They also called upon Channel 9 to introduce a “real estate expert” to the judging panel instead.

It comes after the couple had called for judges and interior design experts Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whitaker and Darren Palmer to be sacked in an expletive-filled rant earlier this season when their kitchen design was criticised.

Mitch and Mark as the auction result rolled in.

On Sunday night, Mitch and Mark had the last laugh, earning almost $650,000 profit on the $4,044,444.44 sale of their house. Similarly scolded by the judges throughout the season, Love Island stars Luke and Josh ended up coming in second, taking home a profit of $530,000 for the $3.93m sale.

“The two houses, ours and the boys that came first and second, are not the houses the judges considered the best,” Mark pointed out.

“So, you have to consider, and I keep saying this, you need a real estate expert in there …. the judges are not good predictors of success on The Block.

“Next year’s contestants … You know what you need to stick to your guns,” he added, as Mitch chimed in: “At the end Shaynna was like ‘Oh I get it now, I have to eat my words’ And I was like ‘well get a big shovel doll cause there’s a lot of them!’”

Shaynna had been critical of the couple’s kitchen design earlier in the season.

Mitch and Mark didn’t shy away from making their feelings about the judges known this season, even questioning the experienced trio’s judging qualifications.

The couple railed against the judging of their kitchen — which was presented without a pantry — refusing suggestions on how to improve the room.

“I don’t have a lot of need for the judges’ opinion anymore,” said Mark after the scores for their kitchen were revealed, landing them dead last. “Their feedback is irrelevant to us. Their opinion is irrelevant to us.”

“I’m supposed to listen to them? Go f**k yourselves,” said Mitch. “This is absolutely a farce. Out. See ya.”

On seeing the other teams’ offerings, he added: “When we see inadequate kitchens getting praised, we think: You’re either taking the piss or you don’t know your s**t”.

Mitch and Mark weren’t happy with how they were judged throughout the season.

Speaking today, Mark suggested the feeling might be mutual, having noticed Shaynna failed to name them in her congratulatory post.

“Now you know what, I had a look at Shaynna’s Instagram this morning because they post things and she said congratulations to the block winners. She couldn’t even mention our names.”

Blaze did later congratulate Mitch and Mark by name in a post to her Instagram stories, writing that their front garden “still puts a smile on my face.”

Block host Scott Cam told news.com.au last week that Mitch and Mark and Josh and Luke were “wrong” for calling for the judges to be sacked.

“The judges gave very constructive criticism,” Scotty said.

“When the judges do go hard, they bruise some egos of the contestants, and they get upset and cranky at the judges and want them replaced, but at the end of the day the judges are right.

“(The contestants) are entitled to their opinion, but they’re wrong,” he laughed.

Scott Cam said the boys were 'wrong' to suggest the judges don't know what they're talking about.

Elsewhere in Mitch and Mark’s radio chat, the winners shed light on Ronnie and Georgia’s off-camera reaction to their shock last-place auction result which earned them a profit of $296,000.

The pair — who ended the season at the top of the ladder after glowing feedback from the judges — appeared to briefly bail on the auction as it became apparent they were trailing every other team for winnings.

“I think they were shocked because they’ve got a really strong winner attitude and they thought they were going to win. We all thought that we’re gonna win,” Mitch said.

“They’re good friends and good mates of ours and we just had like, the most intense 48 hours you know. We had the reserves, and then you know the negotiations. It’s so intense and I think you know, (Ronnie) just really just needed a moment, but he’s a strong player,” Mark added.