The Block viewers horrified by Scott Cam’s ‘bogan’ house detail

The Block host Scott Cam is doing up a house of his own this season – but one “tacky” design detail has some viewers horrified.

For the first time in the show’s history, The Block host Scott Cam has been constructing a house of his own this season, working alongside the five teams of contestants toiling away in Gisborne, Victoria.

Qualified chippie Cam and his team have leaned into the existing property’s country charm to create a stunning new home, with the contestants all full of praise about his efforts during their weekly walkarounds.

But one design detail revealed in a recent episode has left some viewers horrified.

The shed for Cam’s property is adorned with giant skylights … in the shape of the Southern Cross symbol:

Scott Cam’s Southern Cross skylights.

An iconic Australian symbol, for sure, but also one with a chequered recent past, given it has been adopted by some as a symbol of bigotry and nationalist pride.

“The only person wanting a Southern Cross skylight is a BLF (Builders' Labourers Federation) fanatic and most of them don’t have $4 million+. Scotty, that is SO bogan,” tweeted one person.

Others agreed:

Gotta say, the southern cross in the shed roof, TACKY AF #TheBlock

— Jono (@jonokik) October 19, 2022

A southern cross skylight. I cannot 😂#theblockau#theblock

— Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (@LeahJayK) October 24, 2022

Scotty’s southern cross skylights are so gross 🤮#TheBlock

— ru (@BubyReer) October 24, 2022

#theblock ewwwww southern cross skylights wtffff 🤢

— pelinal whitestrake (female) (@cringegirlshit) October 24, 2022

WTF, they have a southern cross in the roof!! #TheBlock#TheBlockAUpic.twitter.com/butREjb7Q1

— 🅜🅐🅡🅚 (@MarkEMarkAU) October 19, 2022

One viewer even tweeted that the Southern Cross skylight was evidence of The Block’s “white supremacy” – and the symbol has certainly been a lightning rod for controversy in recent years.

In 2010, Indigenous filmmaker Warwick Thornton said in an interview he was concerned the symbol was “becoming the new Swastika” – and later revealed the resulting backlash had “scared the hell” out of him and sent him into hiding.

Block contestants Sharon and Ankur even had a sly dig at the design feature, sharing a photo of the moment a less-than-impressed Sharon first laid eyes on the skylight with the caption: “When Scotty told us he had a Southern Cross tattoo to match his skylights we said ‘of course ya do’, because ya know, Straya.”

Sharon first sees the Southern Cross skylight.

Cam’s tattoo: ‘It instils in me a sense of morality.’

Cam does indeed have a Southern Cross back tattoo, and spoke passionately in a 2009 interview with The Daily Telegraph about what the symbol means to him while also denouncing those who use it to promote racism.

“It instils in me a sense of morality – knowing what it stands for gives you some ethics. It’s that symbol of working hard, helping your mate and slogging it out without complaining,” Cam said.

“Unlike American patriotism, the Aussie pride about the Southern Cross is about keeping it to yourself.’’

While the contestants’ houses will all go under the hammer next weekend with price guides of $4m - $4.4m, Cam’s home is not currently on the market. At least for now, The Block host can enjoy that controversial design choice all to himself.