The Block has been left without its regular foreman, with Dan Reilly taking paternity leave after welcoming his son Fletcher with wife Dani while filming the 2026 season.
In his place is Leonie Akhidenor, who made her The Block debut on Monday night, stepping in as foreperson while Dan takes a few weeks away from the site. Leonie may be new to viewers, but she has around a decade of construction experience and became a licensed builder in 2025.
The Melbourne-based property developer is Head of Residential Development at her family’s company, View Bank Homes, overseeing projects across Melbourne. Leonie received a warm welcome from the contestants, with Courtney and Sev excited to have some ‘female energy’ on site. Amen!
In an interview with Chattr, Rick and Tayla admitted Leonie’s management style vastly differed from Dan’s firm approach. “Leonie was a little bit more laid back,” Rick said.
“It’s her first time,” added Tayla. “Dan is Dan, whereas Leonie was still very strict but in a nicer way.”
The father-daughter duo teased that Leonie’s stint is short-lived as Dan will return later this season. “We didn’t want her to leave,” joked Rick, but Tayla said “Nah, I did miss Dan, actually.”
Dan took over the top role after Foreman Keith Schleiger stepped back from the series, so his temporary absence naturally sparked speculation that Foreman Keith could make a surprise return.
However, Rick and Tayla didn’t believe that Foreman Keith would be welcomed back. Tayla said that “I don’t even know what he’s like, but no, I prefer Dan.”
Rick had even more to say on the matter of Keith returning to fill Dan’s shoes. “Dan is workable. You can work with Dan. I’ve watched the show for years, and I don’t think Keith would have fitted into the group of people we have this year on The Block,” said Rick.
“I think he would have clashed with a few [of us].”
The reason why Foreman Keith won’t return to The Block
Keith would certainly be a familiar face to viewers. The carpenter and builder spent 16 seasons on The Block, becoming a fan favourite thanks to his no-nonsense approach, clashes with contestants and ability to call out dodgy workmanship. He stepped back from full-time duties in 2024, explaining that filming on Phillip Island would have kept him away from his daughters too much.
Keith has since admitted he misses filming and said he would never completely rule out returning. However, according to a New Idea report, despite Dan’s temporary departure, there is zero chance that Keith will fill his shoes as he doesn’t get along with host, Scott Cam.
Despite Keith following Scotty on Instagram, he hasn’t returned the favour — suggesting that bad blood is still brewing between The Block stars.
“Scotty and Keith butted heads quite a bit on set,” a source claimed. “They never really saw eye to eye … towards the end [of his time on The Block], Keith thought Scotty was getting too big for his boots.
The report suggests that Scott welcomed Keith’s decision to exit the show. “When Keith left, Scotty wasn’t exactly crying in the corner. He was glad to see the back of him.”
Apparently, Keith is on the outs with judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer too, as they don’t follow Keith back on Instagram. “They are Team Scotty all the way. If there was some kind of fall out, you can bet your bottom dollar the judges sided with Scotty,” the source added.
Why did Foreman Keith leave The Block?
Foreman Keith became one of The Block’s most recognisable faces after spending 16 seasons policing building standards and keeping contestants in line. However, he stepped away from his full-time role in 2024, with his family driving the decision.
With filming moving to Phillip Island, Keith would have needed to live away from his Melbourne home for roughly three months. “I couldn’t see a way of seeing my children more than once a week or something like that,” he told Nine. “I don’t really want to spend three months without them.” Keith admitted leaving was difficult, saying: “I’m definitely going to miss it. It’s basically been 20 per cent of my life.”
He has since confirmed the break allowed him to prioritise his daughters, telling Yahoo Lifestyle in 2025: “My children need me at the moment.”
But Keith has also suggested the job itself had become frustrating. Speaking on the Your Haus & Home podcast, he complained about inexperienced contestants challenging his instructions. “All these amateurs, they have got no idea what they are doing,” he said, adding that there was a reason viewers often saw him become “grumpy” on screen.
Since leaving, Keith has focused on his own renovation business, while Dan Reilly has taken over leading the main foreman duties on The Block.
The Block airs on Sundays at 7pm and Monday – Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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