Hamish Blake on Lego Masters.
Camera IconHamish Blake on Lego Masters. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Hamish Blake’s building fun on Lego Masters

Tanya MacNaughtonEastern Reporter

HAMISH Blake never contemplated hosting a studio-based reality TV show but when Nine’s director of television Michael Healey approached him and added Lego in to the mix, Blake found himself saying yes to Lego Masters.

“I’m a big fan of Lego because what is there not to love?” Blake said.

“It’s an amazing world that exists and is something that inspires creativity and imagination in kids and adults.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“Having said that, I’m the regular mum and dad Lego fan who buys a fair bit of Lego, spends a lot of time in stores selling Lego and uses Lego for behaviour incentives.

“I’m nowhere near the level of the people on the show who are building Lego recreationally not using instructions; everything I build is from instructions.”

Elizabeth McGovern produces first film The Chaperone

Bachelor in Paradise to bring love triangles, trapezoids and rectangles this series

Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and Hamish Blake.
Camera IconRyan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and Hamish Blake. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Blake hosts the show where Melbourne Lego-certified professional Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught – one of 14 Lego-certified experts in the world – judges eight pairs of amateur Lego lovers in building challenges for the chance to take home $100,000.

“Each challenge has a different amount of time on it,” Blake said.

“Some might be six, others 15 or 20 hours, and once they find out what they have to do, it’s essentially a race to see who can get it built in that amount of time to fill the challenge brief.

“You get to see the full creative process in that time so watching them concoct the idea, trying to make it work and then sometimes, as with any idea, they get a little down the track and realise they have to make a twist or turn and do something different.

“Time is running out and they have to think on their feet.”

Lego Masters host Hamish Blake with WA contestants David and G.
Camera IconLego Masters host Hamish Blake with WA contestants David and G. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Workshop mechanical supervisor David, of Kewdale and mechanical fitter Gerhard (G), of Dianella, are work colleagues flying the team flag for WA.

The pair won selection for Lego Masters during an Australia-wide search that involved auditions and building days to test their technical skills.

“I really love them and had a great time hanging out with David and G,” Blake said.

“G has this tough guy persona, which is hilarious on a Lego show and G in particular was quite adamant for people to know that he doesn’t play with Lego, he builds with Lego and there’s a difference.

“I would like to stress in print that G does not play with Lego, he builds (with it) and what he built was extraordinary.”

Blake said his family home was right in the crossover with a tonne of Duplo for his daughter Rudy and Lego for son Sonny.

“We have a lot more Lego in the house now because, to be honest with you, I stole a lot of Lego from the set as I filmed the show,” Blake said.

“With 2.5 million bricks in there, there’s just no way they could count it all.”

Lego Masters starts Sunday, April 28 and airs Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for three weeks.

More Lifestyle