Jonathan Knight Got Advice From Past ‘Rock the Block’ Contestants

HGTV / YouTube Jonathan Knight & Kristina Crestin

Season four of HGTV’s hit show “Rock the Block” premiered on March 6, and the competition is already in full swing. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, HGTV host and season four competitor Jonathan Knight opened up about feeling “fear” when the opportunity to compete this season with his “Farmhouse Fixer” partner Kristina Crestin first came along, and how he reached out to previous contestants for advice.

“I know a lot of HGTV people and before we did this, we called and they said, ‘It’s gonna be long hours, you’re gonna lose your voice, you’re gonna get no sleep,'” Knight said.

Crestin agreed, saying her initial reaction to the casting offer was “Oh heck no!” though the designer went on to add that inevitably the duo realized the opportunity to compete was too good to pass up, saying, “We were like, ‘It’s “Rock the Block”. We’re gonna do it and we’re gonna win.'”

Jonathan Knight Appeared on ‘Rock the Block’ as a Judge Prior to Competing

Knight is one of two competitors this season to have previously appeared on “Rock the Block” as a judge, with the other being Page Turner (who is competing with her “Fix My Flip” partner Mitch Glew).

During the premiere episode, Turner said her two times judging “Rock the Block” (on seasons two and three) have prepared her for the competition, “because I know what it takes to win, and that’s beyond design.” The smack talk began between teams began right away in season four, as Michel Smith Boyd (who is competing with his “Luxe For Less” partner Anthony Elle) told Turner “I liked you better as a judge”, and she clapped right back to say, “You’ll like me better as a winner.”

Knight’s stint as a guest judge was on season three when he and his brother (and fellow New Kids on the Block) band member Jordan Knight evaluated the competitors’ kitchen areas. They gave the win to Jenny and Dave Marrs from “Fixer to Fabulous”, who returned in the season four premiere, turning the tables on Knight by judging his and his competition’s kitchen areas.

Jonathan Knight and Page Turner Both Sat Out of the First Design Surprise

Coincidentally enough, it was the two former “Rock the Block” judges who sat out of the first design surprise of the season, when Knight and Turner both opted to skip a hot air balloon ride with their teammates. The goal of the hot air balloon ride was for teams to gather inspiration for their kitchen designs from the mountain views as they looked out over Berthoud, Colorado from above.

Knight quickly pointed out out how terrified he was of heights, with Turner following him, joking that “I don’t have an issue with heights, but I do have a doctor’s order that says I can’t go into woven baskets that leave the earth,” leaving their teammates Crestin and Glew to ride together.

Also absent from the first design surprise was Bryan Baeumler from “Renovation Island”, who was skipping a day of filming altogether. His wife and partner Sarah Baeumler explained that he was sad to miss out, but had to take care of some other work that day, and he rejoined her in the competition the next morning.

READ NEXT: Erin & Ben Napier Reveal the Issue with House Flips