HGTV Star Ty Pennington Reveals Who 'Surprised' Him the Most on Season 7 of 'Rock the Block'

Ty Pennington is thrilled for this season of Rock the Block, which premiered on Monday, April 13.

This time around, a star-studded cast joins Pennington in Las Vegas to renovate identical, one-level homes with desert-themed features like courtyards and RV garages.

"A lot of them surprised me. I didn't expect Scott McGillivray and Brooke Hogan to not only design so well together, but I didn't expect them to be such a great comedic duo," the HGTV star, 61, exclusively tells OK!. "One is always trying to be funny, but then the other one isn't, and it ends up being funnier because she's just calling it as she sees it. Because of that, it's incredible how real this woman is. She's gone through a lot since her dad [Hulk Hogan] passed, so she's been on a journey."

"It was sort of a way for her to turn the page and move on. There's one thing about Rock the Block, whether you win or lose, you win because you're competing against these guys. But you're basically in the trenches for seven weeks," the reality star continues. "You don't see your family, you're trying to do the best design work ever. You become really close with the Rock the Block family, and it's great to see because these guys were all strangers."

Season 7 also welcomed some familiar faces for Ty.

"It was great to see Taniya Nayak, who was paired with Drew Lachey. I worked with her on Battle on the Beach. Drew is also very funny. He's so dry. Then, you have Chelsea Meissner and Kim Wolfe, who is from Survivor. This woman can hunt and fish, and eat it if needed! These ladies compete in ways I didn't expect. They make a great team," he shares. "There's also Mina Starsiak Hawk and Vernon Davis."

After seven seasons, Ty says the show has a "little bit of something for everybody, and I think that's why it is one of the most popular shows on HGTV. We all consider ourselves designers, even the people watching at home. We all have a certain style we like, and there's something in every house for somebody," he says. "We can all be judgey, but it's up to the realtors in the area to decide. I love that we all have a certain style we like. We can be like, 'I would have done that,' or, 'I definitely would not have done that.'"

Ty also teases that this season is full of "big names and big ideas."

"There's never a dull moment. We've got a two-hour premiere. There's so much to shove into that episode. I may or may not be dressed as Elvis at some point. There's just a lot happening, and there should be — it's in Vegas!" he insists.

"To really see these people who've never worked together, trying to find their way is comedic, scary and sometimes horrific, because some things turn out great, some things turn out really bad," he adds. "I like the good, the bad and the ugly, especially when it's on TV. In the end, all these houses look amazing. We have some incredible judges this year, too."

Ty is still grateful to be such a prominent face on HGTV. "I don't take it for granted, that's for sure. I've been really lucky to continue working in the design area. I started on Trading Spaces, and it's always been something I'm passionate about. I still have projects I take on every day, but I love it. I also love being on both sides," he says.

"I know what it's like to have to design something in less than five days, so I understand the pressure. I know what it's like to be in the contestants' shoes. But I am also jealous! I'm a very competitive person, but I am also lucky that I don't have to compete and can just host. I love being the host and getting to push these people out of their comfort zone. That's how you find out who the real artists are," he adds.

Rock the Block Season 7 aired on HGTV Monday, April 13, at 8|7c.