Dai Henwood is positively giddy about his new gig and with good reason. The comedian is living the dream of every little kid and big kid at heart. As the host of TVNZ 2’s Lego Masters NZ, he plays with the famous Danish plastic bricks for a living and he loves every moment of it, describing the cast, crew and contestants as “a family of Lego geeks “.

“Everyone is so into it. And it’s so cool to work on a project like that. There is a great atmosphere, everyone is happy to come to work. It’s joyful and I really feel like it translates to the screen.

In Lego Masters NZ, six teams of two compete in challenges in which they build fantastical stages from Lego bricks and pieces in the hope of winning prizes including $25,000 to spend at the warehouse, Twin Fiat 500s and the ultimate reward – the title of the first Lego Masters NZ winners and its accompanying yellow brick trophy.

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Canadian “brick master” Robin Sather judges the creations, who also designs the elaborate scenes viewers will see in each episode.

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Building challenges on Lego Masters NZ can take anywhere from 10 to 24 hours, so there’s plenty of time to ruminate in depth on Lego and its various applications.

Henwood says he learned some invaluable tips and tricks from Sather, who, as a Lego Certified Professional, is licensed to create Lego projects for commercial purposes. The LCP’s elite group consists of only 21 people worldwide.

“Robin and I spend a lot of time watching teams build and chatting and he and I hit it off like a house on fire from the start.

“Obviously it helps that I’m very involved and interested, I love Lego. So I’m kind of always picking his brain and asking him about techniques.

“He can point out a trap in someone’s build that I would never see. So I get a lot of inside information, which is great because when I go out and chat with the teams, I can kind of subtly mention something, or something that Robin taught me.

The 7 Days star says the quality of Kiwi Lego builders easily compares to overseas franchises.

“I’ve been a bit of a humble Kiwi, just when I got in there I had the thing of ‘Oh no, I hope we’re as good as the Australians. I hope we’re as good as good than the Americans. But I was amazed by the quality. We have very good builders in New Zealand.

“Lego overseas have a little taste of what’s going on – they’ve been very impressed with the level of construction. So we knocked it out of the park, I think, and I’m so proud of all the contestants on the show.

While Lego bricks are a sturdy building medium, competitors often push structural integrity to the absolute limits in their quest to create something stunning.

We’ve all seen elaborate builds in other Lego Masters franchises crumble in the last five minutes or competitors realize that something they’ve been working on for hours is unappealing.

Henwood is tight-lipped about whether there are such disasters on the cards for our local Lego Masters, but he admits there are jaw-dropping moments.

“There is certainly drama, not everything is simple.”

He also can’t say too much about what tasks await the teams, but he does reveal that popular challenges where their masterpieces are pulverized through various means will also be part of the NZ Series.

“You’re definitely going to see some smash-iness in there.

“The cool thing about the version we’re doing here in Aotearoa is that we’re doing classic Lego Masters challenges, but we’ve tweaked them and there are some world firsts in the series.

“I’m sure other franchises will take the idea and follow it because it’s so cool.”

Henwood hopes the show will inspire people to pull their Lego collection out of the closet and try to create something new.

“Maybe get out some Legos you haven’t played with and build something different.”

As a true fan of the building brick system, Henwood says Lego “has been around me for as long as I can remember. My parents, aunts and uncles were kind enough to give me Legos for various birthdays and Christmases and I amassed quite a collection when I was a kid.

He remembers building Lego with his parents and it’s a tradition he carries on with his own son and daughter, aged nine and six.

“I find it a bonding moment if sitting with them and either just pre-building or following instructions from a set.

“I found it to be very educational for them and I enjoy watching their progress.”

And being the host of Lego Masters NZ also earns the comedian serious kudos with his kids.

“It’s great to have a show that they’re so proud of me being on, and they’re really looking forward to watching it. So, I get some dad points.

Meet the teams

Andrew and Georgie – father and daughter

Location: Mapua and Dunedin

What are some of your building inspirations?

Andrew: I enjoy recreating real life in miniature, especially structures and machinery. I’m not a big fan of fantasy creations.

What would be your dream Lego challenge on Lego Masters NZ?

Georgie: I would like more real building challenges in the series, rather than fantasy challenges, because that’s where our building strengths lie!

Emily and Sarah – Lego Moms

Location: Christ Church

Which of your past builds took you the longest?

Sarah: I’m a pretty slow builder if I have to follow instructions. I especially love building cute creatures and giving them personalities.

What would be your dream Lego challenge on Lego Masters NZ?

Emily: I would love to participate in the snow globe challenge. The technical challenge of giving a completely different appearance to a construction when it “snows” would be brilliant and stimulating!

Amy and Adam – married couple

Location: Christ Church

What does your “brick pit” look like at home?

Amy: We have a build room. It used to be the children’s playroom, but now it’s just Lego bricks and we all share them. We don’t have many, so we often get stuck for games and have to improvise. We also have a room with most of our sets displayed.

What is your favorite Lego brick and why?

Adam: The binoculars – it’s a little piece that you can use in a lot of unusual ways.

Glenn and Jake – Lego friends

Location: Pahiatua and Kapiti

What got you most excited about taking part in Lego Masters NZ?

Jake: To be able to focus on building and nothing else, to work as part of an effective team and to be able to do things that I would never have done otherwise.

Tell us about your passion for building with Lego bricks – how did you get there?

Glenn: I had Lego brick sets as a kid, but I grew up with them like most people, and then in 2016 a friend brought me a Lego brick set for my birthday. I felt a huge sense of nostalgia and that was the start of my adult Lego building journey.

Emily and Liam – roommates

Location: Southland and Pukekohe

What are some of your building inspirations?

Liam: We mostly build in reference to pop culture, landscapes and scenes from our favorite movies, video games and books. We like to build things that people appreciate and recognize.

In which challenge are you hoping to participate in Lego Masters?

Emily: I’ve been practicing building upside down, top half and bottom half, so hopefully that will come through.

Jono and Dan – brick buddies

Location: Gisborne and Upper Hutt

Who had the idea to participate in Lego Masters NZ?

Dan: At Jono’s. He called me and asked if I wanted to do it with him. I asked him a question – what would you do if we were in the final build and the other team’s model collapsed in the last five minutes? He said, push ours on the table. That’s what I wanted to hear so I said yes!

In which challenge are you hoping to participate in Lego Masters?

Jono: I’m looking forward to the 50/50 challenge and hopefully we’ll have a chance during the season!

Lego Masters NZ, TVNZ 2, Mondays and Tuesdays, from May 9