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House Rules 'battlers' no millionaires

Carole and Russell Bramston. Picture: Steve Ferrier / The West Australian.

Perth's House Rules couple Carole and Russell Bramston came under fire this week when a magazine article claimed they were not the "Aussie battlers" they appeared to be, with the duo reportedly having a property portfolio worth about $2.3 million.

In addition to the beat-up Boya home that was renovated on the Seven show, Woman's Day stated the pair had three properties to their names, including a $1.17 million mansion by the water in Halls Head.

The magazine said four more couples on the current season also owned multiple properties.

But the Bramstons have now hit back at the claims, telling AAA Weekend they are mortgaged up to the hilt, owing $820,000 on the Halls Head house alone, and were certainly not millionaires.

"(The second property) has been on the market for 12 months and it is killing us," Carole admitted.

"We are allowed to have other properties, it's not against the House Rules. It's not about what we own anyway - we worked our butts off for six months (on the show). Why would I go and do something like that, be away from my family for so long, if I was a millionaire?"

Russell added he and Carole deserved to win the ultimate prize - their mortgage on their Boya home being paid off in full - as much as the other teams in the final three.

"We are battlers," the 55-year- old said. "The end goal is not to have a mortgage and we are running out of time in our lives. We owned that property prior to coming on the show and then we bought this one (in Boya).

"Everything is legitimate. We have done nothing wrong and we genuinely bought this house to live here. That's it."

Earlier this week the show's host Johanna Griggs also leapt to the contestants' defence, describing the magazine report as "absolute bollocks".

"Everyone's going 'They're not battlers'," she said.

"Well I don't actually see them as battlers anyhow, I see them like the rest of us with mortgages that want to have the ultimate dream of having their mortgage paid off."