Hard yakka for rookies
s Seven’s reality renovation juggernaut House Rules enters its third season, it is surprising to hear this year’s batch of contestants is the show’s least experienced ever.
According to host Johanna Griggs, it is a very much a “deer-in-the- headlights” scenario when the teams rock up for their first renovation challenge — a dilapidated home in Victoria — which, as seen in previous seasons, is to be completely transformed in the space of a week.
While previous teams have comprised serial renovators and those with years of experience in the building profession, Griggs says there is just one qualified tradie in the mix this season.
“There’s only one chippie, who is from Victoria, and the first home the teams did really shows they are so far out of their depth,” Griggs says. “In the second season, I felt like they’d watched the first season and were quite savvy whereas we had teams this season where even the make-up artists were saying how naive they were.”
Griggs says in the first week some teams had fallen so behind they struggled to finish their rooms within the strict seven-day time frame.
“There were some unfinished spaces and they were all overwhelmed, so they went from being gorgeous fresh faces to absolutely distraught,” she says.
“It was a real shock to a lot of them but they’re really lovely teams again. I’m quite pleased there’s been no angst or cattiness because you get that all through the show anyway with the drama of the renovation and the pressure and the fatigue.
“Nothing beats that genuine emotion when their own home is at stake.”
Geraldton couple Karina and Brian Day represent WA in the State v State home-revamping series and Griggs says the regional location of the duo’s family home proved quite problematic.
“For the teams to be able to get furniture, it just added a whole new element we never had to consider before,” Griggs says. “It was by far the biggest challenge we’ve seen. They pretty much had that first day to plan and get all their ideas in order to start ordering things they could get within that week . . . but being in Geraldton, trying to do it within that time frame was incredibly difficult. It just threw a whole bunch of spanners into the mix.”
Griggs spoke highly of the Days, describing them as “salt-of-the-earth” people. “They’re just incredibly genuine and are looking for a bit of a break,” she says. “I thought Brian was going to be a little gruff at the start but he’s a pussycat, he’s the one who wears his heart on his sleeve. Karina is a little bit more contained and reserved and I can see how the dynamics in that relationship work quite well.”
House Rules’ coming season — the first of two to air this year — will launch head-to-head with Nine’s latest reality renovation program, Reno Rumble, which pits former The Block contestants such as The Block Triple Threat’s Ayden and Jess Hogan against House Rules alumni including Perth’s Jemma Blenkinsop and Ben Van Ryt and Sydney couple Michelle and Steve Ball.
Griggs says she holds no grudges against the former House Rules contestants who are participating in the Nine show. “It is definitely the strangest thing I’ve seen in my 23 years,” she says.
“But they say that imitation is flattery and this has gone one step further. It’s like (Nine) wants to be associated with the show and that’s a positive for us.”
Between managing the family business and filming Better Homes and Gardens around two seasons of House Rules this year, Griggs is busier than ever. “This year I feel like I’m on a military style operation with my planning,” she laughs. “I definitely would not have been able to keep up with this schedule had it been a few years ago, it has come at the right time.”
House Rules starts on Tuesday at 7.30pm on Seven/GWN7.
