House Rules host Johanna Griggs: contestants in new series like deer in headlights

CONTESTANTS on the new third series of House Rules are so inexperienced they’re like “deer in headlights” says host Johanna Griggs.

IT’S a season short on tradies and long on potential for disaster as the least-experienced renovators with the worst houses ever line up for season three of reality renovation hit House Rules.

With just one tradie among the six teams, host Johanna Griggs confesses if it was her, she’d be hoping her place was last on the list of dwellings to get the weekly transformation.

“Last season there was almost a tradie in every single one of the teams. This time there’s only one guy (Victorian chippie, Bronik),” she says.

“As you’ll see from the first reveal … I didn’t think they were going to finish and their level of their renovating is pretty poor. They only had one way to go which was to improve dramatically. They were just so far out of the depth.”

HOUSE RULES SELECT FIRST FATHER/DAUGHTER

FORMER HOUSE RULES STAR’S BOOB JOB

Back for a third series ... Johanna Griggs hosts House Rules. Picture: Channel 7

In demand ... Johanna Griggs is also host of Better Homes and Gardens.

Griggs says the lack of building experience is compounded for one renovating duo — who had never even seen an episode of the show before joining the fray.

“They were pretty much deer in the headlights at the start,” she laughs.

They may be rookies at renovation, but Griggs says most of the couples are far from newbies when it comes to the reality television format — a challenge the House Rules producers relish.

“Some of them are like they have been to reality TV school — they all think they know how everything is going to pan out, so you just have to keep them on their toes,” she says.

“Obviously we’ve had to throw in lots of twists and turns. They’ve ended up just trying to stop second-guessing us, that we were one step ahead.

“The hardest thing for teams is one, having to have that vision so quickly, two their time management and their planning.

“Unless you know that stuff you learn from trial and error — and there’s definitely a lot of error in this series.”

The only tradie ... Bronik and Corrine will play on House Rules. Picture: Channel 7

First-ever father and daughter pairing ... Steve and Tiana on House Rules. Picture: Channel 7

But Griggs says the show will continue to strike a chord with audiences because of the stories behind the contestants.

“There are some absolutely shocking homes to start off with — but then you hear the back story of people like Bronik — he’s the first male in his family to own a home — and he is so proud of that,” she says.

“It’s so easy to watch the show and be critical about what’s done or not done, then you realise for someone that has actually seriously changed their world.”

House Rules, Channel 7, Tuesday, 7:30pm

LOGIES 2014: RED CARPET BEST AND WORST

Originally published as House Rules host Johanna Griggs: contestants in new series like deer in headlights