Why Joh Griggs is sold on Seven’s new House Rules and new star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

JOH Griggs might just be the busiest woman on TV, but she reveals how a new format with new judges will change viewers’ experience of the show.

BY her own admission, Joh Griggs is “absolutely buggered and mentally fatigued” after spending almost a year on the road, filming three lifestyle shows for Channel 7.

But the host of this season’s all-new House Rules, a revamped Better Homes & Garden and Seven’s other lust-watch series, Amazing Houses Australia, still can’t contain her enthusiasm for her life, both on-screen and off it.

Despite her hectic TV schedule, Griggs has just recharged the batteries on a camping trip which had the star clocking up 5000 kilometres over the Easter long weekend; a driving holiday alongside her husband Todd Huggins, as well as industry mates, Jim Wilson and Chris Bath, and the couples’ “bird nerd” sons.

It says everything about Griggsy’s boundless energy that she tells TV Guide: “we did not want to come back, all of us just wanted to keep driving…it was awesome.”

Her enthusiasm is infectious, but not entirely based on her holiday high, with changes to House Rules, in particular, re-energising the cast and format changes reinvigorating the top-rating reality TV brand.

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Griggs has rarely been home this year, after being on the road filming three TV series for Channel 7. Picture: Supplied

Griggs credits the show’s new leadership team of Evan Wilkes and Amanda Reynierse with freeing up the format: amping up the fun and injecting more personality into the judging panel.

Bringing his signature sass and vast experience in the reality renovation genre, former Changing Rooms star, Lawrence Llewlyn Bowen will unquestionably be this season’s breakout star; with Griggs his number one fan.

“I love him so much,” she enthuses. “We’ve got two new judges and Drew [Heath] is actually quite brilliant, but it’s Lawrence who really arrives…he hams it up, he’s so much fun.”

Joh Griggs road-tripping with mates Tenielle Stewart, Jim Wilson, Chris Bath and Bath’s son Darcy. Picture: Supplied.

The UK interior and design expert has already made headlines when introducing himself to Australian viewers, telling people they should love their home so much they should want to “lick their walls.”

Griggs says his eccentric fashions and sharp wit made filming a laugh a minute.

“Occasionally, he’ll push the boundaries and I’ll have to say, ‘Lawrence, we have a certain timeslot here in Australia’ and then he rephrases it with something equally brilliant. I mean he’s absolutely bonkers, but he’s so good.”

House Rules’ new cast includes Drew Heath, Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Joh Griggs and Wendy Moore. Picture: Supplied/Seven.

While previous seasons have kept contestants and judges apart, this time they’ve been encouraged to interact and the results are both hilarious and informative, Griggs says.

“The teams have always had questions and now they’re being encouraged to ask those questions and occasionally, they’re very silly and challenge the judges on the things that they’ve said. With Lawrence, it’s like a cat playing with a toy…he has enough fun, then he just swots the toy.”

After one judgement day, Griggs was left floored when an argument over a kitchen turned into a master class smackdown.

“One of the team members was like ‘well what you do?’ and Wendy just looked at him and said ‘really? Well, here’s my top five ideas’ and Drew had another two solutions and then Lawrence has to on top of that. In my head I was thinking ‘we just got the most extraordinary amount of knowledge out of these brilliant people with these brilliant minds, who came up with eight different ways to approach what they’ve done.’ I went home with the biggest smile on my face and said to Todd, ‘oh my God, it’s a whole different ball game this year and it is so brilliant.”

* House Rules airs 7pm, Sunday April 30 on Seven.