House Rules’ Andrew King in accident: ‘I thought I could lose my brother’ says twin

A CONTESTANT on hit TV reno show House Rules feared for his life after he believed he had gashed an artery when a pane of glass shattered.

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HOUSE Rules’ contestants Andrew and Jono King have opened up about the moment they feared Andrew might lose his life during production of the hit Channel 7 renovations show.

Andrew was renovating a Queensland property when he suffered a deep cut to his left wrist, sparking fears he had sliced through an artery.

Death resulting from bleeding out from a major artery can occur within 10 to 15 minutes.

Andrew King’s wrist and lower arm is bandaged on the set of House Rules. Picture: Channel 7

Andrew was attempting to place a large sheet of glass in a skip bin when the glass pane shattered and made a deep wound, approximately 5cm in length, on his wrist.

“I started yelling, ‘Medic! Medic! Medic!’,” said Andrew.

As the production medic was alerted and an ambulance called, fellow contestants and trained paramedics Sean Mackay and Ella Cuthbert worked to stabilise 27-year-old Andrew.

“I actually thought I could lose my brother,” said Jono, who stayed on the 000 call while Sean and Ella instructed Andrew to lie down and applied a tourniquet to his wrist.

“I was pretty panicked cos I thought a cut on the wrist is pretty serious. If it’s in the right place it could be the end if an ambulance doesn’t get there quick enough,” Jono said.

Paramedics try and treat Andrew King ’s deep cut at the House Rules’ site. Picture: Channel 7

Andrew said he “didn’t feel any pain”

“It was quick. Blood was gushing out. It looked like I could see fat. It opened up pretty wide and I thought, ‘I better start calling for an ambulance.’”

Andrew recalls being laid on his back, his legs up on a chair, while twin Jono kept asking him questions, as he spoke to the triple-0 operator.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m on a bloody reality TV show. I’ve cut my wrist. This could be serious. My girlfriend (Tess) is back at home (in Perth) on the other side of the country.’

“I was more worried about the people at home, thinking: if something seriously does happen I could think of things that are more important than being on a TV show.”

House Rules contestant Ella makes a frantic triple-0 call as Andrew is treated on site. Picture: Channel 7

Taken to Pindara Private Hospital on the Gold Coast, Andrew was rushed into surgery where the surgeon discovered he had cut through a tendon and partially cut through a nerve. His girlfriend Tess rushed to his bedside.

“When I woke up I could move my fingers a bit, so I thought, ‘that’s good’,” said Andrew. “The doctor said I was pretty lucky.”

After a highlight hospital bed visit from host Joanna Griggs, who kindly brought her injured contestant a beer, Andrew was discharged.

His arm remained in a cast for two weeks, and he wore an arm guard for another four.

He has been told it could take two years for feeling to return to his hand.

“My ring finger’s got feeling back. I think they’re pretty confident it will come back,” he said.

HOUSE RULES, Channel 7, Sunday, 7pm; Monday to Wednesday, 7.30pm

Originally published as House Rules’ Andrew King in accident: ‘I thought I could lose my brother’ says twin