House Rules: High Stakes is set to be a season like no other.
WATCH: FIRST LOOK at House Rules High Stakes
Eight teams will battle it out in the toughest House Rules challenge to date – the transformation of a penthouse towering 32 stories above the sunny beaches of Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Season eight is set to premiere next month, with former House Rules judge, Jamie Durie as host and returning judge Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and new judges, interior designer, Kyly Clarke and acclaimed home builder, Saul Myers.
House Rules: High stakes has some fresh new faces and challenges, but our teams will still have to hand over the keys to their biggest asset, their own homes.
Let’s meet the teams.
Tamara and Rhys
Brisbane couple Tamara, 28, and Rhys, 29, prove opposites do attract.
“We are very much opposites,” Tamara explains. “If I don’t like people, I’m not going to spare your feelings over something, I’ll just tell it how it is. Whereas, Rhys will just be nice even if he thinks you’re not a nice person.”
The half fiery, half chilled couple met at the gym where they both trained. “After training at the same gym for a year, a mutual friend pointed Rhys out to me,” says Tamara. “Even though he’d never spoken to me I followed him on Instagram, and the very next day he started talking to me and the rest is history.”
Tanya and Dave
Happily married parents of three children, Luke, 8, Benjamin, 7 and Emily, 4, the Perth couple recently upsized to a bigger house in the burbs.
“We have the perfect family house now where all the kids have room to grow up in and we can call our forever home,” enthuses Tanya.
However, despite being spacious, their dream two-storey art deco heritage home is stuck in a 1980’s time warp and needs a “complete design overhaul” to welcome it into the 21st century.
“The reason we entered the competition is basically to upgrade our home for the kids, something we would never be able to do ourselves at this point of our lives,” explains Dave.
WATCH: House Rules: Meet Tanya and her model husband Dave
Susan and Anthony
The newly married cheerleaders first met through a mutual friend ten years ago and are hoping their total lack of renovation experience will be made up for with plenty of enthusiasm and energy.
“Nobody shakes pompoms like Anthony can,” cheerleading and dance academy owner, Susan, 31, says.
Recently buying a house in Berwick, Victoria, to call their very first home, Susan and Anthony are hoping their meticulous organisation skills and healthy competitiveness will put them on the path to success.
Laith and George
“We both still live at home, me with my parents and George with his parents,” confirms Laith. “I think you could say we are like brothers from different mothers, but its time to move out.”
Despite having no renovating experience, Laith is hoping his best mate George, who is a qualified builder and owner of a construction company, is going to be his guru.
WATCH: House Rules: Meet the hungry duo Laith and George
Kayne and Aimee
The plumber pair are the first tradie couple in House Rules’ history.
“I’m pretty honoured to be the first lady tradie on the show,” Aimee says. “I want to show everyone that we can give it a crack just as much as the fellas.”
Kayne and Aimee met on a job site in Sydney in 2015 and describe themselves as an “easy going team that loves a laugh and never takes anything too seriously.”
Lenore and Bradley
Bradley, 31, is super close to his mum, Lenore, 55, and feels entering the show is his way of giving back.
“Mum and my stepfather Michael have always sacrificed so much for us kids so I’m really happy to be able to do this with her so she and Michael can hopefully get the home they deserve,” says Bradley.
A menswear fashion designer, Bradley is hoping his strong design skills and “love for colour and prints,” will help him and Lenore thrive in the competition.
WATCH: House Rules: Meet the mum and son duo Lenore and Bradley
Kimmy and Rhi
Tassie twins Kimmy and Rhi think their ‘twin-tuition’ will give them the winning edge.
“With my interior design qualification and our twin-tuition we’ve got it in the bag,” reveals Kimmy.
The sisters who live and work in Launceston are virtually impossible to tell apart and are in complete sync with one another.
“We finish each other’s sentences, we know how each other are feeling,” says Kimmy.
Carly and Andrew
Brisbane dad, Andrew, 46, admits he’ll only be guided by his wife Carly’s opinions whilst renovating.
“I’ll listen to Carly but if outsiders try to give me design advice whilst I’m renovating, I’ll be like ‘you’ve got no idea!’”
The straight -hooting landscape foreman from Sydney has already renovated with his wife on two previous NSW properties of theirs including one in Marrickville and another in Greenacre, before moving to Queensland.
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