Johanna Griggs announced last month her decision to leave House Rules, the show she had hosted for seven years.
And after sources claimed she chose to quit because she didn’t like the way producers were trying to make the renovation series ‘more dramatic’, a former contestant has broken his silence.
Season five winner Aaron Winter, who competed on the show with his wife Daniella in 2017, told Now To Love on Tuesday that he ‘one hundred per cent respects’ Joh’s reasons for leaving.
Speaking out: A House Rules contestant has spoken out after host Joh Griggs (pictured) quit the show amid rumours she was unhappy with producers ‘pushing the teams to the brink’
Aaron acknowledged that Joh, 45, had a better perspective on what goes on behind the scenes than he and Daniella did as contestants.
‘Joh has a much better insight about what’s happening back of house and doing bits and pieces with us. We’re just there to be contestants,’ he said.
‘Anything that Johanna Griggs says, I’ll one hundred per cent respect it and take her word on it, but if you asked me to do [House Rules] again tomorrow, I’d say yes.’
Breaking his silence: Season five winner Aaron Winter (left), who competed on the show with his wife Daniella (right) in 2017, said that he ‘one hundred per cent respects’ Joh’s reasons for leaving
Insight: ‘Anything that Johanna Griggs says, I’ll one hundred per cent respect it and take her word on it,’ Aaron said. Pictured with Daniella on House Rules in 2017
Aaron’s comments come after Woman’s Day reported on July 29 that Joh didn’t feel comfortable with how far contestants were being pushed in a bid to ‘pursue ratings’.
‘As the pursuit for ratings gets more intense, producers are pushing participants to the brink as they try to manufacture dramatic television,’ a source told the magazine.
‘Those production techniques just don’t sit well with Joh’s core values.’
Industry website TV Blackbox later confirmed Woman’s Day’s report, with editor Rob McKnight saying his sources within Channel Seven had corroborated the claims.
Claims: Aaron’s comments come after Woman’s Day reported on July 29 that Joh (pictured) didn’t feel comfortable with how far contestants were being pushed in a bid to ‘pursue ratings’
Conflict of values: A source told Woman’s Day, ‘As the pursuit for ratings gets more intense, producers are pushing participants to the brink as they try to manufacture dramatic television. Those production techniques just don’t sit well with Joh’s core values’. Pictured: Joh
Proof: Industry website TV Blackbox later confirmed Woman’s Day’s report, with editor Rob McKnight (pictured) saying his sources within Channel Seven had corroborated the claims
Tellingly, Joh had announced her departure via her personal Instagram account on July 24, and no official statement was released by Channel Seven.
Daily Mail Australia understands that network executives were disappointed by her decision to leave at a time when House Rules was already struggling in the ratings.
While confirming her exit from the show, Joh had cryptically told her social media followers that working on reality TV had been an ‘eye-opener’.
Silence: Tellingly, Joh had announced she was leaving House Rules via her personal Instagram account on July 24, and no official statement was released by Channel Seven. At the time, she cryptically told her social media followers that working on reality TV had been an ‘eye-opener’
She wrote: ‘After a great deal of consideration, I recently sat down with the network to ask to be allowed to step down as host of House Rules.
‘They have very graciously agreed for me to do that, which I’m incredibly appreciative of.
‘Reality TV production has been an eye opener, they are such enormous beasts with so many people involved and I’ve had a great time over the last seven years steering the ship.’
The seventh season of House Rules saw high school sweethearts Pete and Courtney crowned the winners, with the pair taking home a $250,000 cash prize.
Champions: The seventh season of House Rules saw high school sweethearts Pete and Courtney (pictured) crowned the winners, with the pair taking home a $250,000 cash prize