They appear to be the perfect couple on screen. But House Rules contestant Kate admits that just like fellow renovators Troy and Bec, her relationship with partner Harry went through a difficult period during filming.
“I knew House Rules would expose our weaknesses, because we definitely have them in our relationship,” Kate, 28, says.
The stunning teacher says tension reached boiling point when her flair for design left carpenter Harry jealous.
“All our friends know Harry likes to be the best at everything,” Kate explains. “He definitely struggled when I had some success. It wasn’t about him, which is a challenge for him.
“He went into this thinking he was the one with experience, so I think he got a bit frustrated that a lot of the decisions ended up being mine.”
Kate, who has a two-year-old son with Harry, says their lowest point came during the first renovation.
“That was the first time we were away from our son, in the middle of nowhere, way out of our depth,” she says. “We were in a bit of a rocky place after that. It was good timing that our house was second, because we had an opportunity to regroup.
“We had lots of conversations in that time and came back to WA united and trusting each other a bit more.”
The couple from Adelaide have known each other for 10 years. They met at their local pub.
“I had a boyfriend, so I didn’t talk to Harry,” Kate recalls. “I guess playing hard to get was a challenge for him and he loved it. So he just chased me.”
After Kate and her boyfriend split, she and Harry “eventually” got together.
“It was a rocky first year, that’s for sure,” she smiles. “But we got there.”
