Daniella’s youngest son was just three months old when she left him behind to start filming House Rules.
But Daniella and husband Aaron didn’t take the decision to leave Brooklyn and three-year-old Jaxon lightly.
“It was the biggest decision of our lives,” the 38-year-old admits.
“Should we or should we not do this? But we’re doing it for our two boys, who we love dearly.”
The brothers had to be split up when filming started. Brooklyn stayed with Daniella’s parents in Brisbane, while Jaxon went to Aaron’s parents on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
“It was too much for one set of grandparents,” she explains.
The toughest moments for Daniella have been seeing photos of Brooklyn growing and changing without her there.
“Mum would stick the [age] sticker on, how old he would turn every month… that just broke my heart,” she explains.
In fact, Daniella missed her boys so much she had to cut off contact with them.
“When we were on a build week, I wouldn’t contact the kids − I was getting too emotional,” she says.
She believes the stress of being away caused the kidney stones she suffered in WA.
“I knew my children were in fine hands, but I was separated from them,” she explains.
However, Daniella has never regretted her decision to be part of House Rules.
“I see our future now, being able to have our renovated house,” she says. “We can spend so much more time as a family.”
Chatting about fellow contestants Bec and Troy’s recent split, Daniella reveals it was hard to watch.
“The show can make you or break you,” she says. “We did feel for them [Bec and Troy], because me and Aaron are so tight. To see people fight was really hard.
“You want to give as much support as possible, but it’s a competition and you have to stay focused. It was tough seeing both of them upset.”
Meanwhile, the competition has done wonders for Daniella and Aaron’s relationship.
“We’ve reconnected,” she says. “It actually feels like when we first met.”
Daniella says having more kids is a possibility.
“It would be nice to have a girl,” she smiles.
