In what was supposed to be a celebratory end to Seven’s House Rules, the season seven final curtain has drawn to a close in a complete state of disarray with the shock departure of the show’s host Johanna Griggs.
Taking to Instagram, the former competitive swimmer told fans she’d asked “to be allowed to step down from House Rules” ahead of next year’s production.
In Johanna’s end-of-days announcement, the 45-year-old mother-of-two referred to the show as a “beast” and pointed out that reality TV production had been an “eye opener” for her.
Speaking to Woman’s Day, a source close to the popular TV presenter reveals that Johanna found her stint on the reality show increasingly challenging.
“As the pursuit for ratings gets more intense, producers are pushing participants to the brink as they try to manufacture dramatic television,” our insider explains.
“Those production techniques just don’t sit well with Joh’s core values, and as a board member of Beyond Blue she couldn’t condone it any more.”
As Joh Griggs quit House Rules, she revealed she found the show an “eye opener”.
(Image: @johgriggs7/ Instagram)The move comes just months after this season’s winners Pete and Courtney Tserbis claimed producers had forced them into stirring up drama for the camera.
“They [the producers] were trying to make us fight from the beginning,” says Pete.
“It goes against everything we are.”
This season Joh was also was forced to deal with new judge Jamie Durie’s growing profile at the network.
Woman’s Day previously reported that Joh had been “relegated to the back stalls” and left out of pre-season promotions so 49-year-old Jamie could take centre stage.
“It’s difficult for people who have been involved in the show to understand why the network is promoting Jamie when Joh has proven her stripes,” a source said at the time.
WATCH: Jamie Durie jokes about having breakfast in the nude in one cheeky House Rules episode
Rumours were rife of a feud between Joh and new judge Jamie Durie (left).
(Image: @johgriggs7/ Instagram)