The 2018 season of House Rules has been full of scandals, shock twists and explosive feuds.
As one of the most dramatic seasons yet, it can be hard to keep track of the moments that truly made our jaws drop. You know, aside from the jaw-dropping and stunning renovations.
Click through to see some of the biggest scandals that rocked House Rules in 2018.
Leigh and Kristie ‘rip-off’ Josh and Brandon with a ‘statement’ sewing machine
Controversial couple Leigh and Kristie were accused of cheating early on in the competition, when they made a dodgy deal during Mel and Dave’s interior renovation.
The couple sold a sewing machine to brothers Josh and Brandon, who wanted to use it as their statement piece. However, the sewing machine wasn’t technically theirs to sell as it already belonged to home-owners Mel and Dave.
“I didn’t actually think you could do that,” Brandon said of the deal. “To be honest, I think it’s bloody cheating.”
Mandy accuses Mel and Dave of copying her design
Toad and Mandy went head-to-head with Mel and Dave during one of the final renovations, when the teams both worked on bathrooms in the home of a young widow named Chelsea.
Mel stuck a note on Chelsea’s original vanity, claiming it as hers, before deciding to ditch the classic style in favour or something quite similar to Mandy’s choice.
During the renovation, Mandy approached Dave to ask why the couple had copied her design, though it didn’t go over well with him. Drama, of course, ensued.
“The little note on the vanity was quite shocking,” Mandy tells TV WEEK. “I think that was just very pushy and greedy.”
Leigh and Kristie spark a feud with Michelle and Kim over wallpaper
While renovating Chiara and David’s home, Leigh and Kristie had to share one large open space with rivals Kim and Michelle as they completed their zones.
Michelle approached Kristie, asking if they could communicate their plans for the wallpaper in order to create a nice flow between the zones. After agreeing to keep Michelle in the loop, Kristie called her wallpaper supplier to confirm her delivery and ask that no one else be allowed to purchase the same print.
“Make sure nobody else orders it,” Kristie told the supplier, before fake evil-laughing for the camera.
Kristie’s double-cross did not go over well with Kim and Michelle, and the two teams spent the rest of the renovation fighting over their joint wall and lack of flow.
After their botched deal and completed renovations, the teams gathered to hear their scores. When Michelle made a comment to Leigh that they could work together the following week, he refused to reply and chose instead to stare her down from across the room.
After several awkward seconds, Michelle asked “No?” to which Kristie replied, “Yeah definitely.” Kristie could be seen nudging her husband, before whispering for him to “stop it.”
The controversial exchange did not go down well with viewers, who found the stand-off uncomfortable to watch.
Leigh stares down Michelle in an uncomfortable stand-up, while Kristie looks away.
David helps Kim and Michelle with their bonus room
As the teams made their way in to the final renovation, just one point seperated Kristie and Leigh from Kim and Michelle at the bottom of the leaderboard.
After being awarded the bonus room in Toad and Mandy’s home, Kim and Michelle received plenty of help from David, who did not want to see Kristie and Leigh progress to the next stage.
The pressure became too much for Kristie, who was visibly upset by David’s favouritism.
“At least if we stay in this competition it’s because of our own merits and no one is f*ing helping us,” Kristie ranted.
“Michelle’s had her a** wiped her whole life by her mother, and now they’re getting through to the next round of this competition purely because they’re getting their butt wiped by everybody else.”
Toad almost loses a thumb during the Backyard Battles
While renovating Jess and Jared’s ‘New York style’ backyard, Toad got busy creating a pizza parlour for the couple. During the mayhem of the final moments, Toad managed to slice his finger with a sharp blade. The farmer wrapped his wound and battled on, but it was clear he was in tremendous pain.
After the zone was completed, Toad and Mandy took a trip to the hospital, where he was given nine stitches after cutting his finger almost to the bone. Somehow, he kept a smile plastered on his face throughout the whole ordeal!
Mel and Dave’s week-long feud with Chiara and David
While renovating Leigh and Kristie’s home, Mel and Dave spent practically the entire week bickering with Chiara and David. The two teams just couldn’t seem to get along!
First up, Dave chose to alter the dividing wall between their zones without telling them. When David questioned him, Dave said he “forgot” to mention it, though later told the cameras “I just didn’t tell him if you want to know the truth.”
Dave also hinted it was the couple’s own fault for not paying attention while he made the changes, saying “you snooze, you lose.”
Then, Mel and Dave chose to put a curtain up between the bedroom and the en-suite, despite having agreed upon an ‘open plan’ for the zone to hit the house rule of ‘making the master suite a flowing retreat.’
Once again, Mel and Dave’s lack of communication about their changing plans caused friction between the contestants.
More drama is sure to come when Toad and Mandy face-off with Mel and Dave in next week’s grand finale.
The House Rules grand finale premieres Monday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven.
