Seven's House Rules fails to hit mark

Right at home: Host Johanna Griggs (centre) and the House Rules team. Source: Supplied

IT?S had huge promotion, but Seven?s House Rules couldn?t break Nine's stranglehold with the combined pulling power of The Block: Sky High and The Voice on the viewing figures.

Debuting on Tuesday night, its figures came in at 803,000 – in comparison The Block had 1.3 million for its first episode and The Block All Stars pulled in 960,000.

But what Seven executives will no doubt be more concerned with is the figures in comparison to Ten’s DIY show The Renovators which debuted back in 2011.

That managed to pull in 939,000 viewers – a higher audience, and that was soon sent to the builders yard for scrap.

With this poor performance hot on the heels of Celebrity Splash, sources say there will be heated talks taking place in the boardrooms over how to stop the nosedive.

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House Rules fails to nail its launch

House Rules: Michelle and Steve (NSW) Jemma and Ben (WA) Jane and Plinio (TAS) Amy and Sean (QLD), Nick and Chris (VIC) Carly and Leighton (SA) Picture: Channel 7 Source: Supplied

NEW renovation series House Rules bombed on debut when it had worst launch figures than last year's shockers Being Lara Bingle, The Shire and Excess Baggage.

The first episode of the Seven Network reality show on Tuesday night could only muster 803,000 viewers, according to OzTAM ratings.

In comparison to 2012's flops, Network Ten's The Shire pulled 941,835 on debut while Being Lara Bingle attracted 924,950, and the Nine Network's first episode of Excess Baggage was watched by 885,482.

Seven gave itself a tough task by launching House Rules against a live elimination round of The Voice and at the same time the federal budget was being handed down.

Nine claimed the first two places in the ratings on Tuesday with The Voice (1.597 million) and The Block Sky High (1.308 million).

It is the second night in a row The Voice has not topped 1.6 million, after regularly pulling audiences around the two million mark.

As for House Rules, the real test will come on Wednesday when it goes head-to-head with Nine's The Block Sky High and The Big Bang Theory.

The failure of House Rules did not affect Seven's family drama Packed To The Rafters.

The popular Aussie series, which followed House Rules, pulled more than a million viewers for fifth spot in the ratings.

House Rules will also air on Thursday night as the lead-in program to the grand final of Celebrity Splash.

The final two episodes of Celebrity Splash have been crunched into one, suggesting this will be the first and last series of the diving show.

Did you tune in to House Rules? What did you think?

Nick and Chris from Channel 7's new reno show House Rules. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

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Seven's House Rules debuts poorly

Right at home: Host Johanna Griggs (centre) and the House Rules team. Source: Supplied

IT?S had huge promotion, but Seven?s House Rules couldn?t break Nine's stranglehold with the combined pulling power of The Block: Sky High and The Voice on the viewing figures.

Debuting on Tuesday night, its figures came in at 803,000 – in comparison The Block had 1.3 million for its first episode and The Block All Stars pulled in 960,000.

But what Seven executives will no doubt be more concerned with is the figures in comparison to Ten’s DIY show The Renovators which debuted back in 2011.

That managed to pull in 939,000 viewers – a higher audience, and that was soon sent to the builders yard for scrap.

With this poor performance hot on the heels of Celebrity Splash, sources say there will be heated talks taking place in the boardrooms over how to stop the nosedive.

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Cracks in House Rules ratings

Nick and Chris from Channel 7's "House Rules". Source: Supplied

HOUSE Rules looks like it is in need of renovation after being hammered by The Block Sky High last night.

The launch episode of Channel 7's new home reno reality series could only nail 803,000 viewers nationally.

The Block Sky High demolished its rival with 1.308 million viewers nationally.

House Rules was also crushed by The Voice which averaged 1.597 million viewers.

The House Rules launch result is a blow for Seven. The network had hoped the show, hosted by Johanna Griggs, would strip hundreds of thousands of viewers from its Nine rival.

House Rules rated especially poorly in Sydney with only 171,000 viewers - just over half of the 331,000 that watched The Block Sky High.

Seven executives will be hoping House Rules figures improve tonight and tomorrow night.

Griggs had been upbeat about House Rules chance of success in recent days.

"We could not be investing as much time, energy and money into a program if we didn't think it was going to be a success," Griggs said.

Nine would be worried that The Voice, despite being last night's number one show, has dropped under 1.6 million viewers for the second night in a row.

That figure is way off the more than two and a half million viewers the talent show was averaging last year.

The Block contestants Johnno and Trixie Johnson from Queensland have selected the penthouse on level five to renovate. Courtesy The Block, Nine Network.

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House Rules to take on The Block

House Rules teams for 2013: Michelle and Steve (NSW), Nick (left) and Chris (VIC), Amy and Sean (Qld), Carly and Leighton (SA), Jemma and Ben (WA), and Jane and Plinio (TAS). Picture: Channel Seven Source: Supplied

• House Rules will air three nights a week
• Show will be hosted by Johanna Griggs
• First episode will be up against The Voice

CHANNEL 7 has set up a TV home renovations ratings war by announcing that House Rules will begin next Tuesday, on May 14 at 7.30pm.

House Rules, hosted by Johanna Griggs, will continue on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

The three-nights-a-week move pits House Rules directly up against Nine’s renovation reality series The Block Sky High.

The first episode of House Rules has the added pressure of also going up against ratings blockbuster The Voice.

The Block Sky High will screen from 7pm on May 14 with The Voice screening from 8pm.

Contestants on The Block Sky High will face the show's biggest challenge yet

Wednesday and Thursday episodes of House Rules will also clash with The Block Sky High which will screen from 7pm to 8pm both nights.

House Rules features six state-based teams renovating each other’s houses. The Block Sky High features five state-based teams renovating a six-storey Melbourne hotel.

House Rules' six teams are Michelle and Steve (NSW), Nick and Chris (Vic), Amy and Sean (Qld), Carly and Leighton (SA), Jemma and Ben (WA), and Jane and Plinio (Tas).

Seven has promised that an entire home will be renovated and revealed each week.
 

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Mulherons' Kitchen Rules in MKR final

Dan and Steph Mulheron hoping to start a family with My Kitchen Rules Grand Final winnings. Courtesy MKR Seen on Seven.

HERVEY Bay cooking couple Dan and Steph Mulheron are one step closer to their dreams of starting a family after winning Seven's My Kitchen Rules

The toughly fought kitchen battle saw Dan and Steph narrowly defeat Sunshine Coast siblings Jake and Elle Harrison by just two points in the culmination of the months-long reality show.

Dan and Steph have revealed they will use the money to fund further IVF treatments and open a gourmet sausage shop.

They were required to serve a five-course meal for family, friends and former contestants, 100 plates in total, and were judged on the quality of the food and presentation.

In the end Manu Fieldel and Pete Evans judged Dan and Steph's offering more highly, giving them a score of 54/60.

Jake and Elle were awarded 52/60 and the two point difference saw them sent home as runners up.

Dan and Steph have previously spoken of their desire to start a family after trying for five years. They have undergone IVF treatment once already and have been saving for their next attempt.

WON BY TWO: Dan and Steph's party erupted in Brisbane last night after they were named winners. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The $250,000 cash prize will give them the freedom to keep trying.

"The dream is to have three kids, me with my sausage shop, Steph at home as a mum and live comfortably," Dan said in the lead-up to last night's grand final.

"I want to work hard, have the weekends off with family and be able to provide for my family, that is the ideal."

Heading into the competition the pair were living week-to-week just making ends meet as they saved to make their dreams come true. For siblings Jake and Elle, the dream was to open a late-night supper club in Brisbane and while not taking out the cash prize will certainly prove a hurdle for them, they are determined to turn that dream into reality under their own steam.

They said they weren't completely disappointed.

"The only difference is $250,000," Elle said. "That is amazing but coming second is still amazing. We are the youngest competitors ever in this competition, getting this far is incredible."

STILL HAPPY: Losers still are grinners - Jake and Elle Harrison celebrated their My Kitchen Rules runner-up award with friends and family. Picture: Marc Robertson

Both duos held separate grand final parties with family and friends at Brisbane venues.

Regardless, Jake and Elle said they would be "partying well into Monday".

They were all kept in the dark about who would win the competition until it was announced on air last night with dual endings shot to keep the final result a secret.

KNIVES OUT: My Kitchen Rules grand finalists Jake and Elle Harrison and Steph and Dan Mulheron.

The Voice vs My Kitchen Rules MKR

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Mulherons' Kitchen Rules in MKR final

Dan and Steph Mulheron hoping to start a family with My Kitchen Rules Grand Final winnings. Courtesy MKR Seen on Seven.

HERVEY Bay cooking couple Dan and Steph Mulheron are one step closer to their dreams of starting a family after winning Seven's My Kitchen Rules

The toughly fought kitchen battle saw Dan and Steph narrowly defeat Sunshine Coast siblings Jake and Elle Harrison by just two points in the culmination of the months-long reality show.

Dan and Steph have revealed they will use the money to fund further IVF treatments and open a gourmet sausage shop.

They were required to serve a five-course meal for family, friends and former contestants, 100 plates in total, and were judged on the quality of the food and presentation.

In the end Manu Fieldel and Pete Evans judged Dan and Steph's offering more highly, giving them a score of 54/60.

Jake and Elle were awarded 52/60 and the two point difference saw them sent home as runners up.

Dan and Steph have previously spoken of their desire to start a family after trying for five years. They have undergone IVF treatment once already and have been saving for their next attempt.

WON BY TWO: Dan and Steph's party erupted in Brisbane last night after they were named winners. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The $250,000 cash prize will give them the freedom to keep trying.

"The dream is to have three kids, me with my sausage shop, Steph at home as a mum and live comfortably," Dan said in the lead-up to last night's grand final.

"I want to work hard, have the weekends off with family and be able to provide for my family, that is the ideal."

Heading into the competition the pair were living week-to-week just making ends meet as they saved to make their dreams come true. For siblings Jake and Elle, the dream was to open a late-night supper club in Brisbane and while not taking out the cash prize will certainly prove a hurdle for them, they are determined to turn that dream into reality under their own steam.

They said they weren't completely disappointed.

"The only difference is $250,000," Elle said. "That is amazing but coming second is still amazing. We are the youngest competitors ever in this competition, getting this far is incredible."

STILL HAPPY: Losers still are grinners - Jake and Elle Harrison celebrated their My Kitchen Rules runner-up award with friends and family. Picture: Marc Robertson

Both duos held separate grand final parties with family and friends at Brisbane venues.

Regardless, Jake and Elle said they would be "partying well into Monday".

They were all kept in the dark about who would win the competition until it was announced on air last night with dual endings shot to keep the final result a secret.

KNIVES OUT: My Kitchen Rules grand finalists Jake and Elle Harrison and Steph and Dan Mulheron.

The Voice vs My Kitchen Rules MKR

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Current Affair broke rules on Brooks

A Current Affair broke rules on privacy, accuracy and complaints handling in a 2012 program accusing former Olympic gold medalist Neil Brooks, above, of scams, the media regulator has ruled. Picture: Ross Swanborough Source: News Limited

THE broadcast watchdog has found the Nine Network's A Current Affair broke rules on accuracy, privacy and complaints handling in a 2012 program on Olympic gold medallist Neil Brooks.

Nine's program accused Neil Brooks and his wife Linda of scams in Australia, the US and France.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the program aired on March 5, 2012 did not have enough evidence to support a claim that police in these three countries were investigating allegations of fraud against the former swimmer and his wife.

ACMA said Nine had also breached privacy provisions, but it did not say what they were.

It also said Nine had committed a technical breach of the complaints handling process by not providing a substantive response to a complaint from Mr Brooks.

The code says licensees don't have to respond to complaints that are the subject of legal proceedings and Brooks had issued a concerns notice under the defamation act.

But ACMA says the broadcaster should have provided a response because the court action had not commenced.

It said Nine had accepted its findings and would acknowledge that on its website.

"It has conducted training on its complaints-handling obligations," ACMA said in a statement.

Mr Brooks won gold as part of the men's medley relay team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was a former high-profile presenter on the Seven Network.

He left Australia with his wife and daughter Brooke in 2010. He first lived in France before moving to the United Kingdom.

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Manu Feildel's kitchen rules

Ashlee and Sophia from MKR taste test Manu's home cooking.

My Kitchen Rules Ashlee and Sophia execute a cracking main dish which really impresses the judges.

In a romantic My Kitchen Rules first, Stefano proposes to Lisa. As seen on Seven.

Manu Feildel with MKR duo Sophia Pou and Ashlee Pham / Pic: Rohan Kelly Source: The Sunday Telegraph

ACID-TONGUED TV chefs Sophia Pou and Ashlee Pham have given My Kitchen Rules host Manu Feildel a taste of his own medicine.

After sampling some of the top chef's signature dishes this week, the Cabramatta duo declared they could do just as good a job at home.

Known for their vocal criticism as much as their culinary skills, the home cooks didn't hold back when The Sunday Telegraph turned the tables on the French chef and arranged for him to personally whip up a couple of courses for the girls to judge at his test kitchen on Thursday.

While they admitted his cooking was "divine" and "near-flawless", not even Feildel could escape without the girls offering some of their trademark feedback, with Pou and Pham suggesting he try cutting his duck a little thicker and bulking up his sauce.

Feildel, who is currently in training to trek the Kokoda Track for the charity CanTeen, used recipes from two dishes he serves in his popular Paddington restaurant Etoile.

The My Kitchen Rules host served up goat curd and beetroot salad, followed by confit of duck, with roasted figs and foie gras wrapped in pasta, accompanied by a jus.

"This is a chance for me to show them that as a judge I know what I am talking about," he said.

"I'm not scared of what they have to say. Bring it on."

Pou, 28, said the entree was a delightful dish but stopped short of giving it a perfect score, rating it a nine out of 10.

"We have to step back a bit. There is one course to go," she said. "He is very in control - he is not flustered at all. But then he isn't cooking against the clock like we have to."

Pham, 28, was also hesitant about awarding full marks to the starter, giving it a nine.

"It's just ridiculous, there is nothing I would have done differently. (But) I think I could definitely do this at home."

When it came to the main course, Pou again opted for a nine, saying she usually "cut the duck thick" and a bit more seasoning wouldn't go astray.

"Overall it's a knockout. That's the dish I would (want to) have before I died. But a bit more pepper," she said.

But the most crushing blow came when Pham pulled up Feildel on his sauce - with the same question the celebrity chef often asks of contestants on the top-rating Seven show.

"I could have done with a bit more sauce. Where's the sauce?" she joked.

In the end though, she conceded Feildel's duck was spot on. "I will have to go with a 10," she said.

The girls said they had fun judging Feildel's food but were ultimately inspired by his prowess. Feildel said he was happy with a combined score of 37 out of 40.

"I am glad they enjoyed the food and I am glad I could show them I can talk the talk and walk the walk," he said.

"I don't think I needed to prove myself. Either way it would have been funny if I had had a four.

"When I thought about what I wanted to cook, I knew exactly what could tick all of the boxes."

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