Queensland, are you ready to rumble?

Myjanne Jensen caught up with Renee—one half of the all-girl Queensland contingent—who is taking on the other States in Reno Rumble.

For all you reno-junkies out there, it’s time to strap on your tool belt and charge up the electric drill, as a brand new season of Channel Nine’s Reno Rumble hits our screens.

In the latest instalment of the popular reality renovation series, six new couples will be divided into Eastern and Western states of Australia, battling it out week after week in the hopes of taking out the winning room and making a deserving home owner’s dreams come true.

With $100,000 up for grabs, there’s plenty of incentive to dig deep and work hard, but for one half of the all-girl Queensland contingent, Renee, there is no amount of money that could replace the thrill of being on the show.

“My favourite part of this whole experience was meeting with the homeowners for the first time, walking into their home and having them explain their brief and what they would like,” says Renee.

“It’s just the most surreal feeling and some of these families’ backstories, you think, how is it even possible they’re still jovial, still smiling, still positive?” she says.

“At the end of the week, seeing what everybody has created and the homeowners getting these amazing makeovers, it’s so uplifting and you realise that this is why I’m here, this is why I’ve had no sleep and this is why I’m having arguments – you can’t put a price on that.”

‘She’ll be right’ attitude

A country girl from Mt Isa, Renee brings a “she’ll be right” type of attitude to the show and it’s this unique Queensland spirit she believes held the girls in good stead.

Before appearing on East vs West, Renee also dabbled in a number of her own renovations, both at home and on other properties, which she says helped prepare her in a number of ways, particularly in terms of dealing with tradies.

Testing times on a relationship

Given all this prior experience, one could be excused for assuming it was all smooth sailing for the Queenslanders, but as Renee reveals, the pressure of adapting to such a unique and pressurised situation was something felt by all.

“The hardest part of all of this was managing the relationship and friendship with your partner, because it tests your communication skills and tests your tolerance,” admits Renee.

“I am very lucky that I don’t have children, so I didn’t have to worry about whether they were getting to school, getting their needs met, etc., whereas Sarah has a three-year old and a partner and it was hard to see her stressed over something she couldn’t control,” she says.

“You’re also in a situation where you can only assume what is going to occur and it’s very spontaneous in the house, so if you don’t like change or can’t adapt to change quickly, you’re going to be behind the eight ball.”

East vs West will once again see Shelley Craft join host Scott Cam to help guide the contestants and internationally renowned interior design experts, Scottish duo Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, as this season’s judges.

Reno Rumble East vs West premieres tonight, 21 March at 7:30pm on Channel Nine. Go Queenslander!