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CAIRNS EYE

Making Reality

Rumours are running wild about Cairns designer Richie Stevens, who was a shock departure in the semifinals of  Win TV’s homeMADE  renovation show.

Some say Richie has been asked to host a similar television design show. Others claim he’s moving to Sydney to start up a branch of his Insideout Property Stylists business.
The blonde-hair blue-eyed designer, who celebrated his 30th birthday on the show, is coy about his new future direction, but he does admit both rumours are strong possibilities.

Tipped as one of the favourites to win the $100,000 prize of the biggest renovation competition ever attempted on Australian television, Richie admits he was disappointed to lose in the semifinals even though he is also grateful for the “opportunity of a lifetime”.

New opportunities are opening for a number of the show’s designers, he says. But until any contracts are signed and sealed, he is maintaining confidentiality.

The show has elevated the status of most of the designers. They were featured in some of the top magazines and newspapers in Australia, were interviewed on some of the country’s leading radio stations and starred in television advertisements. Now they are being recognised in the streets and getting asked for autographs.
“Fans of the show think they know us because we have been in their lounge rooms week after week,” Richie says. “We feel like mini celebrities. It’s surreal.”

His rise to fame started simply enough – he answered an email. He responded to a call to action for designers across Australia to send a two-minute video to be considered for the new show.  Richie made the video, sent it off and didn’t really give it too much more thought until the show’s casting agent phoned to let him know she was coming to Cairns to view his work. Two weeks later, he learned he had made the cut, the only Queenslander who had.
“It was an amazing experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says. “I had no idea what it was going to be like. It consumed your life and was just so intense every day.”

Richie’s fans describe him as a caring and considerate “nice” guy who kept his cool. But then he lost his calm demure and called Darren “a pig of a man” in the June 16th show.
“I couldn’t believe I said that,” Richie says. “The whole situation was so intense and we were all so tired.
“It’s hard to explain the stress involved. We constantly had microphones on us and cameras in our faces. When people watch the one-hour show what they don’t realise is the producers had 200 hours of footage of us. That’s how long the cameras were on us.
“We had no idea what footage was being used. The first time we saw the shows were on TV, like everyone else.
“It was a very stressful time and as time went on tempers flared. But, Darren and I are still talking and we go out for drinks when I’m in Sydney so it’s all good.”

In light of Susan Boyle’s breakdown following her loss in Britain’s Got Talent TV show, the question of putting stress on contestants has come under the microscope.
“While everyone knows to some extent realty TV isn’t reality, when you’re on it you realise you have no control over how you will be portrayed,” Richie says. “It’s not what you expect when you sign up for it.
“But, at the end of the day, it’s just a show and when it’s over you move on with your life.
“And, yes, I’d do it again.
“And, no, I can’t tell anyone what’s ahead just yet.”