Canada’s favourite brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott (a.k.a. the Property Brothers) are back to do battle in Season 5 of Brother vs. Brother, premiering Monday night on HGTV Canada.
The mischievous twins are turning up the heat this time around as they head to the beach in Galveston, Texas, each armed with $600,000 and six weeks to purchase and transform two blah waterfront homes into stunning vacation rentals.
As in Brother vs. Brother‘s previous seasons, Jonathan and Drew go head-to-head, with their older brother JD acting as referee. Of course, there will also be a panel of guest judges every week who’ll review the individual room challenges. The weekly challenge loser will have to suffer through a miserable outing as punishment — for example, having to run an obstacle course or ride a dizzying roller-coaster over and over. The winner, on the other hand, gets to play with penguins or go ziplining. Fun!
All proceeds from the show go back into local communities via Rebuilding Together, a U.S. non-profit organization that preserves affordable home ownership and helps to revitalize neighbourhoods. Global News caught up with Jonathan and Drew Scott to chat about their upcoming season, and what people can expect. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t spill on who wins, but not without mocking us for trying to find out.
Global News: What’s new this season? What makes it different from all of the preceding ones?
Drew Scott: After two years of doing Brother vs. Brother at home in Vegas, we decided to take the competition as far from the desert as possible. We found the perfect waterfront properties in Galveston, Texas. Not only were these our very first oceanside homes, they were also our first homes on stilts.
We learned the hard way how tough construction can be on the water.
Are there any hilarious incidents that take place?
Jonathan Scott: As per usual, there were a lot of back-and-forth pranks … from Drew abandoning me overboard (fully clothed) in the middle of the canal — over a mile from shore — to a bare hands-on experience cleaning up after 40 penguins at the zoo. Some pranks involved fish phones and taxidermy lobsters. Doesn’t make sense to you now? Then you’ll have to watch. These places were bananas, but now they’re beautiful.
Any mishaps on the job?
JS: Absolutely. On every major renovation, there will always be a few unexpected problems that pop up. Drew’s house just happened to have way more than I’ve ever seen. From a deck that was nearly collapsing to a delay receiving the fanciest toilet you’ve ever seen. There are so many fun, exciting moments this year, and there’s water. What more could you ask for?
Any especially notable renovations you’d like to expand on?
JS: How about a toilet that puts the seat down for you, or flushes if your husband forgets? In my place, I carved out a bit of the back of the garage and created the ultimate margarita bar (fully dressed with an eclectic mix of surfboards on the ceiling). Drew created the king of all hanging daybeds. You could probably fit four people in it and still have room for dancing.
DS: [Laughs] Nice try. You’ll have to watch and find out. And I’ll warn you, the judges said this was the hardest year yet to decide which property would win.
DS: It’s always growing and adapting. This was not only us challenging each other, we were also challenging ourselves because we had never worked on oceanfront properties. We love to make the Brother vs. Brother transformations the most spectacular they can be.
JS: We also like to push our own boundaries when it comes to design. I will admit, this is my favourite house of anything Drew has ever designed. Yet still, mine is a little nicer… [Laughs]
WATCH BELOW: The latest on the Property Brothers
How do you account for your insane international fandom?
JS: I think it’s a combination of the fact that our shows inspire anybody to improve their space. You don’t have to be taking on a major renovation to appreciate what we do. And we’re not pretending to be anything other than who we are. For us, it’s all about family, fun and a commitment to quality television.
DS: We remember when Canada was only turning 120. Seems like so long ago. You look so young.
JS: What’s your secret? Is there a special skin cream? [Laughs]
‘Brother vs. Brother’ Season 5 premieres on Monday, June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Canada.
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