Billionaire Block bidder Adrian Portelli running Christmas getaway in Northgate Shopping Centre

With Christmas right around the corner, a famous face from The Block TV show has made an appearance in Hobart to spread festive cheer. What had hundreds queued up on Monday morning.

Those first in line waited up to 3.5 hours to receive their gift cards. Picture: Elise Kaine

UPDATE 9.32am: The capacity for the giveaway has been reached shortly before Adrian Portelli’s arrival at 9.30am, with 500 numbered tickets given out to those queuing.

Mr Protelli had 500 vouchers to give away and people were turned away shortly after 930am when the line reached capacity. Picture: Elise Kaine

8.45am: Hundreds of people have queued up for a giftcard giveaway at Northgate Shopping Centre in Glenorchy from billionaire The Block bidder Adrian Portelli, just in time for Christmas.

The Melbourne-based property investor is expected to make the rounds in Australia in a mass $1m giveaways for Australians ‘who are doing it tough’ during the cost-of-living crisis and in the festive season.

Mr Portelli made headlines recently for snapping up all five homes in the latest The Block 2024 season, dropping a cool $15.03m on the five Phillip Island homes.

Lines were out the door before 9am on Monday, with a ticket system and security presence ensuring the crowd stayed orderly.

Helen Johnson was one of the first 10 people in line and she said the voucher would be a “big help” at this time of year especially since she had just taken on caring for her grandson full time.

Helen Johnson, Adrian Portelli and her grandson after receiving a Coles gift voucher at Northgate. Picture: Elise Kaine

“Adrian is such a special man to be doing something like this,” Ms Johnson said.

“It will be a big help at this time of the year because I have just started looking after my grandson permanently.”.

She said she’d use the voucher to buy food for the house.

Helen Johnson receives her Coles gift voucher from Adrian Porletti at Northgate on December 2 2024. Picture: Elise Kaine

It costs Victoria Coppleman 200 a fortnight just to feed her young son Mayson, who has Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

ARFID means Mayson can only eat 8 foods of the highest quality and expense, so the vouchers were going to be a big help for the family.

Ms Coppleman’s daughter Arizona has cystic fibrosis, which means she has to eat 2,000 calories a day.

Mayson Coppelman, Adrian Portelli, Victoria Coppelman and daughter Arizona. Picture: Elise Kaine

She joined the line at 730 on Monday morning to secure the vouchers and help with her food costs at this time of year.

Mr Portelli has already been distributing vouchers in South Australia and Melbourne and he expects to give away $1,000,000 across the country- focusing on low income areas like Glenorchy.

Adrian Portelli shared the news of his gift card giveaway via his Instagram. Picture: Instagram.

Mr Portelli made the announcement on his Instagram on Sunday he would be coming down to Hobart, stating “hopefully this helps”.

“I’m gonna drop $75,000 there so you guys can line-up, come down and grab $100 or $200 giftcards,” he said.

Adrian Portelli takes a selfie at Northgate 2 December 2024. Picture: Elise Kaine

“Especially Christmas is fast-approaching, so a lot of people with cost-of-living through the roof, hopefully this helps.”

Mr Portelli flew down to Hobart from his Melbourne home in a private jet to appear at Northgate by 9.30am.

He will then jet off to Sydney to run another giveaway.

Originally published as Billionaire Block bidder Adrian Portelli running Christmas getaway in Northgate Shopping Centre