Today Show presenter Alex Cullen parts ways with Today and Nine Network

Today Show presenter Alex Cullen has parted ways with Today and Channel 9 after a $50,000 prize scandal involving Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli.

Today news presenter Alex Cullen has announced he will step down permanently from Nine after an on-air scandal with a Melbourne billionaire.

Nine confirmed Cullen told his colleagues on Thursday night he was officially stepping down.

It comes after, in a deal revealed by the Sunday Herald Sun, the former presenter accepted $50,000 from billionaire Adrian Portelli as compensation for being the first to address him as “McLaren Guy” live on air.

Portelli had expressed he was fed up of his previous media nickname of “Lambo Guy”.

The money has reportedly since been donated to charity.

Channel 9 presenter Alex Cullen was stood down after he accepted a $50,000 prize from Adrian Portelli. Picture: Today Show

Media outlets have referred to Portelli as “Lambo Guy” for years after his first appearance on TV show The Block in 2022, when he arrived in an orange Lamborghini Murcielago SV.

The billionaire has said he was sick of the nickname and wanted to be called “McLaren Guy” instead.

He then put a callout on his social media promising a $50,000 prize for the first journalist to use his preferred moniker on air.

Cullen referenced Portelli as “McLaren Guy” in a live cross on the Today Show from the Australian Open, and then took to Instagram to share he’d done it.

Stefanovic also used the phrase on air before laughing with Cullen during the cross, suggesting they could split the $50,000.

Portelli declared Cullen had won the competition and transferred him the money.

Channel 9 took Cullen off the air on Saturday after the Sunday Herald Sun reported the payment had been made.

“Nine is taking this matter extremely seriously,” a spokesperson said at the time.

“Appropriate action has been promptly taken, including arranging for the funds to be returned.

“While we review the circumstances in which this occurred, Alex has agreed to stand down.”

Portelli then labelled the Sunday Herald Sun journalist who covered the story a “bully” after he was referenced as “Lambo Guy” in the article’s headline, and directed his 460,000 followers to “bully back”, promising a $5000 reward to the best comment on her Instagram page.

Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli offered a $50k prize for the first journalist to refer to him as ‘McLaren Man’. Picture: David Crosling

Cullen has worked as a news and sports presenter and spent many years as a reporter on Seven’s Sunday Night program before moving back to Nine in 2019.

Today Show host Karl Stefanovic called Cullen a “terrific fella” when announcing the news of his departure on the show on Friday morning.

“As most of you are well aware, our colleague, Alex Cullen, has not been on air with us this past week,” Stefanovic said.

“There has been widespread reporting on the circumstances surrounding this, what I can say is that last night, Alex and Nine agreed that he would finish with the network.

“Alex is a terrific fella, what you see is what you get and he has been a great mate to all of us over these years and we wish Alex, his wife Bonnie and his beautiful kids all the very best for the future.”

Karl Stefanovic said Cullen is a ‘terrific fella’. Picture: Channel 9

Fellow Today host Sarah Abo said Cullen would be missed by the show’s team when announcing the news.

“Alex has, of course, been part of the Today family for five years now, he’s always ready with a smile and a laugh and without hesitation speaking for all of us here, we can say that we are going to miss him terribly, that’s for sure,” she said.

Channel 9 reporters Clint Stanaway and Roz Kelly have filled in for Cullen since his departure from Today.