The Block 2023 auctions behind the scenes: ‘Lambo guy’ Adrian Portelli makes multimillion-dollar splash, woman faints on Dave Hughes
Adrian Portelli made a multimillion-dollar splash on The Block. But what he said when the cameras stopped rolling may make your jaw drop. Here’s what went down behind the scenes.
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Adrian Portelli has splashed more than $12m to scoop up three houses on Charming Street at this year’s Block auctions.
The online shopping discounts and giveaways founder who stole the spotlight when he rolled up to last year’s finale in a bright yellow Lamborghini made a more subdued entrance in Hampton East this year in a silver Audi.
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“Mr Audi they call me now, apparently,” he joked after being dubbed “Lambo guy” by viewers of the 2022 Block auction.
“That [Audi] was my daily get around. It was the car I used to fantasise about driving when I one day became successful. It means a lot to me that car and I thought, I don’t have a point to prove this season so I will just come in that.”
Portelli nabbed Steph and Gian’s house for a cool $5m, a million-dollar raise on the previous bid of $4 million from buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic.
He then went on to buy Eliza and Liberty’s house for $4.3m and Kyle and Leslie’s place for another $3.1m.
In a bizarre twist, Portelli began bidding against himself in the auction of Eliza and Liberty’s house.
Some, including producer Julian Cress, speculated that Portelli’s OTT bidding was response to accusations he was a dummy bidder in 2022.
“I think he felt like he wanted to make a point,” Cress speculated.
“And frankly ... $100,000 is not something he’s going to miss. He’s got a billion dollars now.”
But Portelli later explained that he was simply “trying to rev everyone up” because he had felt the auction room was “too quiet”.
He didn’t feel the same urge at later auctions, where bidding was also lacklustre and the auction rooms tense.
Portelli said he decided to call it a day after buying three houses for fear of being accused of “showboating” on social media.
“If I bought the whole lot I would cop criticism for that, last season I copped criticism for not buying any. I think three is a good number,” he said.
“I came in and bought the ones that I liked.”
Portelli said his purchases were not affected by who had renovated the houses, admitting that “I can’t say I watch the show too much.”
He hasn’t decided what he would do with his new properties, but he hadn’t ruled out occupying one himself (particularly given Steph and Gian’s house featured a turntable garage for his luxury car collection).
“We will see what happens. I have met some of the neighbours already. They seem like very nice people.
“I do like this area. But I am more of a northwest kind of guy.”
Those neighbours were certainly out in force on auction day, with locals gathering on the street hoping to get a glimpse of the action. While the auctions were held inside the properties, away from prying eyes, they did get to see Danny Wallis arrive, engine revving, in a flashy red sports car.
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Wallis, who is known for his erratic bidding style, has snapped up nine Block properties over the years but this year went home empty handed.
Some wondered whether the IT baron – and one-time reigning king of Block auctions – was trying to new kid on The Block, Portelli, who was boss by rocking up in a showstopping car.
Aside from the three houses bought by Portelli, the only other house that sold on Sunday — belonging to Kristy and Brett — went to a local woman, who bought it through one of White Fox’s buyers’ advocates.
Leah and Ash’s house passed in when bidding stalled at $2.9m, $70,000 shy of reserve.
Seeing what had unfolded at Kristy and Brett’s auction (where the couple’s house sold for just $65,000 above their reserve after painfully protracted bidding) prompted Leah and Ash to pull the pin in hopes of securing a better deal through private negotiations.
Earlier, while watching Kristy and Brett’s tense auction unfold, with slow bidding of 1000 increments, new Block judge Marty Fox let out a huge cry of relief and excitement when the house finally sold.
Fox later admitted that his loyalties had been torn between wanting to see Kristy and Brett make money and have a client secure a bargain.
DAVE HUGHES HELPS WOMAN WHO COLLAPSED MID-AUCTION
There were scary scenes at one point when a woman collapsed seconds after Portelli stunned the room with his winning bid of $5m at Steph and Gian’s auction.
Her fall was broken by comedian Dave Hughes, who managed to catch her before she hit the ground. After being treated by a doctor on site, the young woman was taken away by ambulance.
Hughes, who famously bought the winning house in 2017 for $3.067m against his wife’s wishes, did not raise his paddle at any of this year’s auctions.
Producer Julian Cress said he had never seen anything quite as astonishing as what unfolded, reflecting that “to see an auction passed in because someone passed out” is not something you could script.
Cress said the incident influenced the day’s proceedings because the woman had planned to bid on Leah and Ash’s house later in the day.
“So, for that to happen, is astonishing. For someone to make a million-dollar bid when the bidding is already at $4m is astonishing,” he said.
Cress didn’t feel that cashed-up buyers like Wallis and Portelli snapping up the bulk of the properties year after year had come at the expense of auction room suspense.
“We have seen some pretty spectacular results [because of Wallis and Portelli],” he explained.
“But let’s not forget that one house here today sold to a local buyer who lives just down the road. So, there’s your family bidder right there who successfully purchased House Three…so we have Dannys, and we have Adrians and we have families who are local and still buy houses on The Block.
Beer in hand, host Scott Cam reflected that it had been a rollercoaster of a day.
“From houses selling just above reserve, to a pass in, to a $1.6m and another one going for a million [over reserve], it’s certainly been ups and downs,” he said.
Cam said The Block was as much a game of luck as it was skill, pointing out that Steph and Gian only got the biggest property on The Block because nobody else wanted it.
“The block is a competition from day one,” he said.
“Right from the start, if you make the wrong choice of the wrong house, then you might not win The Block.
“I’ve always said that to them on day one. All your planets have to be aligned for you to win.”
As he gears up to produce the show’s 20th season in Phillip Island in 2024, Cress was adamant that contestants’ popularity hadn’t impacted their auction results.
“I think Kristy and Brett are two of the best contestants we have ever had on the show, and I feel terrible for them that they had to go through that after watching the girls next door win more than a million bucks and for them to make $65,000, that’s pretty heartbreaking for anyone,” he said.
“If anyone thinks they deserve that, then they are wrong.”
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