Alex Cullen QUITS Today amid fallout from $50,000 Adrian Portelli gift: 'Alex and Nine agreed that he would finish with the network'
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Alex Cullen has parted ways with the Nine network amid the ongoing fallout from his acceptance of $50,000 from The Block billionaire Adrian Portelli. The Today presenter, 44, was given the sizeable sum after he was the first media personality to use Portelli's self-applied nickname 'McLaren Man' live on air.
![[The Today presenter, 44, was given the sizeable sum after he was the first media personality to use Portelli's self-applied nickname 'McLaren Man' live on air. Pictured: Cullen]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/22/94253519-14310769-TV_presenter_Cullen_44_was_gifted_the_sizeable_sum_from_Portelli-a-20_1737499988681.jpg)
Cullen's colleague and Today host Karl Stafanovic made the announcement on-air on Friday morning. 'As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week,' a solemn Karl told viewers. '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.
![[Portelli has grown tired of his long-used nickname 'Mr Lambo' and offered the cash reward to the first person to use his new moniker on air, with Cullen obliging on the Today Show on Friday]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/23/94369119-14310769-image-m-34_1737500560340.jpg)
'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. Alex Cullen has parted ways with the Nine network amid the ongoing fallout from his acceptance of $50,000 from The Block billionaire Adrian Portelli. Pictured: Today co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo.
![[Alex was stood down by Nine over the stunt and hasn't been on air, but broke his social media silence on Tuesday as he shared photographs from his twin daughter's sixth birthday party]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/23/94368517-14310769-image-a-36_1737500658115.jpg)
'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 concluded. Portelli had grown tired of his long-used nickname 'Mr Lambo' and offered the cash reward to the first person to use his new moniker on air, with Cullen obliging on the Today Show on Friday.
![[On Tuesday, Portelli also defended Cullen and claimed he intended the money to be paid to charity, posting details of two $25,000 payments made to the Salvation Army and the RSPCA]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/21/23/94335693-14310769-Adrian_Portelli_posted_an_image_of_a_bank_transfer_pictured_to_h-a-35_1737500599709.jpg)
