Adrian Portelli, the LMCT+ founder who made headlines earlier this year for gifting Alex Cullen $50,000, is now principal sponsor of Seven’s upcoming renovation format My Reno Rules.
It’s the very same network Cullen announced he was joining a few days ago.
Portelli will manage the shows live grand final prize draw. It’s an area he’s well experienced in, given his history with The Block in which he spent over $27 million buying eight of the homes last year.
The businessman says his latest partnership with Seven is about creating real opportunities, not headlines, “paving the way for families to get back in the bidding at long last.”
Cullen connection
Cullen was shown the door at Nine at the beginning of the year after it emerged he accepted a $50,000 gift from Portelli for calling him “McLaren Man” on air.
Portelli had been keen to ditch his “Lambo Guy” label and offered the cash to the first TV journalist who played along.
The network immediately sidelined the host, releasing a statement to the media saying they were arranging for the money to be returned to Portelli, adding they were taking the matter “very seriously”.
He was sacked just days later.
While Cullen is not involved in My Reno Rules, Portelli’s new on-air role places both men on the same network less than a year after the incident.
Adrian Portelli and The Block host Scott Cam
Seven’s next reality bet
Seven is doubling down on its cross-generational reality TV offerings with My Reno Rules.
The network’s Managing Director of Television, Angus Ross, sees My Reno Rules as a natural extension of the network’s hit formats like My Kitchen Rules, combining emotional storytelling with high-stakes spectacle.
“My Reno Rules takes all the heart and heat of MKR and applies it to renovation,” said Ross. “With showstopping house transformations, a life-changing cash prize for our winning team of renovators, and two multi-million-dollar dream homes up for grabs in an electrifying live grand final, we couldn’t be more excited for the premiere.”
The series promises to blend familiar DIY challenges with a high-impact live finale and viewer giveaways. It will be hosted by Dr Chris Brown, the show will feature four teams transforming two rundown homes in suburban Melbourne, competing for a significant cash prize.
“The term ‘life-changing’ can get thrown around a lot on TV, but this is absolutely that,” Dr Brown said. “With the dream of owning your own home still top of the list for most Aussies, I can’t wait to have a front row seat to that becoming a reality. It’s going to be a heartwarming ride.”
Dr Chris Brown
Portelli’s part
My Reno Rules also marks the first time LMCT+ brings its major prize model to free-to-air television. As principal sponsor, founder Portelli will oversee the live grand final prize draw, where two Australians will receive the keys to the finished homes.
“LMCT+ has always been about changing the lives of everyday Australians,” said Portelli. “These homes are in a beautiful area and have real potential. With the right teams and vision, they’re going to be incredible.”
Mediaweek has reached out to Seven for comment