Channel Seven’s Renovation Show Faces Setback After Discovery

Channel Seven’s upcoming renovation series My Reno Rules has hit a wall after builders uncovered a serious health risk on location in suburban Melbourne.

Sources close to the production revealed to the Daily Mail that the two homes purchased for the show by Adrian ‘Mr Lambo’ Portelli contained asbestos.

Insiders say that filming was shut down for two days in the last few weeks while experts were brought in to clean up the cancer-causing substance, before production could recommence.

Homes built before 1990 are likely to have been constructed with materials that contain asbestos, which is most commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms. 

‘Filming was stopped for a couple of days and everyone was sent home,’ a source familiar with the trouble-plagued reality show revealed.

It’s estimated one-third of Australian homes contain the carcinogen, according to the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency. 

Channel Seven and Portelli have been approached for comment. 

Property titles confirm that former Block buyer Adrian ‘Mr Lambo’ Portelli bought the two homes, worth a total of $2.7 million, back in May.

Portelli, who is reportedly a ‘sponsor’ for MRR, used his company Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd to make the purchase – he then ‘donated’ the properties to the show.

Announced in July, My Reno Rules has been hyped by Portelli as a ‘rival’ to Nine’s ratings juggernaut The Block.

But chaos has surrounded the show for months. 

Produced by MasterChef creators Endemol Shine, the format will feature four teams of renovators competing on two neighbouring rundown houses in Melbourne.

Just weeks after the show was announced, a builder walked off the set.

Meanwhile, there are whispers about whether Portelli will take an on-screen role after he announced he was going to be part of the show. 

Known as ‘Mr Lambo’, the high-flying entrepreneur, 36, has continually used social media to promote himself as one of the ‘faces’ of the series.

But insiders close to the troubled production have told the Daily Mail that Portelli’s profile behind the scenes is near-invisible.

According to a statement released by Seven last month, part of Portelli’s role will be to ‘manage’ the show’s ‘live prize draw’. 

However, despite reports of his ‘hands-on’ role, a close source told Daily Mail they’re yet to see any evidence of it. 

My Reno Rules will be hosted by Dr Chris Brown and insiders say he will be handling the role of MRR’s anchor ‘solo’. 

An insider told Daily Mail that Portelli is simply the show’s sponsor and added that the filming was drastically delayed because the original builder ‘walked’. 

The show, due to start shooting on September 26, was nearly two months behind schedule at the beginning of October.

The insider added that an earlier report seen in the media saying that the show’s homes were not ‘TV-ready’ is false. 

‘The real issue is that the production was searching for a new builder to take over,’ they continued. 

Another source familiar with the production site in Bulleen confirmed the original builder exited after there was a ‘disagreement over payment’.

When Daily Mail approached Portelli and Seven for comment, a spokesperson confirmed My Reno Rules was still preparing to film.

‘As part of the pre-production phase, there are continuing conversations with several builders,’ they said in a statement.

‘Construction will commence later this year, with the series premiering on Seven and 7plus in 2026.’

Portelli officially turned his back on Channel Nine’s The Block in July this year.

The entrepreneur, who spent millions of dollars snapping up houses over the last three seasons of the show, shared a post to social media revealing he was leaving the series for good.