Viewers hoping for a surprise appearance from Adrian Portelli on Nine’s anticipated Block finale are set to be disappointed.
The five homes that featured on the popular series went to auction on Saturday, with the results to be aired on Sunday night.
But, while hopeful bidders converged on the site in the rural Victorian town of Daylesford, Adrian was more than 800 kilometres away, touching down in Sydney in his private jet.
Auctions were the last thing on Adrian’s mind as he was joined by a gang of pals to celebrate a friend’s bucks party.
Adrian appeared in good spirits as he alighted from the luxe aircraft, happily chatting to his entourage.
He went casual for the flight, wearing a crisp white T-shirt and a pair of light grey shorts that finished just above the knee.
Viewers hoping for a surprise appearance from Adrian Portelli on Nine’s anticipated Block finale are set to be disappointed
While hopeful bidders converged on the site in the rural Victorian town of Daylesford on Saturday, Adrian was more than 800 kilometres away, touching down in Sydney in his private jet.
The entrepreneur finished his flight ensemble with a pair of plain white Alexander McQueen sneakers that he wore over white ankle socks.
It looked as though Adrian and his pals were preparing for quite a big night of partying as they converged on the tarmac.
The group looked jovial as they gathered for group photos and were spotted laughing and joking as they posed.
Adrian took to Instagram on Saturday to tease his attendance at the Daylesford auction.
He shared a slide to his story with the words ‘big day today,’ along with an animated gavel, representing an auctioneer’s hammer.
He followed it with a short clip that showed him hosting an in-flight party on his private jet.
‘Jokes, we’re just getting hammered,’ he shouted as his entourage erupted into excited cheers.
Adrian made TV history in 2024 when he purchased all five Phillip Island properties on the renovation show for more than $15 million.
Auctions were the last thing on Adrian’s mind as he was joined by a gang of pals to celebrate a friend’s bucks party
Adrian appeared in good spirits as he alighted from the luxe aircraft, happily chatting to his entourage
He went casual for the flight, wearing a crisp white T-shirt and a pair of light grey shorts that finished just above the knee
Earlier this year, the controversial Block bidder said he would not return, fuelling speculation that the network had shown him the door.
Scott Cam opened up about rumours surrounding Adrian being banned from the show earlier this month.
‘We didn’t ban him; that’s something he [Adrian] said,’ Scott announced on Fox 101.9’s Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show.
Scott continued: ‘It’s a public auction, anyone can turn up, we just kindly said, “What do you reckon… you had a good run on the auctions, why don’t we leave it to some families to try and buy the houses”.’
Elsewhere in the chat, Scott made a veiled reference to Adrian’s sponsorship of Seven’s upcoming reality series My Reno Rules, which was announced in July, but has suffered a series of setbacks since.
‘[I] think Adrian has gone over to another network to do something anyway, so he wouldn’t be coming to our auction if he’s doing something over there,’ Scott said, adding: ‘If he wants to turn up, he can.’
Scott also dismissed a suggestion from host Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola that Portelli had ‘scared’ off notorious Block bidder Danny Wallis, who has spent more than $30 million buying property on the show.
The entrepreneur finished his flight ensemble with a pair of plain white Alexander McQueen sneakers that he wore over white ankle socks
It looked as though Adrian and his pals were preparing for quite a big night of partying as they converged on the tarmac
The group looked jovial as they gathered for group photos and were spotted laughing and joking as they posed
‘He hasn’t been scared, Danny,’ Scott insisted.
‘He’s a good bloke and he makes a lot of those houses available for My Room. He’s a good bloke and if he wants to buy another house like that, that’d be terrific for us.’
Ahead of the anticipated auction, Block stars gave their thoughts on Adrian’s auction absence to Daily Mail and Nine’s recent Upfronts event.
Emma and Ben appeared to have differing opinions on the situation, with Ben saying: ‘I don’t think he’s coming, which is a shame for everyone.’
Emma, however, had a different take, interjecting with: ‘I think it’s great – it opens up the door for others.’
It was a similar sentiment shared by Robby and Mat, who welcomed a more open auction field.
‘It opens the door for bigger and better players,’ Mat said.
Sonny and Alicia, meanwhile, took a more laissez-faire approach to the situation.
Adrian took to Instagram on Saturday to tease his attendance at the Daylesford auction
He shared a slide to his story with the words ‘big day today,’ along with an animated gavel, representing an auctioneer’s hammer
He followed it with a short clip that showed him hosting an in-flight party on his private jet. ‘Jokes, we’re just getting hammered,’ he shouted as his entourage erupted into excited cheers
‘They’ve just asked to keep it open for everybody,’ Alicia said.
‘He’ll do whatever he wants and I’m sure he’d be welcomed if he came.’
Sonny added: ‘If he was to show up and buy someone’s house, so be it.’
