Channel Nine was forced last month to let go one of its most popular young presenters after he received an ill-advised payment from billionaire Adrian Portelli.
But former Today show sports presenter Alex Cullen wasn’t the only network personality to face questions about the man they call ‘Mr Lambo’.
We can reveal The Block host Scott Cam informed Nine top brass about a wager he had made with Portelli over dinner that resulted in $10,000 changing hands.
However, it was very quickly established he had done nothing wrong because the money immediately went to two charities, an insider has confirmed.
It comes as Cullen and his journalist wife Bonnie Campbell were seen for the first time since his sacking outside of their Sydney home on Thursday.
The former Today show newsreader looked calm and relaxed in a white T-shirt and navy shorts as he stood outside the property with his young daughter.
Portelli bet The Block host $10,000 that he would not down a shot of tequila at a ritzy Phillip Island restaurant. Cam was cleared of any wrongdoing because he donated the money he’d won on that occasion to two charities
It comes after former Today show sports presenter Alex Cullen was seen for the first time since he was dropped by Nine over the payments he received from Portelli
Following Cullen’s dismissal, our source says Cam volunteered to Nine management that he’d won a bet with Portelli, who earned his famous nickname by turning up at one of the Block auctions in a Lamborghini.
Portelli bet Cam $10,000 that he would not down a shot of tequila at a ritzy Phillip Island restaurant, and promptly paid up when he lost.
However, Cam was cleared of any wrongdoing because he immediately donated the money he’d won on that occasion to two charities.
‘Scotty Cam was quick to come forward and prove he followed company protocol after a public bet saw him appear to pocket $10,000 during the filming of last year’s Domain Challenge on The Block in Phillip Island,’ the insider says.
‘But that experience has been crossed off and everyone seems happy with how that stunt was handled.’
Cam donated $5,000 to The Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre and the remaining $5,000 to the Miracle Babies Foundation.
The source adds: ‘Executives have had their door open for staff to come in and share their experiences, which has been a successful process.’
Our Nine spy also tells us the network is now trying to distance itself from the Rich Lister founder of LMCT+ after a three-year run of high-profile sales on The Block.
Bonnie is a luxury property reporter at The Australian Financial Review but appears to be taking a break because she hasn’t filed a story in two weeks
The former Today presenter and his wife Bonnie Campbell were pictured at the front of their home on Thursday
‘The relationship with the network has been noisy right from the start and with the attention Adrian has had with Nine, it seems like now is the time to sign off and start fresh. Especially in terms of The Block,’ they say.
It comes after our photographers spotted Cullen out and about for the first time since he parted ways with Nine over the payments he received from Portelli.
His wife was seen visiting a local restaurant and picking up lunch before returning to the family home.
Bonnie is a luxury property reporter at The Australian Financial Review but appears to be taking a break because she hasn’t filed a story in two weeks.
Cullen is now considering his next steps, with several options on the table.
‘Few would be surprised if he’s hitting up Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley for a job because he’s a rugby league tragic,’ our source says.
‘Channel Seven also hasn’t ruled out rehiring him. The wild card option is that he may do some freelance PR work for Portelli.’
An insider has told Daily Mail Australia, Cullen is now considering his next steps after being axed from Nine
Cullen also does lucrative MC work for the Penrith Panthers on the side.
Last Friday morning, Today host Karl Stefanovic made the announcement on air that Cullen had left the network.
‘As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week,’ a solemn Stefanovic 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.
‘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.
Bonnie was spotted visiting a local restaurant and picking up lunch before returning to the family home
‘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.’
A Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Nine has agreed with Today presenter and journalist Alex Cullen that he will finish with the network following a review into a recent incident.’
The scandal kicked off when Portelli, tired of his long-used nickname ‘Mr Lambo’, offered a cash reward to the first person to use his new, preferred moniker, ‘McLaren Man’, on air, with Cullen obliging on the Today show.
The Block entrepreneur then posted what appeared to be a bank transfer of $50,000 to the presenter on Instagram.
Accepting cash, gifts or benefits to undermine journalistic independence, and improperly using a journalistic position for personal gain, are both breaches of the journalism code of ethics as defined by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance union.
The ill-advised stunt led to Cullen being suspended by Nine and he did not appear on the show while the network investigated the payment. The sum has been donated to charity by Portelli.
