7NEWS Melbourne afternoon compere Alex Cullen has sold his redundant Summer Hill home, Kironga.
There has been no price disclosure, but around $3.55m was the likely sale price for the four-bedroom, two bathroom home.
Cullen, and his Nine Entertainment property journalist wife Bonnie Campbell, paid $1.9m in 2020 when the house on 556 sqm was marketed as a “highly rewarding refurbishment project”.
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Alex Cullen has sold his redundant Summer Hill home, Kironga.
Located on Henson Street, Summer Hill, the 1912 Queen Anne Federation home was sold off market through Michael Poynting and Josh Elliott of Harris Tripp.
Until recently Cullen had been renting out the property at $1,500 per week following his move to Melbourne after losing his job on the Today show.
He briefly turned up as the sports jock on Christian O’Connell’s Gold 104.3 breakfast radio show, but quit radio for a return to television with Seven.
Cullen had struggled to find a tenant at first at Summer Hill, trimming the asking rent from $1800 a week to $1700, $1600 and then $1,500 before securing a tenant.
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Alex Cullen. Picture: Don Arnold/WireImage
The couple recently advised on social media on their one year Melbourne anniversary that they “were extremely apprehensive about leaving behind our familiar Sydney life, the kids were ducks to water, showing us how to embrace change and make the most of a new city.”
“So far, so good,” they said.
Cullen “stepped down permanently” from his role with Channel 9’s morning show Today after Nine launched a “review” into an incident involving the presenter.
According to The Herald Sun, Melbourne billionaire Adrian Portelli had reportedly given Cullen $50,000 after he cheekily dropped his new nickname ‘McLaren Man” live on air.
Alex Cullen and Bonnie Campbell. Picture: Christian Gilles
Portelli long ago tired of the name Mr Lambo, a nickname given to him by media after his first appearance on The Block in 2022 when he rolled into the show’s auction in a bright orange Lamborghini Murcielago SV.
He cheekily put a call out to media last week promising to gift $50,000 to the first person who called him McLaren Man on air.
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Billionaire Adrian “McLaren Man” Portelli.
Cullen seemed to quickly oblige, making the reference during a Today cross from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park to Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo in the show’s Sydney HQ early Friday morning.
While Cullen got the phrase out first, Stefanovic was not far behind repeating the name with the two laughing and joking over the exchange.
Cullen later posted a clip of the exchange on his Instagram.
Portelli reposted the clip writing “I think we have a winner.”
Portelli posted a screen grab of a bank transfer which purported to show the transfer of $50,000 to Cullen with the comment, “we have a winner! Well played sir.”
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Cullen got the phrase out first.
In the fallout from the drama, Portelli later posted to social media saying he had donated $25,000 each to the Salvation Army and RSPCA in Cullen’s name.
Ex-Today host, now turned part-time podcaster Karl Stefanovic later clarified the donations to charity and paid tribute to his former colleague in January 2025 before he was let go from the show.
“As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week.
Portelli posted a screen grab of the bank transfer.
“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.
“I’ve kept pretty quiet about what unfolded with Alex, but even before he’d heard from Ch9, we had a conversation where he expressed his desire to donate the money.
“That speaks volumes about his character.
“Alex, you’re an absolute gentleman.
Karl Stefanovic paid tribute to Cullen.
“If Channel 9 let you go (though I really hope they don’t), I’d be more than happy to collaborate with you on something.”
+ Additional reporting: James MacSmith