Axed Today star Alex Cullen opens up about 'Lambo guy' scandal and confirms TV return with Seven, as ex-colleague Karl Stefanovic lends support
The former Today Show sports presenter made national news earlier this year when he accepted $50,000 from billionaire Adrian Portelli, better known as "Lambo guy", to refer to him on air by his preferred nickname, "McLaren Man".
The moment triggered a media firestorm and led to Cullen stepping down from his role at Nine, followed shortly by his departure from the network altogether.
Now, speaking publicly for the first time since the drama unfolded, the 44-year-old told Stellar's Something To Talk About podcast the incident marked "the hardest, toughest week of my career".
"Never in a million years did I expect that all to go down," he told host Sarrah Le Marquand.
"That week was a whirlwind, like, is this really happening? And it absolutely was."
Cullen said he and wife Bonnie did their best to shield their three young children from the fallout, but suspects they still picked up on the chaos.
"They saw me on the phone, pacing, trying to survive it all," he admitted.
"But you've just got to put one foot in front of the other. It's a little clichéd, but it's true. My wife was a pillar of strength."
The veteran presenter also credited close friends, including Today Show co-host Karl Stefanovic, for rallying around him in the aftermath.
On Friday, Stefanovic quietly showed his ongoing support by liking Cullen's Instagram post about his Stellar magazine cover.
"His ability to not let it faze him is amazing," Cullen said of Stefanovic, who himself was publicly axed and later reinstated as cohost of the Today Show in 2020.
"I'm thankful I (had) those five years (on Today) with him; he was supportive throughout that. We had a great chat after it all happened, and he congratulated me."
Despite the warm response from friends, colleagues and even strangers on the street, Cullen admitted the scandal sent him into a spiral which he is still recovering from.
"You're like, why did I do (that)? How did I get in this situation? I mean, I know how. But you just think, you idiot … Your confidence is shot. So you've got to reset yourself. I went to some dark places.
"It was a silly mistake, one I should have thought through. But I can't go back and change any of it. It's there for [all] to see. But I have a chance now to rewrite the next chapter."
That new chapter is already well underway, with Cullen set to start not one but two new media gigs, including a return to Channel Seven, the network where he previously worked for 16 years.
"It's really exciting. It's been in the works for a little while, and it's wonderful to be going back to Seven," he said.
The TV star remained tight-lipped on what the new role actually entailed, only hinting, "Seven are adding some news offerings to their daytime line-up, and I'm going to be part of that."
Cullen revealed Seven were quick to reach out after his departure from Nine, offering support and a potential path forward.
"After everything went down [at Nine this year], Seven were one of the first on the phone to say: 'You have our support, and if you want to come back, we're a phone call away'. I can't tell you how much that meant to me and my family."
In addition to his new TV role, Cullen and his family have relocated from Sydney to Melbourne so he can co-host The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show on radio, starting Monday.
"I'm looking forward to getting back into it, just connecting with people, telling their stories," he said.
"It's not very nice being the story. It's better telling the story."
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