Just weeks after veteran journalist Alex Cullen was ousted from his position as sports presenter on the Today Show, Channel Nine has reportedly selected his replacement.
Weekend sports presenter Roz Kelly is currently the front-runner for the role and has been described as a “natural successor” for Alex should she accept the position.
Following on her heels is Melbourne-based sports presenter Clint Stanaway, former Today executive producer and sports aficionado Neil Breen, and sports commentator and journalist Tony Jones for the highly coveted television gig.
Why did Alex Cullen leave Today?
The 44-year-old was let go by the television network in late January after he accepted $50,000 in cash from billionaire Adrian Portelli.
Best known for buying all five properties on the renovation reality show in 2024, Adrian had posed a challenge to members of the media to refer to him as the ‘McLaren Guy’ rather than ‘Lambo Guy’ (a nickname journalists had given him that he hated) in exchange for a cash prize.
Shortly after, Alex rose to the challenge, “winning” the money. However, by accepting the prize, Alex breached several policies at the network and agreed that he would have to step down from his role on the Today Show following an internal review.
In a statement of his own shared to social media, Adrian confirmed that at Alex’s request, the $50,000 had been donated to both the Salvation Army and the RSPCA.
“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.”
On January 26, Alex released a statement of his own, describing the situation as “very difficult.”
“Thank you to all the wonderful people who reached out. It means the world to me and my young family. I will miss my colleagues at Today and wish them the best. Thank you again and I look forward to whatever comes next.”
