Channel Seven is giving Alex Cullen a high-profile return to television, naming him the face of its new weekday afternoon programming in a lineup insiders are calling a total shake-up of the timeslot. The network described the project as a news-and-game-show mix designed to slickly blend information with light entertainment, with Cullen delivering hourly news updates from its Melbourne studio and hosting a stream of on-air giveaways. The plan, branded internally as Winning Arvo, will launch at 1 p.m. on Monday, September 22, and moves away from a single 3 p.m. news bulletin toward a broader afternoon presence for Cullen on Seven.
The afternoon slate will pair a daytime news bulletin with an hourly cycle of news updates and prize moments, framed by a selection of British game shows. Viewers are set to see Blankety Blank, Bridge of Lies (hosted by Ross Kemp), and The Chase UK, sandwiched between segments of on-air giveaways. After the 4 p.m. Afternoon News bulletin, the Larry Emdur–hosted edition of The Chase Australia will wrap up the day’s programming. The format marks a shift for Seven’s daytime lineup, emphasizing a mix of information and game-show fare to draw in audiences throughout the afternoon.
The shift comes amid broader career movements for Cullen. In January, he was axed from the Nine Network after accepting a $50,000 gift from The Block billionaire Adrian Portelli for referring to him as “McLaren Man” live on air on the Today show. The incident prompted Nine to end his contract, with the network confirming his departure after a review. Cullen’s exit from Nine follows a long association with Seven; he previously served as a presenter on Seven’s current affairs program Sunday Night from 2010 to 2019, making the Melbourne-based role at Seven a notable homecoming.
In addition to the new afternoon duties at Seven, Cullen will continue in his role as a sports presenter on a top-rated Melbourne breakfast radio show, maintaining a dual-media presence that reflects a broader industry trend of cross-platform visibility for on-air talent. The arrangement aligns with reports from insiders describing the Seven move as a deliberate strategy to refresh the network’s daytime offerings and leverage Cullen’s profile after his exit from Nine.
The public-facing details of the Winning Arvo initiative emphasize increased on-air engagement, with news delivered on the hour from the Melbourne studio and a steady rhythm of giveaways designed to keep viewers tied to the afternoon block. Seven has positioned the development as part of a larger effort to capture the audience that consumes daytime television with a mix of news, entertainment and interactive segments. The timing and format are also intended to contend with Nine’s established afternoon and early-evening audiences, particularly as the media landscape continues to adapt to evolving viewer habits.
Industry observers note that the arrangement represents more than a simple host swap; it signals a strategic realignment of Seven’s daytime strategy and a potential pilot for future cross-platform programming. While the details of the on-air giveaways and the specific scheduling gaps remain fluid as the launch date approaches, the core concept centers on keeping viewers engaged through a constant presence in the afternoon and leveraging a familiar face to anchor the block.
As the plan unfolds, Cullen’s return to the Seven fold is framed by a narrative of resilience and career resurgence, underscored by his past work with the network and his continuing role in Melbourne radio. If the Winning Arvo concept proves successful, it could influence Seven’s approach to daytime content in other markets and prompt comparisons with rival networks’ afternoon offerings. For now, the focus remains on a 1 p.m. start, a mixed lineup of news and entertainment, and Cullen’s bid to reestablish himself as a leading figure in Australian daytime television.