He may be gone but Adrian Portelli is certainly not forgotten.

The flamboyant billionaire, who retired his paddle last year after snapping up all five houses on Phillip Island for $15 million, sent a proxy to this year’s Daylesford auction so that he could follow the action discreetly via the phone.

Recruited to be part of Channel 7’s rival real estate show, My Reno Rules – alongside another former Block stalwart, Neale Whitaker – this year’s contestants lamented Portelli’s absence.

Upon hearing that Portelli was keeping an eye on the auction, Emma and Ben had held out hope that he might have been the “ace up our sleeves”.

Unfortunately, Portelli was neither seen nor heard in the auction room, failing to place a single bid.

“For three years, he’s just inflated prices and set that expe

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