Popular Australian comedian Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes has broken his silence following a wave of public outrage over claims he peed in a fellow performer’s stage glass backstage to avoid a pre-show mishap. Addressing the bizarre scandal on air, the 55-year-old radio host vowed he has learned his lesson after being branded “the worst person in the world.”
Australian comedian and radio star Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes has found himself at the center of a hilarious yet deeply embarrassing viral scandal after admitting to an unusual backstage habit.
The 55-year-old media personality addressed the mounting public backlash during a appearance on Nova 96.9’s Ricki-Lee & Tim show, attempting to explain the desperate circumstances behind his controversial backstage behavior.
The bizarre incident first came to light after Kiwi comedian Melanie Bracewell made a shocking claim on Monday, publicly calling out Hughesy over an encounter that occurred four years ago when the two first met back in 2022.
“He peed in one of my glasses I use for stage because he couldn’t go out to the bathroom,” Bracewell alleged in a viral comment, leaving fans thoroughly stunned.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bracewell claimed that the habit was far from a one-off error, asserting: “He does this regularly and wait staff have to clean it up.”
Dave Hughes regularly updates fans about his personal life on Instagram. Instagram/@dhughesy
Desperate to set the record straight and clear his name, Hughesy took to the airwaves to explain the logistical nightmare that drove him to make such a bizarre choice right before stepping out under the spotlight.
Hughesy revealed that a specific venue at the Melbourne Comedy Festival presents a major physical challenge for performers because it completely lacks a backstage toilet facility.
For a comedian about to perform a high-energy routine, getting to the venue’s public restroom meant embarking on a risky trek directly through a packed room filled with hundreds of waiting audience members.
“You’re a minute to go before showtime. You’ve got to go,” Hughesy told the radio hosts, painting a vivid picture of pre-show panic.
“So you see a glass and you think ‘Oh god, we have to go in that glass’.”
Comedian Melanie Bracewell made the shock claim about Hughes regarding the incident four years ago. WireImage
Attempting to defend his hygiene and modesty during the chaotic pre-show countdown, the veteran stand-up comic insisted that he took every precaution to remain completely discreet inside the backstage area.
The comedian explained he was entirely on his own at the time, emphasizing that he was “not exposing” himself to any cast or crew members who were preparing for the event.
“So you go in the glass, and then after the show, you grab the glass and you walk it to the toilet,” he went on, detailing his usual disposal protocol.
However, Hughesy confessed that his post-show cleanup strategy didn’t always go smoothly, often leading to deeply awkward, highly visible encounters with fans waiting near the stage doors.
The comedian felt like the “worst person in the world”. Supplied
Admitting to the absurdity of the situation, Hughesy recalled the bizarre image of carrying his own makeshift chamber pot through crowds of excited comedy fans wanting photos.
Hughesy admitted that sometimes he’s been caught taking selfies with fans, on the way to the bathroom, holding his glass of urine.
“That’s not a good situation,” he told the hosts with a nervous chuckle.
According to Hughesy, the situation took a turn for the worse when he discovered after flushing the contents down the toilet that the container he had grabbed in the dark belonged to another booked performer.
After realizing the awkward mix-up, Hughesy said he laughed off the situation at the time and made contact with the performer, who has now been revealed to be Bracewell.
Having assumed the incident was water under the bridge, the radio host admitted he was completely blindsided when the four-year-old story resurfaced on social media this week, turning him into an instant target of online outrage.
“Then you don’t think about it again for four years until it comes up in a comment in someone’s Instagram, and all of a sudden you’re the worst person in the world,” Hughesy reflected.
Exhausted by the intense public judgment and eager to put the entire uncomfortable chapter behind him, the comedian offered a sincere promise to fans and venue staff across the country:
“I’m just trying to get through my life, guys. I’ll never do it again … I only did it a couple of times.”