A Melbourne-based comedian has accused Dave Hughes of performing a gross act at comedy clubs.
Melanie Bracewell, 31, alleges that comedian Hughes, 55, peed in her glass of water before one of his shows, according to a TikTok post she made on Sunday.
Melanie started her story by recounting their first meeting, explaining that he accidentally urinated in a glass she used on stage because he urgently needed to go to the bathroom but couldn’t make it there in time.
She then claimed the shock incident was not a one-off occasion.
‘He does this regularly and wait staff have to clean it up.’
Hughes told the Daily Mail that Melanie was right about what happened, but he explained he did it to prevent an embarrassing mishap during the show.
As a performer, there are few things worse than realizing your venue isn’t prepared! I’ve personally experienced that panic maybe four times – right before going on stage and discovering the backstage had no bathroom. It’s definitely not a comfortable situation; you really don’t want to risk an accident while you’re performing!
Okay, let me just say – this is strictly a private thing, totally something I’d never do where anyone could see. And honestly? The idea that I would spend my time… searching for glasses to, uh, use the bathroom in? That’s just ridiculous! Seriously, people are getting things twisted.
Hughes mentioned that other comedians had joked about this before, and he didn’t realize they were actually upset by it.
Oh my god, this is amazing! Peter Helliar actually said something to him about it once – can you believe it?! And Mel was there too! I immediately asked Mel if she’d come on my radio show and just completely tear into him with me…and she DID! It was the best. We were all cracking up, honestly. She’s a legend.
I was surprised by how upset she was, especially since she actively participated in making fun of me. We even promoted her tour and TV show afterward. I really don’t want to start a conflict with another comedian over something we all joked about.
He concluded by explaining that this behavior had damaged his standing and reputation among other comedians.
He worried that people might stop inviting him places if they thought he’d accidentally urinate in their good glasses. He assured everyone he wouldn’t, and emphasized he was making a firm commitment – unlike some politicians who change their minds.
This happened after Melanie got upset when Hughes sent her a political document on her 31st birthday.
Rather than sharing sweet birthday wishes from supporters, the comedian from New Zealand surprised followers by posting a private message he received from Hughes, which immediately became the most talked-about part of his post.
The host of The Cheap Seats turned 31 years old on Sunday and marked the occasion with a happy selfie, writing, ’31 today. Thank you for all the birthday wishes!’
But swiping to the second slide revealed a very different kind of birthday greeting.
Melanie shared a screenshot of a private Instagram message she received from Hughes. Instead of sending birthday greetings, Hughes immediately launched into a heated discussion about politics.
‘Please tell me you at least read the above,’ Hughes wrote.
I’m focused on addressing what I see as widespread corruption within both the Victorian state and federal Labor governments, which I believe is damaging the country’s financial stability.
It frustrates me that politicians often pretend to support vulnerable people, when in reality they’re just enriching themselves through dishonest means.
Honestly, it was her birthday, and I just couldn’t believe she didn’t want to talk about it! Like, I was so ready to discuss everything, but she just didn’t seem interested in getting into it while she was celebrating another year of being amazing. It was frustrating, but you know, it’s her day, so I tried to let it go.
‘It’s my birthday Hughesy – I’m not reading all this,’ she replied.
This conversation follows her recent playful criticism of Hughes’ strong opinions on politics and real estate.
She playfully teased the comedian online last week about his finances, saying, ‘You have to feel bad for Hughesy, he’s barely making ends meet,’ and quickly added, ‘Just to be clear, this is a joke!’
Recently, Hughes has been speaking out more and more against Prime Minister Albanese and his government. He often shares videos and opinions online about changes to taxes, property investment rules, and how Australia’s economy is doing.
The comedian isn’t bothered by other comedians making fun of him, even someone like Dave Thornton. He says he doesn’t take the playful teasing to heart.
Hughes recently stated that he’s been getting a lot of positive feedback for publicly sharing his views. He said many Australians have thanked him, both online and when they’ve met him, for expressing the concerns they share.
2026-07-20 13:55