Tribunal upholds £4,000 fine for former Noosa councillor’s misconduct on television
A Queensland tribunal has rejected former Noosa councillor Jess Glasgow’s attempt to reduce a fine linked to his 2019 appearance on The Bachelorette. The case concerns conduct the tribunal found to be misconduct, including behaviour towards contestant Angie Kent and later media comments; Glasgow remained on the council until voters removed him in 2020.
Glasgow appeared for two episodes before Kent asked him to leave over inappropriate conduct. The broadcast prompted 128 complaints to the local government regulator, and in 2021 the tribunal ordered him to pay Noosa Shire Council $4,000, plus $1,000 in costs. It found his on-screen conduct included offensive comments and gestures, while statements he later made to the media were false or misleading.
- Tribunal rejected Glasgow’s bid to reduce his fine.
- His Bachelorette appearance prompted 128 complaints.
- He was ordered to pay $5,000 in 2021.
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Jess Glasgow was a councillor serving on the Noosa Shire Council in Queensland when he appeared on the Australian television dating show The Bachelorette in 2019. His appearance on the programme lasted only two episodes before contestant Angie Kent asked him to leave due to his behaviour towards her. The incident prompted 128 viewers to lodge complaints with Queensland's local government regulator.
Following the complaints, a tribunal investigated Glasgow's conduct both on the show and in statements he made to the media afterwards. The tribunal found his on-screen behaviour included offensive comments and gestures, and that his subsequent public statements were false or misleading. In 2021, it ordered him to pay Noosa Shire Council £4,000 plus £1,000 in costs as a result of the misconduct findings.
Glasgow remained on the council during the investigation but was removed from office when voters rejected him in the 2020 local government election. The case illustrates how public officials can face formal misconduct penalties for behaviour that occurs outside their official council duties.
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The case for
Public officials must be held to high standards of conduct, both in formal duties and public-facing activities reflecting on their office. Glasgow's behaviour towards Angie Kent included offensive comments and gestures that violated basic respect and professionalism, and he compounded this misconduct by making false or misleading statements to media to evade accountability. The tribunal's upholding of the fine appropriately reinforces that public positions carry responsibilities extending beyond routine council work, ensuring officials do not misuse their standing for inappropriate personal conduct or falsehoods.
The case against
Whilst Glasgow's conduct was regrettable, conflating personal behaviour on entertainment television with official misconduct sets concerning precedent for government intervention in citizens' private activities. The democratic process already provided accountability—voters removed him in 2020—and imposing substantial financial penalties beyond this judgment risks excessive regulatory overreach. The fine appears to penalise both personal conduct and media statements, raising legitimate questions about proportionality and whether free speech considerations should limit regulatory punishment for comments made outside formal government processes.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Humiliating legal defeat for Bachelorette ‘sleaze’ who told Angie Kent he’d ‘slip the tongue in’: Tribunal rejects former Noosa councillor’s excuses after five-year fight”.