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When my firstborn was about 14, he had a massive meltdown. Frustrated that he’d finally got his own room then had to give it up for a few weeks, he said, “I am furious” and gaffer taped up his mouth for a hunger strike.
He stomped around, eyes rolling like an angry horse. It was decent theatre, enough that our neighbour Melinda came over to watch. After an hour, I served a chocolate fondue. Tape off, hunger strike done.
While short-lived, the histrionics were striking enough that we still talk about them. I haven’t seen much that captures the same intensity of emotion until Dave Hughes veered away from comedy to take up full-on political rants.
If you’re not across it, check out Hughesy’s Insta account. Months ago, he was getting 31 likes for posts about his show in Fremantle. Was musing about losing a vanilla slice at the airport.
Next minute, his takes on tax policy, housing affordability, government debt are getting 100K-plus likes. Overnight, Hughesy has become Australia’s most noticed and fervent political commentator.
This was not on my bingo card for 2026.
There he is, unshaven and hair long, at servo forecourts in a hoodie, eyes wild like my son’s. His favourite topic is the failings of the “f—ing useless” PM, treasurer and the Victorian premier: “What’s the point of paying tax when you know it’s going to be stolen by criminals?”
Visually, he’s living up to the name of his recent comedy show: Cooked. Or as one follower put it, “increasingly unhinged”.
But. “People are cheering me on all over the joint,” Hughesy said in a post. It’s true. Tons of followers tell him he should be PM, how good that someone has the balls to stick it to the man, keep going Hughesy.
I’m not here to argue the politics. The CGT changes, the budget – many smart people disagree with his views and Hughesy’s rants get challenged regularly in his own comments. That’s fine. That’s democracy.
What I’m worried about is David Hughes himself.
Fabulous that he’s found a midlife passion/obsession, but someone needs to ask: Hughesy, why so angry?
It’s hardly stop-the-presses news that a rich lifelong Labor voter is becoming more conservative in middle age. Next! But the curious thing about the comedian-turned-commentator is how mad he seems all the time.
So much so that I’ve watched a couple of his videos over and over to see if he’s having a lend. Nah. No punchline. This is not comedy.
Thing is, in reality, Hughesy has won.
A long marriage to a smart woman. Kids he’s close to. A career in commercial radio that would have made him millions. Multiple properties including a $3 million investment house he bought on The Block in 2017. Dogs. Good health.
As recently as April, he posted we should all “relax” because we’re “on a rock in space and it only lasts for a brief moment and we’re all going to die, so what are you worried about? Enjoy yourself.”
Why is he not taking his own advice? Every day he’s back, looking like he and Australia are moments away from collapse.
For mine, Australia is not, in fact, on fire. We have free healthcare and education, superannuation, the dole, domestic violence leave. Shopping centres that are open late, nobody bombing us, freedom and superb fairy wrens.
I’d love to know what would make Hughesy happy and what his solutions to his political hates are.
Maybe he believes he’s performing a public service. Maybe he just likes performing new material. Feeling relevant. Maybe he’s advocating to protect his property portfolio, something many of his supporters may not have, yet cheer him on anyway because, Hughesy. Who knows?
But posting multiple times a day or going on Today to stick it up the government seems like an exhausting, graceless way to spend a corker life.
Hughesy, I’m worried your head’s going to explode. Come to Ocean Grove on a Sunday. We’ll boogie board and have a Passiona. Play some Fleetwood Mac, talk about backyard saunas.
Then, when you’re refreshed, you can get back to ranting about Carlton and doing shows with Mick Molloy and Glenn Robbins.
That version of you seemed much funnier. No joke.
Kate Halfpenny is an author and the founder of Bad Mother Media.
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