A former Noosa councillor who was booted off The Bachelorette for lewd on-screen behaviour has failed in his attempt to reduce the fine imposed on him seven years after his infamous appearance.
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who → boot → appearance
Jess Glasgow took annual leave from Noosa Shire Council to join the fifth season of The Bachelorette in 2019, starring Angie Kent.
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Glasgow → take → Kent
His tenure lasted just two episodes before Ms Kent asked him to leave, citing multiple instances of inappropriate conduct.
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Kent → last → conduct
The brief stint sparked 128 complaints to the local government regulator and a subsequent investigation.
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stint → spark → regulator
Despite public calls for his resignation, Mr Glasgow remained on council until he was voted out in May 2020.
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he → remain → May
In February 2021, the Councillor Conduct Tribunal found him guilty of misconduct relating both to his behaviour on-screen and to his media appearances afterwards.
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him → find → appearances
Mr Glasgow was ordered to pay Noosa Shire Council $4,000 (15 penalty units) and $1,000 in costs.
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Glasgow → order → costs
Both episodes were screened in full for the Tribunal, including a scene where Mr Glasgow bragged about kissing women without permission, saying: 'I've kissed plenty of girls and they've turned their heads before.
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they → screen → heads
That comment came as cast members watched a photo shoot between Ms Kent and another contestant, speculating about whether the pair would share a kiss.
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pair → come → kiss
Jess Glasgow took annual leave from Noosa Shire Council to appear on the fifth season of the Bachelorette which aired in 2019, starring Angie Kent
His tenure lasted just two episodes before he was kicked off by Ms Kent following several instances of inappropriate behaviour
At the end of the second episode, Mr Glasgow was ordered to pack his bags, with Bachelorette Angie Kent fed up with him viewing her as a 'piece of meat'
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him → take → meat
Mr Glasgow also quipped: 'If it was me, I would've laid one on her; just slip the tongue in' and, 'S***, I bet she's turned on, she's up for it'.
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she → quip → it
The peak of Mr Glasgow's antics came during a separate photo shoot, when Ms Kent was told to climb onto his back as he played the role of a horse.
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he → come → horse
He told Ms Kent, 'Don't mind me if I get some wandering fingers, alright,' then declared to the camera, 'I'm gonna be the first person she's gonna get to ride.'
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she → tell → camera
Viewers saw Mr Glasgow urge Ms Kent to 'come on, pat the horse's bum', prompting a male co-star to tell him, 'Stop being a sleaze, bro.'
He was also shown making lewd gestures with his mouth towards Ms Kent's bottom, and exclaiming, 'Damn, this beats my last girlfriend.'
One cast member told Ms Kent that even members of the production team had been made deeply uncomfortable by his behaviour.
At the end of the second episode, Ms Kent asked Mr Glasgow to leave, saying she was fed up with being treated as a 'piece of meat'.
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she → see → meat
At the end of the second episode, Ms Kent asked Mr Glasgow to leave, saying she was fed up with being treated as a 'piece of meat'
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she → ask → meat
Mr Glasgow told the Sunshine Coast Daily his appearance on the show was a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' and a great conversation starter at a summer barbecue
While leaving The Bachelorette mansion, Mr Glasgow told viewers his behaviour was 'just harmless fun' and that he'd return to Noosa to find the love of his life 'in a dirty, dingy nightclub'.
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he → tell → nightclub
Soon after, he told the Sunshine Coast Daily his appearance was a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' and the perfect conversation starter at a summer barbecue.
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appearance → tell → barbecue
Mr Glasgow also claimed he had the blessing of Noosa's then mayor, Tony Wellington, quoting him as saying, 'What I do on annual leave is up to me, just don't bring council into disrepute.'
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do → claim → disrepute
He made similar claims on ABC Radio, but a response from Mayor Wellington clarified Glasgow had not sought approval for his appearance.
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Glasgow → make → appearance
At the February 2021 hearing, the Tribunal was told Mr Glasgow had 'behaved in an inappropriate way, making offensive comments and gestures' towards Ms Kent, as well as 'disrespectful comments about women generally'.
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Glasgow → tell → women
The Tribunal also heard that Mr Glasgow's later statements to the media were 'false or misleading' and appeared to be an attempt to 'shift the responsibility' for his actions onto the mayor.
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statements → hear → mayor
Mr Glasgow first challenged the Tribunal's decision in May 2021, later obtaining an extension and a stay of the proceedings.
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Glasgow → challenge → proceedings
Proceedings dragged on for several years, with a hearing finally held in May 2026.
Angie Kent starred as the Bachelorette in the program's fifth season in 2019
Mr Glasgow downplayed his conduct on the program as harmless fun
The matter was set down for hearing in September 2025, but a month earlier Mr Glasgow sought an adjournment, citing deteriorating mental health caused by the stress and demands of the process.
According to the Tribunal's decision published last week, Mr Glasgow repeatedly asked for the proceedings to be paused or discontinued, but was told he could withdraw his own case if he wished to bring the matter to a close.
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he → drag → close
Initially, Mr Glasgow challenged both the misconduct findings and the sanction imposed, but later accepted responsibility for his conduct, disputing only the penalties.
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Glasgow → challenge → penalties
While he acknowledged his on-screen behaviour was well below the standard expected of a councillor, he argued he was influenced by production conditions, access to alcohol and isolation from the outside world.
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he → acknowledge → world
He submitted that the 'highly produced' nature of the show, combined with encouragement to drink, contributed to 'conduct which was out of character for him'.
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which → submit → him
The Tribunal considered the context of The Bachelorette, but said it did not 'materially diminish Mr Glasgow's responsibility for what he said and did', noting his conduct was not limited to a single remark.
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conduct → consider → remark
Instead, there was a 'series' of sexualised comments and observations, which had the 'cumulative effect' of diminishing or disregarding the dignity of women.
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which → be → women
It was also noted that Mr Glasgow was 'not a callow youth' unaware of 'ordinary standards of respectful conduct', but a '36-year-old elected local government representative'.
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Glasgow → note → conduct
The Tribunal found that Mr Glasgow's comments about kissing Ms Kent - including saying he would 'lay one on her' and 'slip the tongue in' - demonstrated an attitude that 'diminished the significance of the other person's willingness or consent'.
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that → find → willingness
Regarding his post-ejection media appearances, Mr Glasgow denied intentionally making false or misleading statements about having the mayor's blessing to appear on The Bachelorette.
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Glasgow → regard → Bachelorette
Instead, he blamed journalists and the audience for creating that impression.
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he → blame → impression
The Tribunal found this position was significant, as it did not amount to genuine acceptance of responsibility, but rather a deflection.
Ultimately, the Tribunal concluded that the penalties imposed in 2021 were fair and proportionate, reflecting the seriousness of Mr Glasgow's misconduct.
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penalties → find → misconduct
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