CHANGE Fitness boss and Milky Lane co-founder Pete Haselhurst has abruptly shut down a major Gold Coast gym while on bail for extortion, stalking and drug charges.
asserted
Haselhurst → shut → extortion
It follows the extradition of three mysterious 'debt collectors of Middle Eastern appearance from Sydney', who allegedly made threats and demanded money from individuals who held franchises in CHANGE and Haselhurst's former hamburger chain.
uncertain
who → follow → CHANGE
They were brought from NSW to Queensland on Thursday afternoon to face multiple extortion charges.
asserted
They → bring → charges
The previous Thursday, staff at the Broadbeach CHANGE gym arrived at work to find themselves locked out and classes cancelled, after Haselhurst and his wife, Emma Jean Pearson, unexpectedly closed the business.
asserted
Haselhurst → arrive → business
Rumours are now circulating in Gold Coast gym circles that the landlord forced them to close due to unpaid rent.
asserted
landlord → circulate → rent
Haselhurst was released from prison only last month after spending six weeks behind bars following his July arrest for allegedly extorting former business partners with the help of men 'known to NSW police'.
uncertain
Haselhurst → release → police
Queensland Police confirmed three men, aged 35, 38 and 45, were being extradited to the Gold Coast.
asserted
men → confirm → Coast
All are scheduled to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on Friday, facing multiple charges of extortion with intent to gain benefit through threats of detriment.
asserted
All → schedule → detriment
This follows alleged incidents at Mermaid Waters and Currumbin Waters, where unknown men identified themselves as 'debt collectors' and demanded a significant amount of money from former business associates.
asserted
men → follow → associates
CHANGE Fitness boss and Milky Lane co-founder Pete Haselhurst (pictured with his wife and business partner, Emma Jean Pearson) has abruptly shut down a major Gold Coast gym while on bail for extortion, stalking and drug charges
Staff arrived last Thursday to find themselves locked out, classes cancelled, and rumours swirling that the landlord had shut the gym due to unpaid rent - but Haselhurst insists it's a new beginning
Haselhurst is facing eight charges including three counts of extortion and three of unlawful stalking, and one count of possessing dangerous drugs.
asserted
Haselhurst → picture → drugs
Ms Pearson is not implicated
These included allegedly terrorising Haselhurst's former partners in the cult burger chain, Milky Lane.
uncertain
These → implicate → chain
The Daily Mail has sought responses from Queensland Police regarding the extraditions.
asserted
Mail → seek → extraditions
Meanwhile, Haselhurst and Pearson have moved to calm the uproar over the Broadbeach gym closure.
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Haselhurst → move → closure
On Facebook, one client posted sarcastically: 'So kind of Change Broadbeach to cancel classes... have the doors locked and ZERO communication even when emailed AND messaged on Instagram, with its members happy to charge us our weekly fee last week.
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members → post → fee
One instructor responded, saying the owners 'have been nothing short of supportive, communicating and explaining to members', while Haselhurst and Pearson sent an email claiming the closure was 'an eleventh hour' decision.
'We were presented with an unexpected opportunity that we felt we could not pass up,' they said.
uncertain
they → respond → that
The email stated that the gym would be taken over by Brisbane fitness entrepreneurs Emil Juresic and Giselle Kramer, whose Level X 'state-of-the-art gym and luxury wellness empire' is expanding to the Gold Coast in December.
asserted
entrepreneurs → state → December
Haselhurst and Pearson have moved to calm the uproar over the Broadbeach gym closure
On Facebook, one client posted a sarcastic, 'so kind of Change Broadbeach to cancel classes... have the doors locked and ZERO communication even when emailed AND messaged on Instagram ...
asserted
doors → move → Instagram
While Level X confirmed to the Mail it would be 'taking over the space' at the CHANGE gym premises, fitness contractors have expressed concern about being paid during the month-long renovation.
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contractors → confirm → renovation
The email reassured CHANGE members: 'Emma and I will be there, training alongside you.
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Emma → reassure → you
While the transition is emotional for us, we are excited about what it will bring to the community we love.'
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we → bring → community
Ms Pearson, who previously told the Mail that reports of her partner's arrest 'were incorrect' and later said, 'I'm not interested,' is not implicated in the police charges.
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I → tell → charges
Haselhurst is facing eight charges, including three counts of extortion, three of unlawful stalking, one count of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of possessing prescription medicines or hazardous poisons.
asserted
Haselhurst → face → medicines
The court heard during one of Haselhurst's bail applications that a couple was confronted at their home in Mermaid Waters at about 10.50am on July 18, with Queensland Police telling the Daily Mail that 'two unknown men identified themselves as "debt collectors", demanded a significant amount of money, and made threats'.
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men → hear → threats
Haselhurst spent six weeks behind bars before being released on bail, after a court heard video of 'debt collectors' berating business associates of the CHANGE founder for money
Haselhurst and Pearson said the closure was 'an eleventh hour' decision, explaining: 'We were presented with an unexpected opportunity we felt we could not pass up'
The 28-year-old man and the 27-year-old woman 'were then transported to a café at a nearby shopping centre.
uncertain
man → spend → centre
[There] they met with a 39-year-old man, who they had previously been involved in a Broadbeach business venture with in 2025.
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they → meet → 2025
Further threats were allegedly made.
uncertain
threats → make → ?
The court was played a video in which one 'debt collector' repeatedly berated the pair, saying 'Listen here you motherf***er, if you owe this c*** money, you gotta sit with him and sort it out, you understand?'
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you → play → it
In another conversation between the complainants and a second debt collector, he said, 'You robbed him a hundred grand, brother.'
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You → say → complainants
Both debt collectors were 'physically imposing'
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collectors → impose → ?
Then, on a Sunday morning about 8.20am at Currumbin Waters, 'the same two men attended the house of a 47-year-old man... where they demanded a significant amount of money and made threats', police said.
asserted
police → attend → threats
The man reportedly refused to leave the house he shared with his partner and their children, who were not home at the time, as the two men demanded money.
uncertain
men → refuse → money
The Mail understands that Haselhurst was building CHANGE as an alternative to the once-ubiquitous F45 fitness empire, having run F45 Bondi Beach for six years before departing in 2020.
asserted
Haselhurst → understand → 2020
Haselhurst parted ways with the Milky Lane burger and milkshake chain he co-founded about the same time he left F45.
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he → part → F45
He has also run franchise businesses called Adventure Tours, Lost Paradise, Lost Picnic and The Entrepreneur Degree.
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He → run → businesses
On its website, CHANGE - now rebranded as Change Life Enhanced - promises 'workouts designed by the world's best to help you unlock your limitless potential'.
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you → rebrande → potential
In videos promoting his business - which has afforded Haselhurst a luxury jet-set lifestyle - he plugs a new 'House of Health' in Sydney's Surry Hills as a 'one-stop' solution to 'health, performance, and longevity'.
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he → promote → health
Haselhurst personally ran the Broadbeach gym, as well as a gym in North Adelaide and a proposed forthcoming Surry Hills branch.
However, three Gold Coast franchises at North Lakes, Sunnybank and Coomera have closed.
asserted
franchises → run → Lakes
According to one of his websites, Haselhurst created 'the most successful franchisee in the entire F45 Training network' in Bondi, which 'was crowned the number one F45 studio in the world for eight consecutive years'.
uncertain
which → accord → years
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