Sydney, Australia – November 17, 2025 – In a stunning turn of events that has sent ripples through New South Wales' political landscape, Dugald Saunders, the leader of the NSW Nationals and Member for Dubbo, announced his resignation from the party leadership on Monday morning. The decision, communicated first to his parliamentary colleagues and then to the media, comes just one day after his 19-year-old daughter, Charlie Saunders, made her debut appearance in a controversial reality TV series exploring the world of OnlyFans influencers. While Saunders' office insists the timing is purely coincidental, the synchronicity has fueled widespread speculation and drawn intense media scrutiny to the intersection of family privacy, public service, and the evolving digital economy.
Saunders, 52, who has represented the regional electorate of Dubbo since 2019, cited a desire to prioritize his family and personal well-being as the primary reasons for his departure. "It's a difficult decision, but it is the right time for me to take a step back and focus more on my family and myself," he stated in a formal media release issued shortly after 9 a.m. local time. This marks the end of a tenure that spanned just over two and a half years, during which Saunders navigated the Nationals through a period of opposition challenges, including tense negotiations with coalition partners over policy issues like net zero emissions targets and regional development funding.
The backdrop to this resignation is the premiere of Spicy Summer, a six-part online reality series produced by independent filmmakers and streamed on YouTube, which aired its first episode on Sunday evening. Filmed in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs—primarily the beachside enclave of Bondi—during September and October 2025, the documentary delves into the burgeoning phenomenon of young women leveraging subscription-based platforms like OnlyFans to build careers in adult content creation. OnlyFans, launched in 2016, has exploded in popularity, boasting over 3 million creators worldwide and generating billions in revenue by empowering users to monetize exclusive content directly from subscribers, often bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. The platform has become synonymous with "pornstar influencers," as the series' promotional materials describe, attracting everyone from celebrities to everyday individuals seeking financial independence.
Charlie Saunders, appearing under the pseudonym Willow Rae (or Willow Ray in some online handles), was one of four featured women in the debut episode. Hailing from the rural outskirts of Dubbo in central western NSW—a region characterized by vast farmlands, conservative values, and limited economic opportunities—she introduced herself to viewers as a 19-year-old "country girl" embracing her autonomy in the adult industry. "Hi, I’m Willow, I’m 19 and I started making adult content as soon as I turned 18," she stated confidently in the opening segment, emphasizing her legal status and personal agency. Her OnlyFans profile, now reportedly deleted following the media storm, playfully billed her as "the girl next door if next door's a farm," a nod to her upbringing in regional Australia.
Throughout the episode, Charlie opened up about the personal motivations driving her into this line of work, painting a poignant picture of resilience amid adversity. She recounted a childhood marred by relentless bullying during high school, where peers targeted her body image. "I was bullied a lot in school about my appearance," she shared, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "There'd be girls that were like a size six, and they'd say I'm fat, and I was a size 14. When someone else says it, it just hurts a lot. It put me in a state of depression, and I'd go to school and just feel like I wasn't worthy." This harassment, she explained, eroded her self-esteem, leaving her in a vulnerable state until she discovered online communities that celebrated diverse body types.
The turning point, as Charlie described, came through exposure to OnlyFans creators who embodied empowerment rather than conformity. "When I saw the girls on OnlyFans, I realised that you don't have to be a certain size or shape to be popular and men will like you," she said. "When I got my first subscriber on OnlyFans, I thought this was the first time in my life where it was like, 'I'm not what all the other girls are saying and actually, I am pretty.'" This validation, she argued, was transformative, shifting her from self-doubt to self-acceptance. Notably, the documentary did not reference her father's political career, maintaining a veil of separation between her personal narrative and his public life.
Charlie also contextualized her choices within broader societal shifts, crediting social media for "normalizing" the adult industry. "I think the older women are just jealous that it wasn't around when they were younger and they just had to be a housewife and get a basic job," she remarked, a comment that has sparked debate online about generational attitudes toward sex work and economic agency. For a young woman from regional NSW, where employment options are often confined to low-wage roles in pubs, shops, or agriculture, OnlyFans represented not just liberation but practicality. "I love being a country girl and living out in the bush … but the options here are pretty limited," she elaborated. "You could work at the pub or a local shop, but you're only going to make basic money. All those influencers I follow show me that I don't have to settle in life." Her story underscores a growing trend: according to industry reports, OnlyFans payouts surged to $5.3 billion in 2023 alone, with a significant portion going to creators under 25, many from non-urban areas seeking alternatives to traditional job markets.
A spokesperson for Dugald Saunders firmly denied any causal link between the documentary and the resignation, describing it as "a coincidence" in a statement to The Australian. "The decision was personal and had been under consideration for some time," the spokesperson added, though specifics were not elaborated. Saunders himself echoed this in his release, reflecting on his leadership without allusion to family matters: "It's been an honour to lead the parliamentary team during a challenging time in opposition, and I've always done my best to represent regional NSW." Despite the assurances, the optics have proven challenging. Social media erupted with memes and commentary, with hashtags like #SpicySaunders trending briefly on X (formerly Twitter), blending sympathy for the family with pointed critiques of political vulnerability to personal scandals.
Within the NSW Nationals, the resignation blindsided many. Party sources described the party room as "stunned" during the Monday briefing, held just minutes before the public announcement. Saunders, a former ABC radio broadcaster known for his affable demeanor and deep ties to rural communities, had stabilized the party after a 2023 leadership spill that ousted his predecessor, Paul Toole. Under his watch, the Nationals advocated fiercely for drought relief, infrastructure investments in the state's west, and protections for family farms amid climate policy debates. As shadow minister for agriculture, trade, and natural resources since 2024, he also championed export deals that bolstered regional economies.
Tributes poured in swiftly from across the political spectrum. Opposition Leader Mark Speakman, head of the NSW Liberals and Saunders' coalition partner, praised his colleague's "steady, collegiate, and constructive counsel." "Dugald Saunders has been a tireless advocate for the Dubbo electorate and regional NSW, both as a leader of the NSW Nationals and as a trusted voice long before politics," Speakman said, recalling their early interactions when Saunders hosted a morning radio show on ABC Western Plains. Federal Nationals figures, including MP Jamie Chaffey, echoed this sentiment, noting Saunders' role in bridging state and national priorities. Upper House Nationals member Wes Fang called the leadership role "one of the toughest jobs in the NSW Parliament," adding that Saunders "left nothing on the table." Former federal deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, a Nationals stalwart, acknowledged the toll of leadership: "Time in leadership can take its toll."
Looking ahead, the Nationals will convene at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to elect a successor, potentially marking the last sitting week of 2025 before the holiday recess and the long haul to the 2027 state election. Potential contenders include Upper House MPs like Bronnie Taylor, who served alongside Saunders during the 2023 spill, or backbenchers eyeing a promotion. The Australian reported no immediate challenges to the process, suggesting a smooth transition amid the party's focus on unity. Meanwhile, speculation swirls about broader coalition dynamics; Saunders' exit has reignited whispers that Liberal Leader Speakman might face his own pressure cooker, given ongoing frictions over urban-rural policy divides.
Saunders will retain his seat in the NSW Parliament, ensuring continuity for Dubbo constituents who have relied on his advocacy for issues like health services in remote areas and youth employment programs—ironically, themes that echo his daughter's own narrative of seeking better prospects beyond the bush. As the dust settles, this episode highlights the unforgiving glare of public life in the social media age, where personal family stories can collide spectacularly with professional legacies. For Charlie Saunders, the documentary has catapulted her into a national conversation about empowerment, stigma, and choice, even as it inadvertently reshapes her father's career trajectory. Whether this "coincidence" truly is one remains a question for historians, but its impact on NSW politics is undeniably seismic.
