High-profile politician resigns a day after his 19-year-old daughter appeared in racy new documentary about OnlyFans creators
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders handed in his surprise resignation just one day after his daughter appeared in a reality TV series about OnlyFans influencers.
Saunders, the member for Dubbo, on Monday told his fellow MPs he would be resigning to focus on his family and himself just minutes before informing the media.
‘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,’ Saunders said in a media release.
His daughter Charlie Saunders – who goes by Willow Rae or Willow Ray online – was one of four women to debut in the six-part online reality series titled Spicy Summer, with the first episode airing on Sunday.
The series was filmed in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in September and October and focused on the rise of OnlyFans, a subscription-based service known for giving a platform to influencers making racy content.
Ms Saunders, 19, appeared on Spicy Summer under the name Willow and told viewers she was from regional NSW.
‘I can do what I want, and I’m a legal consenting adult,’ Ms Saunders said on the documentary when asked about her career.
Her OnlyFans profile, which Daily Mail understands has been deleted since her father’s resignation, described her as ‘the girl next door if next door’s a farm’.
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders (right) resigned from the top spot following the documentary featuring his daughter (centre), Charlie Saunders
Ms Saunders (centre) appeared in a documentary titled Spicy Summer, featuring OnlyFans stars
Saunders (centre) described his resignation as a ‘difficult decision’ in a statement on Monday
A spokesperson for Mr Saunders told The Australian his shock resignation had nothing to do with the MP’s daughter appearing in the documentary and it was a coincidence.
In the documentary, Charlie claimed she turned to the adult industry after being bullied in high school.
‘I was bullied a lot in school about my appearance, there’d be girls that were like a size six, and they’d say I’m fat, and I was a size 14,’ she said.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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’.’
The 19-year-old added social media had largely ‘normalised’ the adult industry.
‘I think the older women are just jealous that it (OnlyFans) wasn’t around when they were younger and they just had to be a housewife and get a basic job,’ she said.
Saunders (right) said he was resigning to focus on his family and himself following news several family members were fighting illnesses
‘I love being a country girl and living out in the bush … but the options here are pretty limited, you could work at the pub or a local shop, but you’re only going to make basic money.
‘All those (social media) influencers I follow show me that I don’t have to settle in life,’ she said
Mr Saunders, aged 52, claimed his daughter’s appearance in the documentary was unrelated to his resignation.
It is understood multiple members of the Saunders family are fighting illnesses.
The Australian reported there were no plans to challenge Saunders’ role as party leader in the upcoming sitting week of parliament – which could be the last of the year.
Opposition leader Mark Speakman said he ‘valued very much’ Saunders’ ‘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,’ he said.
Nationals MPs will meet on 8.30am Tuesday to vote on a new leader.
Ms Saunders (pictured) claimed she turned to the adult entertainment industry after being bullied for her appearance in high school
Deputy leader Gurmesh Singh and former leader Paul Toole, who lost position in 2023, are set to go head-to-head for the spot.
Fellow frontbench MPs Steph Cooke and Kevin Anderson have also been floated as potential candidates.
Saunders’ described his resignation as a ‘difficult decision but it is the right time for me to take a step back and focus more on my family and myself’.
‘It’s also the right time to allow a new leader to take up the fight ahead of the next election,’ he said.
Saunders remains the member for Dubbo, in central west NSW.
Daily Mail has contacted Dugald Saunders and Charlie Saunders for comment.
