Comedian Dave Hughes has turned his sights on convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson, mocking the revelation that the so-called mushroom killer is receiving a taxpayer-funded prescription for weight-loss drug Ozempic while serving her sentence in solitary confinement.
Hughes took to social media to lampoon the arrangement, questioning why a prisoner kept in near-total isolation required the in-demand medication at all.
"She's in solitary confinement, she's not trying to keep away from the buffet on a cruise," Hughes said in the post, which quickly attracted a flood of responses.
"Just ask for less food through the flap, Erin," he continued, before adding a pointed reference to Patterson's crime: "Or, if you really want to lose weight, just ask them to make your special beef Wellington. I think the weight would fall off pretty quick then."
Why is Erin Patterson receiving Ozempic in prison?
The Department of Corrections has confirmed the medication was approved strictly on clinical grounds, not as a lifestyle drug. Authorities say Patterson is at risk of significant weight gain due to the extreme nature of her confinement — she is locked in her cell for between 22 and 23 hours a day, with only a brief daily period outside it. The confinement is necessary, corrections officials say, because of her notoriety among other inmates and the need to protect her safety.
The department stated the drug is being provided to guard against the onset of type 2 diabetes and related health complications that can accompany rapid, inactivity-driven weight gain. Ozempic is approved in Australia for the management of type 2 diabetes and reducing the risk of serious heart and kidney conditions, though it is also widely used off-label as a weight-loss treatment.
Hughes not alone in questioning the prescription
While Hughes framed his criticism as dark comedy, others have raised more pointed policy objections. Victorian Opposition spokesperson on Police and Corrections, Brad Batten, said that if a prisoner is gaining excessive weight behind bars, it points to a systemic problem that medication alone should not fix.
"Maybe we should be using prescriptions for more exercise, or a government should be reviewing what they are feeding prisoners here in Victoria," Batten said.
Thousands of comments under Hughes' post indicated widespread public agreement with his scepticism about the use of public funds for the prescription.
Hughes' broader political turn
The Ozempic quip is the latest in a growing string of politically charged commentary from the veteran comedian, who has been increasingly vocal about Labor's management of tax policy. Hughes has repeatedly criticised the government over its handling of negative gearing and capital gains tax changes, accusing it of misleading voters and wasting public money — a theme that connects his Patterson joke to his broader fixation on how taxpayer dollars are spent.
His pivot toward political subject matter has, however, made him a target in return. Fellow comedians Dave Thornton and Melanie Bracewell have both taken aim at him, with Bracewell quipping on social media: "You gotta feel for Hughesy. He's living from his tenants' paycheck to tenants' paycheck." The joke referenced suggestions that Hughes' own real estate holdings may be colouring his political views — something the 55-year-old has denied.
Whether Hughes is punching at policy or personalities, his commentary is clearly landing — at least with his audience. The Patterson post, in particular, has generated significant online traction, with public sentiment running largely in line with his sardonic take on the arrangement.
